Gorilla Trekking, Kinigi, Rwanda (Day 2)

  Kinigi, Rwanda
Monday, June 9, 2008

Gorilla Trekking, Kinigi, Rwanda (Day 2)

Monday June 9th, 2008. Kinigi, Rwanda.
Now that we are old hands at this gorilla trekking thing you would think things would go all smoothly...not quite. We both woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep so I got to work on this blog and Rina read more about the gorillas and Rwanda. We both slept like logs but as soon as it came close to gorilla time we were like kids waiting for Santa Claus.
Routine was the same as yesterday; 6am breakfast, 6:30am head for Park office for briefing and to be split into groups and by about 7:30am we were on our way up the mountain looking for a different group from yesterday. In our group today were 6 other people making it 8 vs yesterday's 4. I was actually trying to get in a small group again so we wouldn't be pushing around to get a view of the gorillas but it turned out quite good as the group we were tracking didn't move around and were in an open space - but more on that later. The other thing about our group for today was that apart from the guides and porters I was the only male.   
The thing that had me most perplexed about the people at the Park Office this morning was the number of people who seemed to have read or heard nothing about what they were about to do. There were people there in t-shirts, tracksuit pants and trainers, others in jeans, plenty of people with ridiculous shoes and most of the 60 odd there today without a decent jacket. It really looked like these people had been kidnapped from a shopping mall and plonked in Rwanda and told to go find gorillas with all they had with them. We had not gone out and got all the crazy gear but at least we had good hiking shoes, water proof(ish) jackets, hiking pants and long sleeve shirts. We had some in our group with ridiculous shoes and they suffered (not quite as much as their shoes suffered) but some of the folks in the other groups would have come back with bumps and bruises all over.
Anyway, I digress. Today we were tracking a different group so we headed off in a different direction. The road was a little better but it still took about 30mins of 4WD before we started walking. Then we had another 30mins of walking through farmland before we reached the park wall as per yesterday but in a different spot. The guide told us it would be about one and half hours trekking from here but may take longer depending on the pace of our group. The jungle we started into was totally different from the day before. Today it was more like a haunted forest from a fairy tale with twisted old with moss growing all over them. The ground was much dryer as it didn't rain the night before so the pace was easy but the strain was much easier than yesterday. It didn't hurt that everyone's shoe laces seemed to be coming undone every 5mins or so meaning the group would stop while the laces were retied. I can't help but think some of the slower ones were happy to have their laces come undone.
After a dozen laces being tied we finally reached the gorilla trackers and we knew what was happening. The rest of the group had not been out before so they didn't realise that we were within a few feet of the gorillas. We got our stuff ready walked 20ft through the trees into a clearing and there they were. A group of 1 silver back (about 20% bigger than the one from Group 13), 4 adult females and 3 babies. They were out in the open and lazing around like it was one big feather pillow. 
The silver back was grooming his new girlfriend who had recently emigrated from Congo and the rest of the group quietly went about their business whilst keeping an eye on the silver back and his mistress. Apparently another group had bumped into this group earlier in the day and the silver backs had a bit of a scuffle. This left the group worn out so they spent the entire hour we spent with them resting. They hardly moved at all and the only adult that actually walked anywhere was an older female that got up to walk past us and go for a pee. She got up and walked within about a foot of Alicia (from Washington DC) and I had it all on video. Alicia was on her own so I promised to email the video to her as soon as we were back home - I think that made her day especially as she was travelling alone so had no other way of getting that on video. As I said yesterday - video is the way to go. good photos look great, but on a trip like this half decent video will beat one great photo almost every time.
The young gorillas were resting when we arrived but it was clear they were pretty restless within about half an hour and they gradually started climbing over each other and the adults. Normal family fun but it was so close. We were no more than about 4 metres away from them the entire time because of the size of the clearing - and more and we would have been in the jungle and out of sight of the gorillas. Being that close to a big silver back is really hard to describe. Its one of those moments that will just stick with you forever.
Before long our time was up and it was time to head back down. Of course we were sad as it was our last time with the gorillas (on this trip at least) but we were so glad to have done two days and not limited the trip to one. While it may seem expensive at US$500 per person per trek (ie: 1hr with the gorillas) but it is the best money I think I have ever spent and it was well worth it.
Gorilla Trekking Tip: take time to spend at least three nights at the lodge and do 2 days gorilla trekking and one day either visiting Dian Fossey's grave or trekking for the Golden Monkeys. All treks only leave in the morning so you cannot do gorillas in the morning and monkeys or Dian Fossey's "tombe" in the afternoon. We didn't know about these other two things and would have loved to have done them both. Ideally I would spend 4 nights, 5 days here and do 2 days gorilla trekking, 1 day to Dian Fossey's grave and 1 day to the golden monkeys.
Wildlife Photography Tip: Don't bother with a lens bigger than 50mm with the gorillas. You need relatively wide angle lenses with the gorillas because you are very close to them. The Park Rangers say you should be no closer than 7m but you will get much closer than that and 50mm or bigger just wont get the details and framing you want. Again the perfect lens for me would be a 24-28mm prime or 18-55mm zoom (or similar).
We got back to the hotel and went through the normal routine of washing, eating and sleeping and were then woken from our afternoon nap by the sound of kids singing. We had heard that there was a local troupe of kids that would sing in the evenings in the hotel courtyard but we hadn't seen them for the first two nights so we figured they didn't do it anymore. As soon as we heard them we knew what it was and Rina jumped out of bed faster than a gardener on Desperate Housewives. We were up and out the door in a flash - so fast that I took the wrong camera lens but did take the video camera.
These kids were brilliant and the feeling they generate with their massive smiles and their total commitment to the dancing is very contagious. Its hard not to well up when you see and hear something like this. Its one thing to see some touristy cultural show, its another to have one with great talent and a whole separate level when they have the cultural side, plus amazing talent in dancing and singing and they are so happy and excited to be part of the show. These kids could not have been happier! Rina was sitting down trying hard not to cry and I got it all on video - the best money spent preparing for this trip was buying the video camera. Near then end they came into the audience and got people up to dance - Rina was the first to be called up and I knew she would be crying her eyes out when she was finished. Of course I was right :) I truly loved the show, but I think Rina will have this stuck in her head for the rest of her life. I have a feeling that will be the highlight of her trip - and thankfully we have it all on video.
I can't say "What a day" again...but it was another amazing day!