This time it was only a 4.5 hour bum-numbing journey back to Kigali with the driver making good time on the newly paved road through the forest. The road is being ealed courtesy of the Chinese Government and there are a number of Chinese Engineers overseeing the work. Can't believe how hot it is in Kigali now. I booked my ticket to Musanze as soon as I got in. I had a coice of a 5.30am bus of midday, which was a little puzzling given how often buses usually run until the lady at the bus station explained that tomorrow is Umuganda. In Rwanda, there is a mandatory community service day from 8:00am to 11:00am, on the last Saturday of each month called Umuganda meaning community service. The day is called umunsi w’umuganda, meaning “contribution made ... read more

Up early for what appears to be the standard Rwandan breakfast of bread & jam, omelette & tea. Met up with a Forest Ranger at 9.00am for a 10k walk through the Nyungwe Forest to a waterfall. The forest is the largest remaining tract of Montaine Forest in Central Africa. It was declared a National Park in 1998 and covers 1019 sq km. The Waterfall Trail starts in a tea plantation and is a beautiful walk but the forest was very quiet, sadly no wildlife to be seen. After the walk the guide took us on a shortcut back to the guesthouse through the tea plantations and not only were we rewarded with stunning views of Lake Kivu about 20km away but also saw a troop of around 60 Colobus Monkeys in trees on the edge ... read more

Went down to the bus station this morning to figure out how to get to Gisakura tomorrow. What a manic place. There must be 20 different outfits operating out of the one station. Eventually found that Omega Buses are the guys I need, buses leave from about 6.30am and cost Rwf 5200 to Gisakura. Took a mototaxi back up the hill to the Auberge just in time to meet Benjamin, my driver for the trip to Nyamata & Ntarama to see the genocide memorials. Almost became a statistic when we were cut up by a Toyota 4WD but Benjamin's lghtening reflexes saved the day. I wouldn't want to drive in Kigali! Got out to the Church at Nyamata but there was no guide avialable at that point so went on to Ntarama. The bent up iron ... read more

Well, I've had my yellow fever, hep a, hep b, typhoid, tetanus and rabies shots and got my anti-malarials. It seems I've been vaccinated against pretty much everything except my own stupidity, and apparently there's no cure for that. I've dragged the old backpack out from under the house aired it off and done a test pack - 8kg, which is pretty good. Even with my camera and a couple of books thrown in I shouldn't be carrying more than 10kg. So now I've just got to wait patiently for the next 2 weeks until its time to climb into the big white bird and head off. Here's a rough itinerary for Rwanda, I'll save Tanzania for another day First couple of days will be spent in Kigali having a look around and visiting one or ... read more