"This is my personal hell"

So, last I updated you, we were heading to Ruhengeri to see Gorillas.

Let's just say, the entire process was a challenge.

First, we left the city and realized the road was disasterous. It was 3 hrs of rocks and bumps and thrashing around... but we had a good time singing Disney and hymns. I figured, on that road would could probably use some "amazing grace".

We got to our hotel location. A couple random, sketchy drunk guys came out to get us to our rooms. Turns out, it was a house and we had to choose which house we wanted to rent. There were 6 people, and we wanted to be economical... so, we went around to check out which would be the better deal.

The First House - We walked in and it was dingy and yellow, with some sort of substance stain coming from the ceiling down the wall. Ok. Whatever. Then we walk into the kitchen and there is a giant puddle of water that has dripped out from under the sink. WTF? Is this normal? I start laughing and have to leave the premises to avoid being rude, but it as a laugh or cry situation and all I could do was laugh. Heartily.

I calmed down a little and we moved to the next house. House 2, shall we say.

House 2 - We walked into a little living room with chairs and sofas. Not a bad start, despite the salamander running around on the ceiling. Checked out the rooms...fair. But, they did have double beds, so we could all share and cut costs down. Con--no mosquito nets--an absolute must here. So we decided to go with this place for the night and have them bring us nets.

Well. While they were net-hunting, we checked out the bathroom, which looking and smelled like it had been inhabited by animals. There was no toilet seat or paper, and the toilet leaked into a puddle around your feet. Sexy.

When the staff guy with the net came back, we realized he was loaded. He tried to put up the nets but was about a foot too short and kept falling over. Eventually, we called Daniel in to help and he tried to put Sara's net up. The fell and smoked the staff guy in the eye, while the rest of us howled laughing and were of no help at all. Eventually, they got that one up but had to get more help to put up the second. Mine involved driving a nail into the ceiling and hanging the net precariously off of that. Eventually, they both got up and we had nets... however, the beds were questionable too.

Before I had too much time to worry, I saw the door opening (no knock?) and in walked the

sketchy hotelier who has been trying to talk to me and Sara all night. He wanted a photo.

Back to the sleeping situation. I had no pillow, which I actually preferred after looking at the pillows of other people. So, I balled up my pants and shirt from the day and used them in pillow form. 

I should add, the cost was 3000 francs per person--ie $6.

None of us slept well last night, but we awoke at 530am-- happy to get out of there. We headed to the Gorillas in the Volcano National Park, and after getting a little lost twice we arrived and waited for our group. The people organizing clearly forgot about us, as we were only 3 (Daniel couldnt get a ticket to go) and we waited til the very end to get a group. It happened that there was no space, so we got our own group. Of three. We headed out with Edward, the lovely guide, and started up the road to the mountain. One thing I didn't account for? The massive amount of thick, red dust floating around. I breathed it in for about 2 minutes before I felt my lungs closing off. Anyone who knows of my serious dust allergy can imagine this was not a good scene. I didnt want to whine so I plodded along, getting less and less oxygen. I got mostly out of the bad, dusty part, but the entire 4 hr trek (on the trail we had,...there are multiple trails) would have been the same. I gave up at the top of a hill, at the

edge of the forest, when I was gasping and dizzy and almost passed out from no air. No Jordin Sparks references, pls. I was pretty sure I was screwed. I started back down the hill with a porter, gasping and hacking the entire way back and curled up on a concrete floor while a bunch of people stared at me.  Raffi had called Daniel from the top of the hill and told him the sitch, so he showed up with a puffer and pills of salbutamol--totally saved my life. 

Alas, I didn't get to see my gorilla friends. Perhaps I shall come again in the rainy season and check them out, or in the summer but more prepared with the proper medicines. I have EVERYTHING else that I could ever need, but didn't think about a puffer.

All is well now and Im at a nice hotel restaurant with wireless, waiting for Raffi and Sara to finish the Gorilla expedition.

Oh, and the $500USD that it cost? Refund, baby.