Kenyan nephews. Rwandan cousins.

Kenya - Brits abroad

Breaking my travels with Becca and the (big and small) boys in northern Kenya was just perfect. After my 'retreat' with the Orthodox Christians of Ethiopia, I was fully awakened by 'the cow jumped over the willy' and such 6 year-old wit.

The British Army has nailed it this time: palatial house in the bush with uninterrupted views to Mt Kenya. For the nephews it's fields to roam free with guinea fowl, a tortoise and Gemma the gender fluid cat (initially thought female but confirmed male, goes by the pronoun 'they').

Becca is dedicated to the local disabled orphanage and takes the boys along when they're off school. We took them out (they don't usually leave the site) in shifts in broken prams that broke my heart. They all love Becca and her enthusiasm. If you have any kids' clothes/toys you can spare, it's one of those really basic situations (that feels wrong in this day and age but it is what it is) - let me know.

Grocery shopping Nanyuki

Back in the very privileged world, a night in Samburu with elephants drinking and crocs feeding right by our lodge, plus standing out of the sunroof at their 'local' park with rhinos just feet away - how lucky am I and how lucky are the boys to grow up there.

Samburu National Park

2 monkeys

Traffic!

Southern white rhino - we also saw the last 2 northern white - I'm hopeful DNA tech will save them!

Me and my far more native oldest nephew William

Not a bad school playground! (spot Mt Kenya)

Rwanda - into the jungle

Everyone had said Rwanda would be very clean - but it still amazed me. It turns out the answer lies is a combination of banning plastic bags (like Kenya - wow - why can't we all do it?) and the monthly conscription for every single person in Rwanda to clean their community on the last Saturday of every month. It's not only squeaky clean environmentally, but people actually wear African dress as standard and carry baskets on their heads. Then there is the Pope-type worship of President Kagame…It would all seem like the African fairy tale. But being the cynic I am, the 'Rwanda show' didn't quite add up. I wanted to fact-check via UN, Human Rights Watch etc. Suffice to say my conclusions will be sent in the next blog from Malawi (while this is a closed blog, I can't be too careful). ANYWAY, onto the main event...

After a night in Kigali, it was straight up to Volcanoes national park to meet the cousins - the only 600 Mountain Gorillas in the world!

Lodge in the mountains before trekking gorillas - my cottage on the right!

Each day at 5pm the fire in my room was lit and a hot water bottle in my bed

After trekking for 3 hours up the volcano in rough jungle, the ranger told us the family we were tracking had crossed the border into DRC (no Schengen agreement for people here!). So we had to start again.

Just before the gorillas crossed into DRC

Typical bamboo hiking terrain - very spiky!

A long and dusty drive to another volcano to find another group. To add to the drama, one of our (human) group got rushed to hospital with altitude sickness. BUT close to sunset we FOUND THEM!!!! I still feel so privileged and it will always be one of the best experiences of my life. The rangers (who pretty much live with them 24/7) ensured our allotted hour with them didn't disturb.*

Second (much easier) attempt at gorilla tracking

That's the silverback behind! I never knew 'silver back' was so literal

No zoom

One of the 5 volcanoes

*There are cheaper ways to see the gorillas via Uganda or even DRC - security-wise both are highly questionable - but neither have the transparency of funding to protect the species - I did my homework that backs the $2,000 tourist permit being invested back into protecting the gorillas - and their communities. I would say it's a true example of ecotourism benefiting an entire region if not country

Next, onto Lake Kivu with its lush, tropical coastline bordering Congo (bad relations there and with pretty much all other Rwanda neighours)). So here I am writing this in a bamboo hut in an ecolodge that makes manure from the contents of its long-drops (I've not been ordering the 'house salad' on the menu). It's rainy season but I'm enjoying great dawn choruses and afternoon thunderstorms. And reluctantly getting my head down to report writing.