Volcanoes Virunga Lodge
Trip Start
Feb 06, 2008
1
18
23
Trip End
Mar 03, 2008
Parc National des Volcans,
Rwanda
Sunday, February 24, 2008
During our winding ride Paul gave us an in-depth commentary on the nuances of Rwandan society. Outside of the large cities, Rwanda is comprised of rural villages organized around a local market, schools and usually a Catholic church. The villagers work and farm the undulating hills of the countryside and grow mainly "Irish" potatoes, bananas, tea, coffee and a white flower exported to produce insecticide.
Surprisingly, everywhere you look, seemingly order and organization rule the day. The villages' huts and buildings are simple mud or clay brick structures--but all seem well cared for. Could it be that as a means to heal the disorder and chaos of the genocide that order and structure are looked at as bandaids for the nation's psyche? The outward signs of redemption and reconstruction are everywhere. The hills that are not farmed are covered in new fragrant eucalyptus trees planted to replace the ones lost in the chaos. Brightly painted mass graves are numerous--the neat and uniform styles of these memorials a final safe bastion for the estimated one million Rwandans consumed in the madness of the 100 days in 1994.
The country is spectacular--a backdrop of otherworldly beauty. Our revealing ride brought us to the lodge where we were to spend three nights to go gorilla tracking on the slopes of the five nearby volcanoes. The lodge is built at the top of a hill and on either side of the hill's steep walls are the twin lakes that had been separated in a different age by the volcanic activity of the area. Our private stone chalet, one of eight, was simple but luxurious. The whole development is eco-friendly--probably as much out of necessity due to its remote location than out of any burden for political correctness. All the power is solar, there is no running water. Ash spooned from a nearby jar is the flush for the toilet and a bush shower is our means of cleaning. We enjoyed the simple living.
On the top of the hill there is a grand stone lodge with a cozy lounge bar and dining room. Out of every window the seven volcanoes of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo stretched out with the twin lakes below. Didas, our host, and the entire staff gave impeccable service--hot water for the bush shower arrived on the dot as ordered and our drink glasses were never empty. Dinner is served at 7:00 pm in the dining room in communal style with the other guests. We enjoyed getting to know the other characters we were sharing the lodge with over the next few days as we shared about our encounters with the gorillas.
