Rwanda .. 60 minutes face to face with mountain gorillas

Moments of hesitation and anxiety may be a visitor when thinking of going to Rwanda, there are not many details that perpetuate the decision to explore that unknown destination, and not much information is available in Arabic, or even a testimony that is determined to travel to provide to his parents, who may not be convinced of the idea even After buying a plane ticket!

But that visitor, who will go on to his experience on the continent with an open mind, will surely spend 10 bus days in Rwanda, whose image is linked to poverty and danger, and a civil war, in which the country witnessed one of the ugliest genocide wars, which killed nearly a million people in the 1990s the past.

10 days will be able to see the radical changes and qualitative shift that made it the capital of tourism icon on the African continent, and the safest among them, as it offers today a unique experience that makes it ranks first in Africa, while it was able to reach the number of tourists in 2018 to more than one million tourists .

the beginning

The journey begins in the capital Kigali, which is six hours away in the plane, the first thing to draw attention is the mild weather, which did not exceed 20 degrees Celsius in September, and the cleanliness of the city and its streets, barely hint at any garbage dump, and from the moment you arrive the Rwandan capital, You will feel the intimacy of the smiling and welcoming faces of the guest, making it an ideal destination for individual travelers, women or men, and you can travel in the capital by taxi where the fare can be agreed in advance at an average of $ 10, which may increase or decrease, depending on the destination, or taxi motorcycle that Adds to commute in the city A special character, where as a visitor you can discover it as close as the experience of the locals, for only one dollar a walk!

Where the bodies rest

We had to take a journey through time to learn about the history of the country, to receive us the Museum of Genocide in Rwanda in 1994, as a first destination, the last place where the bodies of more than 250 thousand victims of genocide against the Tutsis, the museum displays some belongings of the victims, Their pictures, their stories and even some bones, are still a place to remember and learn, to honor the victims of the genocide, and to make sure they never happen again.

Nyongwe Park

The road to the park is no less surprising, the fictional scenes of forests along the way, and it is quite natural to park your car a family of African monkeys, who chose the middle of the road as a place to relax in the daytime.

We reached the largest rainforest, one of the oldest in Africa, in a mountainous area that is home to more than 300 bird species, more than 70 species of mammals, such as wild cats and mongoose, and more than 1,000 species of plants.

The tour takes two hours, with some necessary stops, to enjoy the breathtaking views that make you forget for a moment that you have to complete the road to reach a narrow suspension bridge, trams of tea plantations and forests on both ends, and reach the ends of the forest 200 meters long, 50 meters high from the ground, there and in the middle The bridge is a welcoming space and a breathtaking picture of nature in a panoramic nature, a pose in the heart of nature literally, and an adventure that took some courage and courage, but it really deserves, and this adventure can be done for $ 60 per person.

the expected day

It was very interesting and enthusiastic.We met in the lobby of the hotel in preparation for the latest facilities, before the start of a long and busy day.We are on a date with the mountain gorillas to visit them in their home country. I was surprised and asked a lot of questions, how we will behave there in the face of a wild creature completely unknown nature, seeing the mountain gorilla is not happening and does not repeat every day.

After making sure to wear the trekking shoe in the heart of the forest and bring the raincoat, I gathered my camera equipment and set off to Volcano's National Park.

For me and many, seeing the 1,000 mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo alone is enough to visit Rwanda.

Although the mountain gorillas are on the list of endangered animals, they will ensure their presence and vision in the Volcano's National Park, which Rwanda is striving to conserve. The 350 mountain gorillas in Rwanda alone are closely monitoring and monitoring against threats to Her life.

We arrived at 7 am at the park's visitor center, a place teeming with tourists from everywhere, coming to see the mountain gorilla, which made me absolutely certain that it was Rwanda's first tourist attraction.

We received the necessary instructions before going to visit the family dedicated to our group of eight members, out of 15 families receiving 96 tourists per day only, in order to reduce the impact of tourists in the mountain gorillas in their homeland, and to mitigate the change that may cause changes in the nature and mood of the mountain gorilla .

The difficulty of the trip you want to meet the mountain gorillas living at an altitude of between 2400 and 4000 meters, can be determined between the plain, medium and difficult.

The guide that will take us to visit the mountain gorilla family, Sapieno, provided us with a reclining stick we would need on our journey in the heart of the forest, and a set of instructions including leaving a distance of seven meters when seeing the mountain gorilla, which was difficult to investigate at times when it was up to you, Failure to look directly at the mountain gorilla, or finger pointing, is a challenge for her, avoiding wearing red, not using the camera light, and keeping the sound low all the time. In the heart of the forest filled with bamboo plant favorite of the mountain gorilla, as a vegetarian, you hear only the sounds of birds and some monkeys, completely surrounded in the heart of the rainforest dense vegetation, to inspire us the first member of the gorilla family after an hour and a half walk in the heart of the forest, issued a guide who accompanied us throughout The journey Some voices are reassuring to reassure the biggest family member of the mountain gorilla, nicknamed "Big Bean," that we are here to visit only, away from any threat to take over her land in her native country, in an exquisite simulation of her voice.

I remember the very first moment that a slightly elevated green hill revealed the rest of the family, which is about 16 young male and female mountain gorillas, mixed feelings of awe, fear and overwhelming happiness, in an hour we spent between meditation, surprise and taking pictures.

A trip to visit the mountain gorilla can be booked through the Rwanda Development Board, for $ 1,500 per person, 10% of which is invested in community-beneficial projects in various sectors such as education and health, and the rest of the proceeds are invested in the conservation and protection of mountain gorillas and their environment. And conduct studies.

Quetta Isina

During our visit to Rwanda, we were able to attend the nation's largest annual event, the Quetta Izina, which is part of the centuries-old Rwandan culture and tradition, which means naming 25 young mountain gorillas.

The Government of Rwanda, through the Rwanda Development Council and in collaboration with its community partners, is making efforts to protect mountain gorillas and their habitats, making Quetta Izina an opportunity to publicize these efforts, and a global call for efforts to preserve endangered mountain gorillas.

The annual Quetta Izina tradition was held on September 6 in the presence of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, celebrities and environmentalists from around the world. This year's edition was attended by model Naomi Campbell, American singer Nie Yu, former Barcelona and Ajax coach and Bayern Munich. Louis van Gaal.

Tea fields in Sakura

One of the most enjoyable experiences for people seeking to unite with nature and indulge with local people in Sakura's 1,300-hectare tea fields, in an experience where I learned how to pick tea leaves and the stages of its manufacture, from local women who have given their expertise the best ways to reap tea leaves quickly. Harvest 60 kg per day.

The tea industry ranks second in national income after tourism, and the cost of the visit is approximately $ 30 per person.

King's Palace in Nyanza

The African lifestyle does not hide its strangeness and interesting difference. Life has centered around the king and his needs, where the palace is surrounded by trees to protect him, and these trees bear spiritual value in Rwandan culture.

In the founding palace since 1931, two and a half hours from Kigali, all the kings of Rwanda have lived, and are home to the royal cows called Enyamu, which have great symbolic value in Rwandan culture.

It also surrounds the palace of the king's house for milk, which was dedicated to the milk girl who lives and is responsible for the preparation, and to ensure its quality, and forbidden to marry until the king dies. In the other house, someone is responsible for trying the drink, which is offered to the king, to make sure it is free of poison.

Boats on Lake Kivu

One of the water sports offered by Lake Kivu, in western Rwanda, is Africa's sixth largest lake, 90 km long, which shares its border with Congo, where you can enjoy a boat trip or rowing boats.

The scenery of the sunset in the heart of the lake was exquisite, carrying enough tranquility and serenity to be an ideal opportunity for the visitor to meditate and serenity away from the noise of the city.

Safari at the Akagera Park

When visiting Africa, a safari is needed. The Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda is our destination, embracing the border with Tanzania, and is characterized by forests, marshes, low mountains and savannahs. The wild terrain varies in the six-hour journey in the landscapes of protected animals such as elephants. In the southern part of the park, Lake Ihima, home to hippos and crocodiles, can make a safari for up to $ 70.

We will make our country a paradise

On the last Saturday of every month, Rwandans go out to participate in a voluntary community service, called “Omaganda,” which means participation by all to achieve a common goal, such as digging a well, building a house, or paving a street, on the beat of popular songs that inspire them and provoke the love of the country. "We will build Rwanda, we will make our country a paradise on the ground," one song says.

In the past, Rwandans were asking for help from their parents and neighbors to complete a mission. Today, they are all partnering with tourists in Umaganda to try to curb the effects of the civil war.