Akagera National Park, Rwanda

It feels like it has been quite a while since I posted anything, but I blame this on a totally uneventful week at home, which gave me nothing to post and an action packed one on the road, which has given me no time to write. For the past week, I have been staying in Kigali, Rwanda. Like many people, originally, my only association with this country was the movie, "Hotel Rwanda". I expected the ravaged, war-torn country I had seen on film. This perception was greatly diminished on my first stay back in Feb. 06. During that visit, I was able to go to the Volcanoes National Park and visit the mountain gorillas (of "Gorillas in the Mist", Dian Fossey fame), spend some time at the heart-breaking Genocide Museum, and more importantly just wander the streets of what turned out to be a really nice city with incredibly kind, open people. This time around, with an approximately two weeks stay, I look forward to getting to know both the people and the city a bit better.

Two days ago, I went 2 hours east of Kigali to Akagera National Park. The park, like much of this country, has a sad tale to tell, but still manages to hold enormous hope for the future. Prior to the genocide, or the "war" as it is commonly referred to here, Akagera was a popular wildlife park, whose ecological diversity brought a great number of visitors and even led to the building of a luxury resort. Sadly with the genocide and the immediate lawlessness that followed, the game animals were either poached to extinction or escaped to Tanzania never to return. The resort shut its doors and a large portion of the park was handed over to returning families. Now with peace and prosperity in clear sight (in a scant 13 years, I should point out), the country has turned its attention to luring back the tourism industry. The gorillas are the main draw, of course, but they have not neglected Akagera. In ANP, they have brought in giraffes from Kenya, have increased patrols to prevent poaching and have hired and trained a number of guides that ride along with you as you drive through the park. We were quite lucky to have the lovely Cecil as our guide. She, along with our eagle-eyed driver, Modeste, pointed out giraffes, zebras, impalas, buffalo, warthogs, vervet monkeys, babboons, hippos and birds too numerous to mention. Cecil told us that the park is now averaging about 15-20 vehicles per day, enough to reflect a renewed interest in the park, but few enough that you can drive for hours and not see another vehicle. The park with its rolling hills surrounding placid blue lakes is a stunning sight in itself. Those choosing to stay in the park have two options. There are several campgrounds set on hilltops with fantastic views or, if luxury is more your thing, you can stay at the Akagera Game Lodge . I am happy to report that it is once again open for business.