Rwanda Safari and Gorilla Trekking Tours

I can’t believe that we have been back for so long and that it's taken methis long to write to you!!!  Actually, perhaps it’s just exactly as it issupposed to be because the longer we are back the more and more the tripmeans to me.I cannot thank you enough for everything that you did for us to makeour journey this past Autumn the most wonderful trip any of us have everbeen on!!  It was said over and over again that it was a trip of a lifetime!The experiences that we had, the people we met, the gorgeous animals that wewere able to spend time with and share in a tiny bit of their lives wereunforgettable.  The plains of the Masi Mara were stunningly beautiful ……with the buffalo, zebra, lions, leopards, cheetah, elephants, wildebeest,giraffe, antelope, hippos, crocodiles, hyenas, and the occasional acaciatree….the birds….all of it stunning!!!  Our first night at the Govenor’sCamp we awoke at 4:30 AM to a huge bang and the noise of rustling leaves. 10feet behind a tent an elephant had knocked a tree in half and wasenjoying her breakfast of fresh leaves and twigs!!!  What a way to start oursafaris!!!The beauty of Rwanda surprised us all!  We had been so intent of our trekswith the Gorillas that we hadn’t thought of the landscape, it is sobeautiful!  Our treks, especially the first one, were gruelling but were soworth the effort.  The porters and guides were gentle, supportive and veryknowledgable.  And then there are the gorillas…what is there to say aboutthem….yes they are wild and you have to be careful around them but they arealso so full of fun and adventure.  One of the young ones grabbed my leg touse as poles to swivel on, like he would a tree, his grip was very gently.Another did the same to members of our group, their grips were notas gentle but did not hurt.  A  teenage male charged at us, the guidequickly came between him and us….one came and sat within 6inches of me….I very slowly and quietly made some distance between us!  Andthe babies…..OMG they are adorable!  What an experience to just be with themwhile they lunched and posed….”I’m ready!”.We visited the Genocide Museum in Kigali.  Our driver guide had been 10years old during the time of the genocide and told us, because we asked him,what it had been like for him, his family and the country.  It was a greatpreamble to visiting the museum. What incredible work the people have doneto create healing! And what a shock when just two weeks after we left therewas a terrorist attack in Kinigi by Hutus that had been in the DRC, so sad.And Namibia….what an incredible country.  The country is so diverse andsoooooooo very beautiful!!!  The landscape is stunning and breathtaking.With every corner that we took there was another fantastically beautifulvista.  But it's certainly not just the landscape, it's the people…therecertainly is a strength within them that is very visible as they have tosurvive the harsh environment that they live in, but there is a gentlenessthat permeates and projects a beauty that is like a glorious aura thatsurrounds everything.  And the animals…each so majestic …how wonderful to beable to experience them in their natural habitat!We ran down the dunes; we climbed big daddy (or the second big daddy….maybeit was big mama!!! LOL) whichever one it was it felt as if we were going tobe blown off by the huge gusts of wind; we sat with the 600 year old treesin the Sossusvlei; we dined by the ocean at the Skeleton Coast at our ownprivate table with no one around for miles and miles (except lions and sealsand jackels): we had breakfast on the top of a mountain in Damaralandwatching the sun rise; we breakfasted in the wilds of the Masi Mara; we hadsundowners in the desert watching the African sunsets; we watched cheetahslaze in the African sun; we watched prides of Lion’s lunch on their kills;we watched the rhinos tiptoe through the brush; we met the Himba people; wemet the Masi people; we experienced the most wonderful of Africanhospitality and met some of the kindest most generous people we have evermet.Our guides were knowledgable, kind, and professional.  We felt safe andtaken care of at each turn of our trip, we enjoyed them all and learned somuch from them.One guide in particular from the company…he’s theguide/driver that the company sent to take us from Ongave to Damaraland, sowe could stop at the Himba Village….is just a doll…..he asked the company if he could meet us at Sossusvlei and be our guide there….what anunbelievable surprise it was to get off the plane and have him waiting therefor us!!  He’s a remarkable young man, a very knowledgeable guide and awonderful human being…...we were more than thrilled to be able to spend thattime with him!I especially want to thank you for being so patient and professional withus.  I loved it when you said to my group member on the phone when we were inNamibia…."it is Africa…”  that said it all and at that point she understoodfully.  You know as we were wrapping up our final thingsbefore we left was saying, “I wish we weren't going.”  She was frightened...of Africa…. of the people; of the tensions in the different countries; ofthe animals and where we would be staying; of the unknown …..in fact we weresitting on the plane as we left and she said it again... she was goingbecause the trip to see the gorillas was to celebrate my 70th.  When we leftto come home she was in tears not wanting to leave and has since said withtears in her eyes….”I want to go back to Kenya”.  Doesn’t that just say itall!!!  Africa gets under your skin….it’s the heart beat of the country andI just love it.  Thank you for bringing such joy into our lives!!!And thank you for the gift that was awaiting us when we got home.  We hadseen the book when we were in Hoanib but of course if we had all bought itthey wouldn’t have let us on the planes!!! So what an incredible surprise!!!And we all love it!!!  Just want to say that each of us would easily travelwith each of the guides that we had and would highly recommend you to anyonethat would like to travel to Africa!!With my most deepest gratitude, thank you!!!There was just so much and it was a life altering trip for me onso many levels.  My group member has covered most everything - but the two of us couldgo on for days.  That said, when we were in Rwanda, one of the cards at ourbedside table had an African saying on it: God is everywhere in the worldbut at night, he rests his head in Rwanda.  I changed that saying to thosewe have spoken to about our trip - God is everywhere in the world but atnight, he rests his head in Africa - because with every sunset and sunrisein Africa, you get a glimpse of heaven.Thank you for everything.