Akagera

Last weekend we went to the east part of Rwanda to Akagara National Park. On Saturday we drove to a small town outside Akagera to stay for the night. We awoke at 4:00 am for a quick breakfast (the hotel manager had his poor staff awake at 3:30 am to serve us coffee and bread – the poor girl bundled in a winter jacket as we donned our t-shirts) and then made the hour drive into the National Park. Our guide was very knowledgeable on the park wildlife and had a very keen eye for spotting the various animals as we drove through. He had been sent by the park to train in Cameroon for two years on wildlife. We were able to get out of the jeep and trek for giraffes through the thorn bush – which was like trying to walk through barb-wire fence – our clothes were shred to pieces….we were much less agile than our experienced guide. It was surreal to take your eyes off the ground, as you watched for animal patties below your feet, to look up to see your childhood visions of Africa sprawled out in all directions.

We were able to see giraffe, water buffalo, impala, water buck, eagles, monkeys, baboons, and hippo’s. Apparently there are elephants in the park but we did not come across any. Upon return to school I was asked by my colleagues if I had seen the “crazy elephant”. Apparently one elephant had been shot during the genocide and since has not been ‘quite right’. It roams alone through the park and a few years ago when the University’s Faculty of Agriculture students went to the park, the elephant attacked the bus, making significant damage to the vehicle and terrifying the poor students.

This is definitely one of the many elements of Africa that will forever warm my heart.

Below a. hunting down some giraffe through the thorn bush, b. the tail end of some water buffalo, and c. the "Game Lodge" perched at the top of the hills overlooking the park. We chose not to stay here for the 65-100 American a night but stopped in for a drink after our "safari-ing".