This post features student writing by Georgia and student photography by Alex.

Sorry we’ve been radio silent the past couple of days! It has been a busy time of travel north to Musanze, a town surrounded by beautiful volcanoes. Since our last post, we’ve camped on the small island of Cyuza in the middle of Lake Burera, had (several) delicious coffees at a trendy cafe in Musanze town, visited Partners in Health at Butaro District Hospital and the University of Global Health Equity, and hiked to see golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park.

Our new surroundings at Red Rocks Cultural Center were a blessing to acclimate to, with many naps being taken, locals to make dinner with, and acreage to explore. This morning was an early one, with people just barely rolling out of bed and onto the vans for a ride to Volcanoes National Park. Once there, we were briefed on how the hike would progress and general rules of conduct when interacting with wildlife. Joined by a small group of Germans, we set off through expansive agricultural fields that lay at the base of the mountain range. Once we crossed the national park boundary line, a beautiful forest of bamboo reached out from all sides while we marched through the mud, listening all the while to the monkey trackers who were leading us to the family clan. They turned out to be very close by, and seemed all of a sudden to be in every direction except down. The adorable creatures were a variety of ages and personalities, shown by their methods of eating their meal of bamboo leaves. A plethora of photos were taken and the quick hike back was appreciated by all in the afternoon when we took a well-deserved rest.

— Georgia