We then stop at the gated entrance of the Hotel called “Gorillas Nest” and slowly enter a huge, enchanted looking forest. Thousands of tall trees that resembled redwoods crowded the area and we drove through a narrow path to the entrance of the hotel. The jeep pulled over and when we hopped out the vans, we were given hot towels and ginger tea. After checking in, we walked out the lobby and through the enchanted forest to our cottages. We crossed a long, skinny bridge that overlooked miles of tall trees and swamps. I walked into my cottage with Hannah, my roommate for the night, and we were so excited to see real beds (we’ve been currently sleeping on dilapidated bunk beds) and a nice, big shower and bath (we’ve also been taking cold, bucket showers) that we collapsed on our bed from excitement. There was a small table with amazing Rwanda tea and coffee and when we sat down to make some, one of the Rwandan workers knocks at our door and comes to bring us an umbrella because it started pouring. He was the friendliest boy I’ve ever met and we invited him in for tea and crackers. In America, this type of thing could never happen but here, everyone is so amiable and there’s a significantly less amount of barriers between people. He told us that he’s twenty years old and wishes he could be currently studying at a university but doesn’t have enough money to do so. The first thing he asked us was “Do you have parents?” which in Rwanda usually means that he doesn’t. I’m used to this sort of question because all of the kids at village are very curious about people with parents and how their relationship with them is.
I took a hot bath for the first time in 5 months, which felt unbelievably amazing!! Hannah and I were the first to get ready for dinner and we walked through the rain, into the enchanted forest, across the long bridge and to the beautiful lodge. When we walked in, a group of 30 Rwandans dressed in traditional African clothing were huddled in the corner and it was absolutely silent but when they turned at saw us, they whispered to each other and all of sudden, drums went off and a huge dance and song performance started! We were caught completely off guard and we started laughing hysterically, completely shocked at the surprise. The rest of the group started trickling in and the production continued for about an hour. The last couple of songs we stood up, clapping and dancing, and each of the African dancers came and grabbed our hands. The hotel workers (cooks, receptionist, the boy who delivered me the umbrella and all) all joined in to out huge African dance party and we were all smiling so hard that our heads were pounding and none of us could feel our cheeks.
When the dance died down, they assisted us to the candle lit dining hall and all nine of us sat down at a beautifully decorated table next to a fireplace. All the food and drinks were included in our stay so to start out, we all ordered beer, wine, and mango juice. Then they brought us vegetable soup and an avocado salad for starters and then we each ordered a main course and all had fruit salad for desert. It was SO nice eating something other than rice and beans for a change…I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated eating out at a restaurant as much as I did last night.
The next morning I awoke at 5.30, ate an amazing omelet and tea breakfast by 6.00, and was in the jeep on the way to the gorillas before sunrise. We met out guide and the other people from Ireland that were going to be trekking with us. We walked through bumpy plains and passed lots of little children, goats, cows, and scenic mountain views. We finally arrived at a tall mound of bricks made as a separation gate into the park. We climbed over the bricks and started our treacherous hike. The first half hour was a pretty flat hike but suddenly the pace changed and before we knew it, we were arduously trekking up the steep mountain. It was extremely mucky and slippery so every step, I sunk about two inches into the mud and every couple of minutes I would slip and fall hard on the ground. We each carried a walking stick that they gave us before the hike and at the beginning, I thought it was hilarious that they made us take a walking stick as if we were old grandmas, but I ended up desperately needing it. Although I still fell quite often, at times the hill was so steep and slippery that there was no way I would have gotten up it without sinking my stick into the ground and then pulling myself up. Even though the hike was strenuous, the green lush, tall bamboo, flowers and interesting plants around me were just gorgeous and unperturbed. I’ve never been in such a beautiful place before and being there with such an amazing group of girls that I’ve gotten close with here in Rwanda enhanced the experience remarkably.
After about an hour and a half were almost at the top of the mountain and we look to the top and see big black moving objects in the distance. My jaw slowly drops when I realize the innumerable amount of gorillas dawdling right in front of my eyes. Our feet move quicker and the guide signals us to the side of a big tree where an enormous Silverback gorilla was just chilling and eating. The animal was a lot more massive than I imagined (they are three times the size of a full grown man) and I was dumbstruck by how humanlike he was sitting and eating. He looked like a giant stuffed animal. Our group surrounded the tree, taking pictures and watching intensely, and the gorilla was completely indifferent that we were standing less than ten feet away from him. Then two smaller gorillas emerged from the trees and a couple in the distance revealed themselves. The gentle creatures didn’t seam to notice we were even there. A couple of them showed off their skills by swiftly climbing up thin sticks of bamboo further into the forest and once they all moved away from us, we followed into the timberland. We had just walked into their very home- nests were sitting above us and gorillas were walking freely all around us. We saw around thirty gorillas total including a mother breastfeeding a baby and baby gorillas being carried on their mothers’ backs. I was sitting down at one point looking at some of the younger gorillas and one of them looked at me curiously and started walking towards me and then put a finger out to me. I wanted to touch it so badly because he looked like a little stuffed animal I wanted to cuddle with, but the guide said that the oil from our skin can seriously harm them and we had to keep our distance. After studying these amazing, beautiful animals for about two hours we started our journey down the hill where we also saw a buffalo looking straight at us. Basically on the way down was a huge mudslide. By then, my jeans and shoes were completely black so I didn’t mind slipping everywhere. It was actually pretty fun sliding down on my butt, especially because I were absolutely exhausted by then. The Rwandan guides were very amused at this. We finally finished our trek and about 30 kids set up tables with souvenirs right where we finished. A couple of us bought things and when we left, many disappointed boys packed their stuff up and walked away.
When we got back to the hotel they took our shoes to clean them, then we all took hot showers and then came to the dining room for an amazing lunch. Because the group was split up during the gorilla trek, we all shared our experiences and came to a common conclusion that the last 25 hours went exactly perfect and surpassed our expectations in every way imaginable. I will remember this amazing day forever!  |
| My Guide. Notice My muddy pants and shoes |
Bring one home!
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