Kampala to Rwanda - arrived Rwanda 15 July. Days 14-17 in Africa

So, had a great time in Kampala - went into the city on a motorbike taxi - hillarious!! and had lunch, pottered around and really enjoyed it.  Really friendly city with less people staring at us muzungos (white people) then in other cities, which was much more relaxing.  Two of our group nearly got pick-pocketed which is not so good but things can happen like that in any city.  There are loads of vultures flying around which is slightly creepy ....


 So... left Kampala on 15th to head into Rwanda... What can I say about Rwanda.. the most AMAZING country I have ever ever been in.  Honestly, you cross the border (after bargaining with border control so that the Irish and Ozzies only had to pay 12 dollars for a visa instead of 60 - as you do!) and you are met with massive forests, tea fields and people picking tea everywhere, baboons in the trees, fields of crops and such friendly, warm people.. it keeps getting better.  Had no mobile/internet for the time in Rwanda nor access to ATMs etc.. it seems they have no international access at all....

arrived in Kigali, Capital of Rwanda to go to the Genocide Museum...absolutely heart-wrenching.. the genocide only took place in 1994 and so many people were murdered, injured etc.. absolutely horrific.  The museum is done really tastefully and definitely leaves you thinking about why the International Community sat by and let this happen...it put things into perspective ...  During our time in Rwanda we kept seeing people affected by the Genocide and when you think about it, everyone over 20 will remember it...

Spent 3 nights in a fully little hotel in a town called Rhuengehiri (or something like that) where we ate plantains, beans, rice, ground nut and other delicious local food... Upgraded to a posh (in inverted commas) room as I really wanted a nice toilet and a hot shower.. and my wish was granted.. amazing how you get used to cold showers and holes in the ground but every so often one needs a little luxury....  also, I really appreciate washing machines now... after Eoin and I spent 3 hours washing all our clothes... it is really hard work and they still dont look clean...

Tried to break into the Congo while in Rwanda... as you do (are we crazy!!..) but for various reasons we couldn't... a)too dangerous ... b) costs 300$ for a visa c)we'd have to exit Rwanda and pay re-entry visas for both Rwanda and Kenya as we had left East Africa... and so instead 6 of us, with a lovely border guard, walked up to the no-mans land, seperating Rwanda and Congo... the GPS on one of the girl's cameras said Democratic Republic of Congo... so we were happy... looking across at the Congo town of 'Goma' we realised how well off Rwanda is in comparision... the roads just stop as Goma appears... there is rubble, shacks, so many people with absolutely nothing, guys with very large guns, no roads, no sign of infrastructure etc.. really unsettling and a bit scary... again, makes you think a little...

Last thoughts of the day... in Uganda now camping beside the River Nile and will blog more once on a better internet connection.. Eoin currently white-water rafting and Im about to head into Jinga to post some cards... but Africa is an amazing Country, the levels of poverty are frightening, and then on the other hand the wealth, living side by side leaves such a bad taste in your mouth... Churches are everywhere, and are massive and stand out as sore thumbs when placed beside the shacks\slums that some people are living in... there are large guns everywhere... toilets are terrible... mozzies still love me... 15 bites and counting..no matter how much deet I apply...people are lovely and so friendly and somewhat a little crazy!!!