Gorilla Trekking on my 34th Birthday!

One of my highlights travelling in Africa is living in a country (Rwanda) where it’s difficult to find rubbish on the streets. Rwanda is one of Africa’s safest countries for travellers, with low crime rates and a strong focus on security. You can walk alone during the daytime or at night. Policemen are stationed at every corner of the roads, and they will summon you immediately, or you will receive an SMS a few minutes later if you break any rules.
Since it’s difficult to reach this land (three flights to get to Rwanda from Kuala Lumpur), I thought seeing the popular Mountain Gorillas would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Rwanda is one of only three countries in the world where you can see Mountain Gorillas in the wild, along with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I used to watch gorilla films when I was small, like King Kong and Tarzan. In those films, it showed that humans and gorillas misunderstood each other, which often led to tragic conflict. I’m not sure if I can fully believe this, but scientific research says we share 98% similar DNA with gorillas. We also had a common ancestor that lived around 10 million years ago. After this, the evolutionary paths of humans, gorillas, and other great apes branched out.
So the gorilla trekking in Rwanda costs tourists USD 1,500! That’s an insane amount for a four-hour trip. So, I decided not to do it.
Then, something unexpected happened. On my 34th birthday, 8th November 2024, Pui Yan surprised me by taking me to see the gorillas! I couldn’t believe it. What I thought would only ever be a dream became real.
I even made a video of the trip, just for myself, to remember the moment. Thank you so much, Pui Yan.