Day 6 – Today we took the very short drive to the Ellen Degeneres campus to learn about Dian Fossey.

I think we could have walked there from our lodge. Her life was one of dedication to man and animals co-existence. I saw her give a talk once at UCI.

I must tell you that I am a primate person. I had a pet or more like a friend that happened to be a macaque in the distant past as a young fellow. It was a short adventure and full of early mornings and lots of work.

I must say that he won the contest and I returned him to the pet store where I had bought him after a few short months and many wild adventures. I hope that he found his way back to his home and lived a long happy life.

The short ride from the highway to the lodge is probably the roughest road I’ve ever traveled. It is a free Swedish massage. Neck braces are mandatory.

This exhibit is worth visiting and supporting. Sadly most of us know the tragic end of this tale, but we must not be deterred. The work must go on.

These animals need to have their habitat protected and enlarged so that they may continue life their remarkable lives.

We walked around the campus and took in all of the points of interest. It is an interesting building as well. It looks almost forgotten in time as the vines grow down over the sides of the round building from the roof.

We passed it a couple of times before I realized what it was. It is set back from the small road and is easy to pass by if you aren’t paying attention.

I don’t think that I have ever traveled where so many people seem to be walking such long distances.

Things seem to be getting better here but there is much still to do. Everyone needs to come here and see what a wonderful place this is.

It will also remind you how lucky you are to have the luxuries that we have in our homes and countries.

We take the long ride back to Kigali this afternoon after lunch.

We will stop at a roadside shop and look at the carved masks. We collect masks when they are available and part of the culture.

Tonight we will land in Nairobi.

This trip has already been successful in a few ways.

I have met some people from around the world. This camp has been comfortable and set in pleasant surroundings. There are volcanoes off in the distance, for heavens sake.

On the other hand, two of our travelers couldn’t board our plane today. Their tickets hadn’t been purchased and they were, sadly, left behind. They will hopefully join us tomorrow at the next camp.