October 12th To The Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Page Two)
The capital city of Rwanda
Did You Know? - Kigali, with a population of more than 1 million (2012), is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic center of the nation. The city has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of Rwanda are located in the city, as are the government ministries.
The city is built in hilly country, sprawling across about four ridges and the valleys in between. The city center is located on one of these ridges, with the main government area on another. The tops of the ridges have an average elevation of 1,600 meters or 5,250 feet, while the valleys are around 1,300 meters or 4,270 feet.
The bigger houses and office buildings tend to be on the tops of the ridges, while the poorer people live in the valleys. The city is ringed most of the way round by higher hills, with some suburban sprawl rising up these. The highest of these is Mt. Kigali, with an elevation of 1,850 meters or 6,070 feet above sea level.
It's 8:00 PM and time to rest after a long flight from Europe! The Kigali Serena Hotel is our destination this evening.
Time to recuperate after ten hours in the air!
Short drive from the airport to the hotel
Kigali Serena Hotel in the morning sun
A quick look around the hotel and we are off and running
Still pretty warm even in November
A nice drive where we see some of the town and countryside
The satellite view of the route
Bright outside and people are moving about
The city was pretty modern
Impressive skyline
Built on rolling hills
Flowers can be found everywhere
The city was clean
A quick stop reveals artwork for sale
The grounds of the hotels are beautiful
Another hotel nearby
Time for a nap!
We now catch the bus...
Buses everywhere... Soon we will be out of the city
On our way
On the outskirts
Goodbye city... Hello countryside
Civilization is now gone!
Beauty abounds
Carrying a load back home
Did You Know? - Carrying on the head is a common practice in many parts of the world, as an alternative to carrying a burden on the back, shoulders, head and so on. People have carried burdens balanced on top of the head since ancient times, usually to do daily work, but sometimes in religious ceremonies or as a feat of skill, such as in certain dances.
Today, women and men may be seen carrying burdens on top of their heads where there is no less expensive, or more efficient, way of transporting workloads. In India, women carry baskets of bricks to workmen on construction sites.
In East Africa, Luo women may carry loads of up to 70% of their own body weight balanced on top of their heads. Women of the Kikuyu tribe carry similar heavy loads, but using a leather strap wrapped around their forehead and the load to secure it while it is carried.
This results in a permanent groove in the forehead of the women. However, there is no evidence of other harmful effects on the health of women who carry heavy loads on top of their heads. Researchers speculate that training from a young age may explain this. Up to 20% of the person's body weight can be carried with no extra exertion of energy.
We are going into the higher elevations
Farms are located everywhere
A quick stop in
Nyirangarama, Rulindo, Northern Province, Rwanda
Did You Know? - Its principal town, Tare (more commonly known as Nyirangarama), serves as a rest and refreshment stop for most long distance bus services between Kigali and Gisenyi and Goma. Rulindo district is home to Agashya, Rwanda's leading manufacturer of passion fruit squash.
A little entertainment
Looks like fun!
Bright clothes making a statement
...an offering?
Up and up we go!
There are some nice homes along the way
Working the fields
No shortage of water this time of year!
Getting closer to the destination
Advertisements along the road
Perhaps some weather ahead? It rains 17 days in
November and about four inches!
The bus really scoots along the narrow road
Farms everywhere
The Mountain Gorilla View Lodge is the new mid range accommodation, located only a 15 min. drive from the ranger station at Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park), where you check in each morning for either gorilla or golden monkey tracking.
The 30 individual cottages are built of stone and thatch on the slopes of Mt Sabinyo. The rooms are big and bare, but each features a small lounge with a fire place and a private veranda.
A major draw-back is that electricity is provided by a generator, which is generally turned on after 6 pm; meaning you only have hot water/heat when power is on.
Wood is provided to burn in the fire place, but you may want to dress warmly anyways.
Did You Know? - Remarkably this tiny portion of the planet hosts almost a third of the world's wild mountain gorillas, with around 250 individuals in 10 troops, of which 8 are habituated to the presence of humans, which means that they can usually be approached without being scared off. This rich rainforest environment also contains over 120 mammal and 350 bird species.
Only 56 gorilla tracking permits are issued each day, so you need to book extremely early and pay up front to secure a spot to visit one of the more interesting and accessible gorilla families.
Visit me and the family (Page Three)