guerillas in the mist

This past weekend we summited the volcano Bisoke in the north-western part of Rwanda. Took us to over 12,000 feet at the top. It's in Volcanos National Park.

• Rwanda is THE place to see gorillas in their natural habitat. You know, Dian Fossey and all that. Our guide showed us gorilla droppings, but no gorillas. You gotta pay big bucks to go actually see the gorillas, so we're saving it for when Corrie's family visits this summer.

• The park borders the Congo, where you'll remember we had the fabulous experience of being mugged by the police. Apparently the trail was closed due to guerilla activity last month, so we hiked alongside 4 military guards armed with AK-47s. Reminds you that Rwanda's not as stable as it looks.

• The mud was incredible. And Corrie's 8-year-old boots lost a sole -- she just strapped it back on and kept hiking.

• The view from the top was, well... not there. We didn't quite get above those rain clouds.

• The top of the volcano is a "crater lake." If you can imagine the hole in the top of a volcano filled with water rather than lava. It's cool.

• It was great to stop working for a minute and to see how cool it can be to travel here. It's really a beautiful country.