An Eye and a Lens - Silverback Mountain Gorilla

My visit up to the mountain gorillas was completely immense. I will write up more on this real soon. Not easy to find the words on this.

In the interim i wanted to share a few photos. These were taken using my standard 50mm lens and capture the humanistic qualities of the silverback.

This is just one of three silverbacks in the largest habituated family in Parc National des Volcans - the Susa troop. This incredible individual is 2nd in command of the 29 members of the gorilla band.

The park advises that one does not approach the gorillas closer than seven metres, but clearly no-one has informed the gorillas of this. This individual came and sat about 2.5 metres away from me. A truly magical and unforgetable experience.

Aub Adds: Please be reminded that all photographs from A Leap Into The Dark are copyright and should not be downloaded. But please feel free to view and enjoy them on the site. That is what they are here for.

Going Ape

The brilliant British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough inspired me on at least two counts.

Back in 1956, the intrepid explorer was the first to film the Komodo dragons in a classic black and white documentary. Intrigued, even back in 1992 my journey to Komodo Island was fairly intrepid. Then again in 2006 i headed to see the dragons this time on neighbouring Rinca Island on The Beast’s maiden adventure.

For Attenborough’s Life on Earth BBC TV series in 1979, he visited Dian Fossey’s research station in Rwanda to encounter the desperately rare Mountain Gorillas. For a man who has travelled the World and born witness to so many of nature’s wonders, the encounter completely blows him away. Facing the cameras with a silverback in the background, Attenborough barely contains the tears of such an emotional experience as words fail him as he endeavours to relay the experience. Sometimes words are just not necessary.

I can’t resist such an experience.

Now in his 90s Sir David continues his prolific output. He is currently recording in Antarctica.

A visit to an orang-utan sanctuary in Bukit Lawang, Northern Sumatra in the mid-1990s was a truly remarkable experience, even though these wonderful apes are our most distant ape relatives. A Mountain Gorilla is a 98.6% DNA match to us homo sapiens. A permit to visit them in Parc National Des Volcans now costs US$500 for a strictly timed one hour encounter. Yet i have never heard anyone regret such an outlay. I have been warned that this will cost US$1,000 in 2011 so i tell myself i am in for a 50% discount!

The Mountain Gorilla tracking permits make up 40% of Rwanda's GNP.

Hotel Rwanda – the Hollywood Myth and the Reality

the real Hotel Rwanda where Hollywood provided the glossy fiction

Several movies have been made on Rwanda’s 100 days of madness – the genocide carried out by Hutus on Tutsis in 1994, but none seems to have made it as big or as popular as Hotel Rwanda starring Oscar nominated Don Cheadle who plays the “humble hero” Paul Rusesabagina – the general manager of Hotel des Mille Collines.

In true Hollywood fashion, the story was completely bastardized, although admittedly aided and abetted by Paul Rusesabagina himself. The film was based on his account of events alone.

The truth – or so claim Alfred Ndahiro and Privat Rutazibwa in their book “Hotel Rwanda – or the Tutsi Genocide As Seen By Hollywood” , is very different.

Using first-hand accounts from several of the refugees and staff working at the hotel, Mr Rusesabagina is not quite the saint and life-saver as he or indeed Hollywood chose to portray.

Rusesabagina profited all the way.

Orders were given by the hotel owner to provide free food and accommodation to all the refugees in the hotel. This was bluntly ignored by Rusesabagina. He demanded cash payments, cheques and IOUs of all guests both for food and accommodation. If guests could not pay they were simply evicted. Children were point-blank refused entry as they were unable to pay and were left to the hands of the militia.

the swimming pool - refugees who could not afford to buy water were forced to drink out of it to parch their thirst


A humble taxi driver in Bruge, Hollywood dug him up, portrayed him as a complete hero (based solely on his accounts of events), and Rusesabagina went on to be given the Medal of Honour, US Presidential access and made millions from both Hollywood and his subsequent autobiography - “An Ordinary Man”.

Not content with what he now has, his “charity” for Rwandan orphanages has been proved to be a scam with direct payments made into his own personal bank account at the Bank of Kigali” and is now claiming he wants to run for political office in Rwanda.

There were some true acts of heroism during the genocide: Hutus who hid their Tutsi neighbours at the risk of their own lives. Paul Rusesabagina was clearly not one of them.

the lobby as it is today

Kigali Memorial Centre

Lying some 3kms from the city centre and built upon mass graves from the 1994 genocide in the small suburb of Kisozi is the Kigali Memorial Centre. Some 250,000 bodies lie within the grounds.

It can’t be too easy to attempt to recreate the horrors of the genocide but the centre succeeds in doing just that. Set up with the assistance of the Aegis Trust, i spend a harrowing afternoon engrossed in all the exhibits on display.

The ground floor looks solely at the events in Rwanda through pre-colonialism, colonisation by the Germans and Belgiums, the events leading up to the genocide and the aftermath and subsequent trials of its perpe trators. The cold and calculating manipulation and dehumanisation of people never fails to shock. The assorted weaponry from guns and machetes through to simple clubs with nails and spikes, and not least the brutal rape and torture prior to death is starkly shown to the point of suffocation to the visitor.

the main perpetrators of the genocide were the Interahamwe militia, many of them just teenagers - trained and funded by the French government

If this was not enough the exhibition continues upstairs, where they endeavour to to compare and contextualize genocide with exhibitions ranging from the German extermination of the Herero in Namibia in 1904 and the subsequent European holocaust, but also Pol Pot’s regime of terror in Cambodia and the Turks in Armenia. Further sections exhibit bones, skulls and clothes from Tutsi victims, as well as thousand of photographs of the deceased. A montage of videos of survivors are shown who are clearly trying (and failing) to comprehend and make sense of the ordeal they have borne witness to.

skulls of just a few of the 800,000 to 1,000,000 victims in three months of madness

Finally for good measure the exhibition looks at a handful of photographs of the many thousands of young children who were systematically slaughtered in the 1994 atrocities. After two hours of such an onslaught i come out of the centre for a much needed cigarette, deeply emotional and upset from the degradation i have just witnessed. I am totally ashamed to be part of a species that can inflict such horror to each other.

in memorium

As Cambridge Liz wisely once said to me “the more i know humans, the more i appreciate animals”.

This Memorial Centre is a must visit not just to travellists in Rwanda, but to the Rwandans themselves. Lest we forget!

Admission costs RFr 5,000 for overseas students and a taxi motor costs RFr700 to/from the city centre.

Kigali

view across Kigali

With a population of over 600,000, Kigali sprawls over ridges, hills and valleys. It is quite an attractive city with some superb views over the intensely cultivated and terraced countryside beyond.

Although badly trashed in the 1994 civil war considerable effort have been made to reinvent the city and it’s quite modern, urbane and forward-thinking.

Banking has considerably improved in the city. The Banque de Kigali on Ave. du Commerce will give cash advancements on Visa cards for a reduced charge of 3.7% (it used to be somewhat higher), and opposite here is the Ecobank which has finally installed the first international visa ATM in the country. There are five other branches scattered around the country.

the modern Bank of Kigali

If, like myself, you wish to check out permits for the mountain gorillas independently of a tour-group, the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux, this can booked at their main office on Blvd de la Revolution. Open from 7am -5pm on weekdays and 8am – 2pm at the weekends, the staff are friendly if somewhat inefficient. They can also provide information on all the National Parks including Nyungwe, one of Africa’s largest montane rainforests dating back to the ice-age. These days they also accept local currency, but they still seem to prefer US dollars. But be warned – notes must be in pristine condition or will not be accepted.

I have been based at the Auberge La Caverne where i have a small but comfortable room with en suite, TV, hot water and breakfast for RFr12,000. They also have an Internet cafe. Unfortunately budget options are minimal in the city.

the original Hotel Rwanda - the Hotel des Mille Collines

Kigali’s restaurant scene is excellent, clearly benefitting from the French/Belgium influences.

La Galette is a German bakery just down the road from the main mosque. The brochette is awesome and they have a range of accompanying sauces. Good value and excellent quality.

Buffets are part of the course in Kigali restaurants and i am happy to recommend Chez Robert on Ave. de la Republique is a bit pricey at RFr7,000 but the range and quality is excellent.

Somewhat cheaper is the Tourist Inn. There buffet is RFr2,000 and predominantly vegetarian.

It's not just a French flavour here though. I also splurge on a quality Indian curry at Royal Garden restaurant where a chicken tikka masala, a kashmiri naan and two cokes set me back Rfr 10,000. They also offer Chinese delicacies. This place can be found on Rue de Ntaruka, next to the excellent Shokola coffee-house. (See below)

the urbane city centre

Rwanda has export quality coffee and some really good coffee-shops. Whilst the rather swanky Bourbon Coffee at the Union Trade Centre on Ave de la Republique, is a vey comfy cafe, it is a bit of an expat haunt. The coffee is only okay, but the chocolate/hazelnut ice-cream is the best i have had in Africa. They also have wi-fi. More local and with better quality coffee is Simba - it can be found next to the Simba supermarket on the roundabout heading up to the banks. However the best coffeehouse in my humble opinion has to be Shokola on Rue de Ntaruka. They also have an Internet hotspot for Net junkies. They also have a quality restaurant too.

The electricity supply seems a bit hit and miss, and it disappears for almost 24 hours during my stay. A few child beggars come and slip their hand into mine as i walk the streets, but seem happy enough just to have a chat in English.

Although the city is hilly and steep in parts, motor taxis (motorbike taxis) are readily available at very reasonable prices. Count on roughly RFr200/km, but cheaper on longer journeys.

I ask at the hotel if it is safe to openly carry my camera. They look at me incredulously. Apparently it is safe as proverbial houses.

I haven’t enjoyed being in many of Africa’s cities, but although Kigali doesn’t have too many sights and attractions for the passing travellist, it is a delightful city to hang out in.

A brief introduction to Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the smallest but most populated African countries. It is also known as “The Land of 1000 Hills” and “The Land of Eternal Springs”.

Although there are three official languages, Kinyawanda, English and French, it is the first that is by far and away heard more on the streets and buses.

Up to a thousand years ago, the only inhabitants were Twa pygmies until the arrival of Hutus around 1000AD. The Tutsis began to migrate into the country in the seventeenth century.

Originally colonised by the Germans (1890 - 1916) and then the Belgians (1916-1962) who originally promoted Tutsi’s before then changing their allegiances to the Hutus in 1956 who wanted democracy in place before the move to Independence. It is with this partisan approach that historians often quote as the primary reason for the country’s tribal conflict.

Whilst unrest between Hutu and Tutsi had been simmering since independence, it violently exploded in on the 6th April 1994 with the shooting down of the plane resulting in the death of Rwandan leader Juvenal Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira. Within three months of the attack an estimated 800,000 - 1,000,0000 people were murdered, three million immigrated to Uganda, Congo and Tanzanian and an estimated seven million of the country’s nine million people had been displaced. Many of the Tutsis seeked refuge in churches to no avail - in some cases turned in by Catholic priests.

Despite the presence of the United Nations throughout this horrific genocide, the World simply stood by and watched as the country imploded. Indeed much of the money and training of the militia came from the French government!

The tribal conflict seems to have moved across into DRC as Rwanda has made remarkable progress in eradicating tribalism and promoting a “Rwandan identity”.

Out of Tanzania

I have always felt a twinge of sadness leaving every country i have visited on my Overland Africa trip. Not so Tanzania – and i cross the border with strange sense of relief.

Maybe my expectations of the country were just too high.

Dar-Es Salaam was not unpleasant, Pemba was attractive and quiet, if not the stunning island i had expected, Bagamoyo interesting, and Ngorogoro Crater incredible, but nonetheless disappointment at Zanzibar, the overpriced hotel and tourist services, and the Tanzanian tourist touts all combine to make life hassle-filled and difficult for budget travellers.

It has been explained to me by several Tanzanians. It is commonly believed that Mzungus (Whites) pick money off trees and are stupid. What a contrast to neighbouring Malawi where all people are treated with huge hospitality, sincere warmth and mutual respect!

From the Tanzanian’s perspective, they must stare at wonderment and disbelief at tourists paying US$1000 to climb a mountain or burn through US$300+ per day to look at animals. I can safely say it is the one and only country on this trip where i have no desire to return.

It hasn’t all been harsh however. Where else in the World can you by a 350ml of coke for 30 US cents? I have enjoyed the delights of mishkaki (cubes of beef/goat barbecued on skewers), and had the best financial deal on my Internet connection through Vodacom with their Bomba promotion – Tsh30,000 /month unlimited access.

Border Crossing - Tanzania to Rwanda

It is an early start for me as i make my way from Bukoba to the Rwandan Border.

I got the first daladala from the central bus stand to Karagwe (Tsh.3,500) which departed when full at 6.40am. It managed to squeeze in some 28 passengers on 18 seats reminding me of my Mozambique travels. The journey took 2 hours 20 minutes with only the first hour on sealed road.

Geting off at the Omurushaka terminal i take a big bus onto Benaco (Tsh.7,000) across unsealed roads and dramatic hills spying huge long-horned cattle and a variety of antelope.

Nonetheless the journey is desperately uncomfortable and my stomach does not feel good. After completing this leg in just under five and a half hours, it is already 4pm and i have no desire to cross the border and arrive well into the night in Kigali, so i pit-stop for the night in Benaco in the Silent Night Guesthouse. At Tsh.5,000 its as cheap as chips but you get what you pay for and it is a fairly squalid affair with outside bathrooms reminisent of some of the dodgy toilets found in Tibet. The village is a two street dusty place frequented by drunks.

I'm up early the next morning at 6.20 with no sign of a daladala so i enjoy a quality pillion ride to cover the final 20kms to Rusumo (Tsh.3,000) with a beautiful sunrise over the hills.

The border post opens at 7am and i am third in line, so i am cleared through really quickly with no departure required. Walking across the Rusumo Falls bridge i am stamped into Rwanda within 10 minutes. Totally painless!

There are money changers in "No Man's Land" but don't use them. There is a much better rate of exchange on the Rwandan side.

Express buses depart regularly for Kigali taking just over four hours. The bus driver is just a youngster and fairly incompetent, and we have three near-misses on the journey. The road is excellent and the scenery over Rwanda's "1000 hills" quite beautiful.

Bukoba

construction of a decadent new church

Bukoba is a small and somewhat affluent town. For me it is my last stop in Tanzania brfore crossing the border to Rwanda.

Staying at the clean and well-maintained New Upenda Lodge costs Tsh18,000 with bed and attached bathroom.

Two other options closer to the lake include the Lake Hotel and Kiroyera Campsite has camping options and simple bandas on the small beach for Tsh10,000.

The Dollar Cafe in the centre of town is very popular and offers a number of snacks and light meals.

The Bukoba Club close to the waterfront offers cheap quality barbecue meals in the evening and has a pleasant outside sitting area.

I meet the very helpful William from Kiroyera Tours who is happy to ring up the Rwandan border to check visa prices and currency exchange for me. Apparently it is free for British citizens!