Day 6

Last week around this time I was sitting on a plane somewhere between Paris and Ethiopia. Time flies, despite being on the African continent where life seems to pass by in slow motion.

Today started sunny but ended up cold and rainy. It was clearly general washing day as all the bedsheets and linen were washed on the porch. Even the boys need to do chores in the household such as changing bedcovers or doing the dishes. The rain eventually delayed all washing activities, and I thought all the work had been for nothing. But the women didn't seem to be bothered by the sheets hanging 'to dry' in the pouring rain. Probably they regarded it as an extra rinsing.

Off the beaten track
The rain gave a great opportunity to work on my schedule again. I have been reading like a mad cow to get my plan together. With a travel guide, Rwandan road map, agenda and notebook spread out on my desk, I began to write down my first couple of big trips.

A first trip will take me right into the heart of the jungle in the South-East of Rwanda, to the borders of Burundi. Nyungwe National Forest is one of the best preserved natural habitats of the Albertine Rift Valley primates. Many of these animals are extinct in other places. As such, they call them the Albertine Rift Endemics (ARE). My main aim, however, are not the primates that primarily catch my interest. The area offers a dozen of adventurous trails through the jungle, ranging from easy to quite difficult hikes. They're not an ordinary 'walk in the park', but hikes which bring you to the most stunning places while encountering a great variety on biodiversity.

I'm especially interested in the Congo-Nile expedition, which takes 3-4 days to conquer and makes you stay overnight in the jungle. It is said to offer spectacular views along ridges, waterbeds and tropical vegetation. By the way, you've heard it right: the Nile. It's said that the source of the Blue Nile lies in Burundi and travels through Rwanda, going all the way up north. Another trail is called the Isumo trail, which is a moderate 4 hour walk that brings you to waterfalls. One of the newer trails is the canopy walk on the Igishigishi trail. A fairly easy walk that can be done in less than 2 hours.

This area is also known for its tea plantations, of which you pass a couple en route. Although I'm not specifically going to look for primates and other wildlife, there is no doubt you will encounter some of these mammals. Only a few predators, such as leopard and other big cats, roam these forests but are rarely seen by tourists. It used to be the home of the elephant and buffalo, but they've become extinct in the area.

Nyungwe park leads to the town of Cyangugu (pronounce Shang-gugu) in the far west of the country, next to the city of Bukavu on Congolese side. Cyangugu is a travel dead-end, but it's a good place to either start or end a trip to Nyungwe. From there, the road will take me back to Gitarama. I'm quite excited about these trips, especially because they offer you a one-with-nature experience. For me, being in the midst of nature, surrounded by the sound of the forest and spectacular views can be the highlight of a trip. I’ll be rewarded with some great stories and beautiful pictures, for sure!

A mystery unveiled
Apart from wandering off to remote areas in this tiny country, I also heard the funniest thing today. Why does an African have such a big, flat nose and huge lips? Because with each step his mom took on her long way to the fields when he was a baby, his head bumped into her back. LOL!

And another funny thing; We have three telecom providers in Rwanda: Tigo, MTN and Rwanda Tel. Mr.S. said: ‘Tigo is a cheap network made for students, mtn is a business network and Rwanda Tel is the cheapest of them all. People call eachother a whole day long telling the silliest things. You should hear those conversations. They even talk about their chicken and goats.’

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t stop laughing. This chicken will probably have to sell a goat to get a gorilla permit (500USD) tomorrow at the ORTPN Tourist Office in Kigali. Off to bed, need to catch the early morning bus.

Thursday 3rd March – Gitarama 18 degrees