Group 3: Borin, Hafferman, Kenyon, Kuntz, Luther, melin, Silvestri
Activity: Gorilla Trek
What better way to spend Jimmy's 16th birthday than on a gorilla trek admist the rwandan volacone national park. We arrived at the Gorilla trekking headquarters at about 7 am and we're assigned to trak the Ugenda Group with our guide Augustine. Two other women joined our group, one from germany, and teh other from Boston. Once at the trail head we were handed our walking sticks as we shedded our jacket on the warm sunny morning. We then began our aproach to the wall which took about 45 minutes due to several stops for pictures and for the Boston woman to adjust to the altitude changes. Once over the wall, which surrounds the mountain, we made our way to the two men tracking our group. This stretch of the hike took aboput 15 minutes. Once we found them we dropped our bags and sticks, grabbed our cameras, and headed for the gorillas. We found them quickly; they we're feeding in several bushes spread out amoungst us. Soon they we're on the move, and after that they rarely stopped for more than a few minutes. This group of 13 gorrilas was properly named seeing the Ugenda means "to travel" in English. So we continued to follow the gorrilas for an hour or so. We often got in their path and they often ended up passing a few inches from us. Sometimes you would just have to put down your camera and just take it all in. It was a great experience for everyone, except unfortunately Sam Hafferman had to stay behind due to a stomach sickness. After the trek we all enjoyed a bite of pizza before heading home.
-taylor kenyon
Group 2- (Gabby,Krista,Mitch,Jake,Chole,Jeff)
Today our group went to AIDP to start laying down the bricks for the walls of the house we are building; the whole experience made me appreciate how thankful I am for a sink in my house. upon arriving the first thing Chole, Krista and I (Gabby) did was pick up two jugs each and go on a 10 minute walk to the hearest water source; how they remember this path I have no idea! After we filled our jugs at the stream the women leading us proceded in balancing the large jug of water on her head and walking back the whole way without any promblem... I was in shock. After I decided that getting water wasnt my thing i decided to help in a assembly line that were passing along bricks into the house. Construction in Rwnada is very different from the US; they literally have rock floors and make the walls out of bricks made of mudd and put iut all together with mudd. When we asked our guide where the orignial house of the owners was who were recieving the new house they pointed to a shack with no walls and a roof made of tin(where the kids slept); it was very sad. The mother and grandma slept outside. It was very fun to build the house and made me appreciate my home so much:)!!!
Group 5: Consisting of Eleanor, Cat, Izaak, Michaela, and Mrs. Hinnendale
Activity: Imbambazi Orphanage
I think I can speak for everyone in our group that today was probably the easiest and more realxing of the days that we have spent so far. It started out with our whole group waiting for an extra hour and a half for our taxi to come pick us up at the BG Guest House, and drive for approximately an hour to the Imbambazi Orphanage. Despite the extremely rocky and un-paved roads, the view was amazing. We would turn a corner, and all of a sudden see an enormeous area full of lush and green farming, trees, and plants. As soon as we arrived at the orphanage, we went straight to painting. Despite drop of paint splattering on our faces or hair every so often, painting the ceiling of the dining house was very entertainig and easy. Shortly after, we were served an imense ammount of potatoes and beans for lunch. Being able to say that only one out of our whole group could finish the plate really says something. We were then given a tuor of the grounds, which were full of beautiful flowers and plants. The never-ending gardens were absolutely magnificent. After a great deal of picture taking, it was time to hit the road once again, and come home. Overall, the day was fun, but also less tiring when compared to the gorilla trek. Can't wait for the Gorilla Naming Ceremony tomorrow!
Eleanor Raether
Group 1: Melissa Luther, Anne, Guilia, Sophie, Elise
Activity: Brick Making
Today we went brick making. we woke up around 7:15 to get ready and eat breakfast then we left the house in a van around 8 o'clock. IUt was two groups fitting in one small van so it looked almost like a clown car with 10 kids in the back and one teacher, then three people up front including the driver. the drive was about 20 minutes over then 5 minutes of unleveled road and then our group was let off at the brick making site. we didn't have a guide along with us so it made communication fairly difficult. we arrive to a small working area with mud all over then we knew what we were getting into. they showed us how to make a brick. They had a wooden mold that we would put mud into then we would add come water and make it flat as possible, we then would walk it over to the stair case that we were laying the bricks on and push it out with another rectangle wood piece. we did this continuously for three hours. many of us got tired fast and the sun was getting to us. by the time we got the call that the car was coming to pick us up we all were resting eating sugar cane. we left in the car to go to volcanoe pizza.it is the most american food here i think. the place is made of volcanoe rock and two levels tall. we eat on the upper level looking out to the view of the city and all the bright colors here. today was a very fun day i think, the bricks are one of my favorite activities so far because it is such a hands on activity. we hav the gorilla naming ceremony tomorrow so that will be very exciting the trip is half over and i cant believe it. i love it here.
-melissa luther
group 4 (zach, rachel, anna, jordan, and kathy)
greetings everyone!
today our small group activity was making baskets with the widows. it is the only activity to walk to the destination, so we started walking around 830. hassan, a worker for amahoro tours, was our guide to the baskets. the walk was so pretty. we got to see all different things. the views the whole enntire time was spectacular. we'd be on a hill and be looking down and be able to see the crops, houses, people, the hills, etc. the walk was around 5 to 6 kilometers which is around
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