http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Rwanda , Ville de Kigali en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:36:36 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:36:36 UTC Ohhh I am absolutely dysphasic. I cannot even describe my inability to describe.. We are descending.. patchwork fileds crisscrossed with that distinctive rusty red earth the hills looming all around.. growing larger larger to the sides stretching high above me now. All excitement and anticipation. im bursting my toes are tingling. Straining my neck to see to see What are your expectatio http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-340034.html I don't particularly enjoy writing heavy entries but writing about Rwanda today and ignoring the fallout from the Genocide wouldn't paint for you an accurate picture but an incomplete one.Sometimes you peruse a museum lightly glancing fleetingly at some exhibits and perhaps reading a plaque or two here and there strolling through to see what the hype was all about. Sometimes though you let y http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-337397.html You can never have too many African bus stories.Another African Bus...I board the bus to Rwanda rather satisfied with myself. I'm catching the 1AM overnight bus from Kampala to Kigali after having splurged a whole extra 10000 shillings equivalent to about 6USD but that means a night in dorm housing in Africa as well for the 1AM bus as opposed to paying just 20000 shillings for the 3AM bus. I http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-337047.html The Fourth Annual Rwanda Film Festival a weeklong cinematic orgy of nearly 80 films representing more than 30 countries around the globe kicks off with an openingnight gala at the Kigali Serena. The cityrsquos choicest address the Serena occupies a sprawling compound on a leafy street of embassies and NGOs. Itrsquos a sign of this countryrsquos tragic past that a hotel could be loade http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-335449.html After another couple of long bumpy hot dusty hand waving days on the truck it was time to cross the border into Rwanda. Everyone was on the gorilla countdown and getting excited about doing our trek to go and see the mountain gorillas in the wild Dian Fossey styles. Rwanda is a stunningly beautiful country. It's really hilly and all the hills are lush and covered in crops the people are s http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-333919.html From Luzern after mountain climbing I went to Bern and watched the NY Rangers destroy the Bern team by a score of 81. I also quickly met Rangers coach Tom Renney shook his hand and thanked him for everything he has done for Hockey Canada. Then I went to Geneva and spent a night in the airport for an early flight to Brussels. From Brussels I went to Brugge a classic old town which is a higlig http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-332961.html Muraho from Kigali So you might have guessed that Muraho is hello in Kinyarwanda. I landed in Kigali last night after a pleasant 10 hour flight from London via Brussels despite being stuck in a middle seat. I read Water for Elephants which was recommend to me while I was in Dublin it was great I also recommend it. There was also some horrible movie with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon about t http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-332306.html Arrived in Kigali pinching ourselves that we were actually there. We got a taxi into the centre to take us to a hotel that we had picked out of the guide book only to find that it had closed down. After some walking around with our bags we got a room in a cheap but friendly hostel La Caverne. From 5 star to no star with nothing in between.Kigali is a city of 600000 spawling over a hilly area http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/blog-330708.html I have arrived in Rwanda after a full 48 hours of traveling on busses. Let me just tell you about those 48 hours as it was quite an adventure. I left Moshi at 300 on Monday afternoon. Took the bus to Arusha about 2 hours away. I befriended a little girl on the way who gave me an orange. I arrived in Arusha and had to spend the night at a hotel because the bus to Kahama another town in Tanz di http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-320043.html Because of vaguely contractual obligations to one of my employers TravelGator.com twicemonthly blog entries from my ongoing adventures only appear on that site. I've provided links to that blog here on TB for the sake of those fanatical readers hi mom who can't possibly imagine getting through the day without reading every last word a certain Postcard Junkie has written during his which i http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-305916.html we leave monday morning at like 5am for arusha tanzania. i'm in an internet cafe trying to work on my paper that's due tomorrow but i'm managing to avoid it by spending time doing other things... like typing this out. the keyboard is totally throwing me off because the enter and shift keys are shaped different super annoying. i went to church today for the second time in many many years. t http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-295998.html let's see... i'm feeling a bit better today aside from being really hot and sweaty. last night was the first night since i moved into my homestay that wasn't super extra awkward. that was nice. today is independance day here and friday is liberation day trying to find things to do with my free time that involve me being alone or at least out of my homestay family's house. got a paper co http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/blog-294003.html this weekend was really rough for me. my friend died last week and i didn't find out until thursday. it's really hard being away from home right now especially being i rwanda looking at peace and conflict and genocide stuff. i had a rough time getting ahold of anyone to find out what the hell actually happened. i don't feel like writing anymore... http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/blog-293554.html with another keyboard in arabic. it's very beautiful here. actually really beautiful. i was glad to hear back from so many people it makes my day because no one calls me and i haven't been able to call the us from my phone now that i'm in rwanda. tomorrow night we move into our homestays it's starting to go by quicker and i guess i have to admit i'm getting a bit sick of being around peopl http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-291575.html Drove 70 kms to the Rwandan border. It opens at 8am so we have to wait a bit meanwhile money changers are hounding us. Everyone else in the truck got free visas except for the Aussies who have to pay 60From there we drove up and down beautiful green fretile hills valleys lots of crops planted in this obviously fertile land the soil is rich red in color quite verdant scenery. We stopped at http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/blog-286833.html Hi Again Jess Ive officially kicked Matt off blog duty hahahaha.... OK so We are now back in Uganda after about a week in Rwanda. We went to the genocide memorial centre in the capital Kigali which is the most civilised city we've been to thus far the mototaxi drivers all wear helmets and people obey the speed limits which was incredibly emotional. The first floor gives amazing details http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-279974.html Hi Everyone We're now in Rwanda. The last week has been awesome. We spent a few days up in the mountains of the southernmost tip of Uganda tracking golden monkeys but unfortunately it was too windy to see any. So we ended up going caving in this cave that used to be inhabited by a village of pygmies. After the government gazetted the area as a national park they were forced to leave thier lan http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-278319.html Upon our return from Egypt we were met with a very very wonderful surprise Tubby the cutest chubby puppy My roommate's bosses had a littre of puppies and voila...we ended up with Tubby. Although presented as a trial period all three of my roommates had instantly decided we would keep Tubby. I readily admit I wanted no part in being responsible for the dog...I can't even take care of the gua http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-273129.html March 15 and 16 we took a bit of a field trip east to Akegera park which borders Tanzania. There we stayed at the park lodge camping is an option but frankly the possibility of being crushed by a hippo as it grazes in the night does not sound appealing to me The baboons are bold and there are warnings to lock your slidding door even on the second floor as they are agile and have sufficient http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-271548.html Early in March the girls and I moved into the Gishush house aka the fish bowl We are the neighbourhood spectacle entertaining the locals. From the road you can see straight up onto our porch if you come up the hill. Often small children will yell from the bottom of the road up to us Muzungu white person I often like to point out the irony of the name but well...I'm be nice. While i http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-271235.html Most of March was spent setting up my life in Rwanda buying a cell phone bed and mattress kitchen stuff putting up the bathroom curtains and of course celebrating in style. I live with three other young women in a house at the top of one of the thousand hills of Kigali. We have a beautiful porch which also doubles as my kitchen table living room and dinning room i.e. I sit on my behind at http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-271223.html After catching my connecting flight in Addis Abba I finally arrived in Kigali just after noon. After breathing a sigh of relief at the arrival of my lugguage I was greeted by two other interns Marissa and Ally I was able to eat take a shower and settle down at the guest house where I stayed until moving into my house. A few hours later I was zipping on the back of a moto heading to the UK http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-271212.html To read Forgiveness is from God. I am only human please click herehttpwww.travelgator.comdoblogsTheTravelinGatorTourstheWorld http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-271165.html Irsquove hooked up with an American staying at the auberge a PhD student researching her dissertation on gender and postgenocide justice in Rwanda. Having put in time at the genocide tribunal in Arusha and planning to spend the next month interviewing survivors around the country Jenna proves to be good company for a few days around Kigali. She tells me about the Kagame governmentrsquos http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-269623.html Itrsquos a short easy crossing at the border the guards grinning and bashful pump my hand and welcome me to Rwanda and the drive to Kigali is long cramped scenic. The road winds along a lush valley carved by tea plantations and lined by eucalyptus trees. Villagers stoop in the afternoon heat plucking tea leaves from the low branches. Women with colorful headscarves walk singlefile dow http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-267005.html De sidste 3 dage har jeg tilbragt i Rwanda med Jamal. Vi havde en super go tur selvom jeg dog naesten ikke var kommet ind over graensen. Vi havde koert hele natten og blev forvildede smidt ud af bussen kl 7 om morgenen for at faa visum ved graensen.Naar man er fra Uganda gaar man bare lige ind over graensen ligesom naar en dansker tager til fx Sverige men naar man er dansker er det altsaa ikke http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Rwanda/Ville-de-Kigali/Kigali/blog-248314.html