I' m fine! I'm actually better than fine. Last night we stayed near Parc des Volcanes which is in the Virunga Mountains that share borders with Uganda and the DRC. The volcanoes were a magnificent backdrop behind the Kingi Guest House where we stayed. The Guest House is run by a non-profit women's association that was set up in 1994 to help widows and their children after the Genocide. The grounds of the guest house were beautiful, with hydrangeas, bee blossoms and numerous other flowers I did not even know the names of, that where growing in an almost English Garden-like way. It was gorgeous and the fact that our staying there contributed to such a positive income generating program made it even better.

This morning at the crack of dawn we all met at the park entrance with the 40 other tourists and Rwandans to trek to see the gorillas. Hikes can take as little as an hour or as much as 5 hours to get to where the gorillas are. Our group was assigned the Kwitonda group, a group known to have 2 silverbacks and the youngest offspring of all the groups at 6 months old. The day before our trek, that group of gorillas were at a very high altitude and it looked like gorilla tracking was going to be an all day affair. We where so relieved when the trackers said the search for food led the gorillas down the mountain.

We set off to meet the trackers with the guide and 3 Rwandan soldiers who routinely go with each group of hikers after 2 tourists were killed several years ago. After an hour and a half of decent walking we were within a few meters of the gorillas. Machetes had to be used to cut through the jungle vines and branches to reach them. We dropped in on them during their play time. A baby of two years and an adolescent were pulling each other out of a tree. One would start climbing and just as it was about to reach the place with new exposed sap that they like to eat, the other would jump up and pull him down. They were having so much fun and it was great to watch until the massive chief Silverback showed up. I have never seen a more impressive animal. He was the King of his domain and he knew it. I'm not normally intimidated by animals but I knew my place and the guide reinforced this understanding with shouts of "Distance!! Distance!!" as the Silverback beat his chest and looked as if he was about to charge.

Have you ever tried to run in a jungle with fallen trees and vines as thick as your wrist? I was expecting many things on this gorilla trek but an adrenaline rush was not one of them. Absolutely exhilarating. I am so glad I went on that hike.

PS. Gorilla poop is just about the worst stuff I have ever smelled!

Yes, Chris Kuzler........worse than leachate