Off to the mountains!

August 12, 2024

Today I got picked up at my hotel at 9am sharp. I had eaten breakfast before he came to get me, so I had a full stomach for the ride. The driver (Hamatid) said it would be about a 2.5 hour drive to my lodge for the night, but that we could do a tour of Kigali before we headed up the mountains.

He proudly showed me their new football stadium, some large buildings around the city and then we ended at the Genocide museum. This was the one thing I wanted to see in this city. I had heard so much about it before coming that I wanted to make sure to take time to honor those lost during this horrific period of time.

My driver said he would be there when I was done, he assumed that it would take me about 90 minutes. The museum starts with a nine minute video describing what you would be seeing and experiencing while you are here. From there, you follow a map (with numbers terribly out of order). I decided to not go in order, because I wanted to spend more time honoring the grave sites.

There were no pictures inside the museum and I took not one the entire experience. There were many rooms that told how and why the genocide of Rwanda came to be. Over one million Rwandans perished, most of them Tutsi. Basically in 1990 Tutsi refugees who had been in Uganda, attacked Rwanda creating a civil war. This war lasted three years at which point the Hutu president helped negotiate piece. However, his plane was shot down (no one has claimed ownership of this) and thus created a situation in which LISTS of names of Tutsi’s were released and systematic killing began. Neighbors killed neighbors, friends killed friends. It was ruthless.

Even farther back, the three ethnic groups (Hutu, Tutsi and Twa) were created by Belgium when it reigned over Rwanda, over 60 years before the civil war broke out.

After I finished the museum (which did also talk about the Cambodian genocide and the Holocaust), I went out to the grave sites. The museum is now home to over 250,000 victims. Some victims are known, but many are unknown. In fact, they have a wall (similiar to the Vietnam Memorial wall) that cannot yet be permanently carved because names keep being added to the list. So for now, they have signs that they add names to when they have more information.

After the genocide museum, we headed out of town. He kept trying to feed me, but after that museum, I just did not have an appetite. We started the drive up the mountain, and let me tell you – it was a MOUNTAIN. At least there were no switch backs, but there were lots of twists and turns, so I was happy to be in the front seat and not having to feel like I needed to share it with others. We got a view of the whole city of Kigali. He showed me how the government is taking down the slums and unsafe housing and building new apartment homes that these people will now get to live in for free (no utilities either). This housing provides safe housing, places with doors that have locks, no worry of mudslides taking down the houses, etc.

My driver did stop at a market on the side of the road about halfway to the lodge to buy a “bunch” of bananas. A bunch here means the whole damn tree of bananas, but the bananas are like 3″ long and not the big ones we are used to in the states. He was so kind and shared them with me. They are a little dry, but more sweet than our bananas.

When we finally arrived at the lodge I was in awe. This is a mid-range hotel, but the entrance was awesome. You drive down a bamboo lined driveway, to the welcome lodge. The hotel was called La Bamboa, seems fitting. Three people rushed out to assist. Someone opened my door, someone grabbed the bags and then someone else was asking for my drink order. It was significantly cooler up in the mountains and they started a fire in the lodge. My driver made sure I was settled in the lodge and said he would pick me up at 645am tomorrow for the gorillas. I didnt realize he wouldnt be staying there.

After he left, one of the staff walked me to my room with all my bags (these guys are like 105lbs and 6′ tall carrying my VERY heavy bags). I was the farthest room away. We each had our own little cabin. Each cabin had a bed, fireplace, seats and a bathroom. They gave me a bit to settle in and then said they would have lunch ready for me in 45 minutes. It was already 230pm and I couldnt believe I was now getting lunch.

The food was amazing. They gave me an avocado salad (avocado with some onions), brown rice, chicken, and peas and carrots. It was a perfect meal. Their portions are way too big though. After lunch they said “dinner will be at 7pm.” Goodness they are feeding us like mad.

I went back to my room to change clothes and journal for the day. After that I headed back to the lodge to read my kindle. There were two other groups staying at this hotel – a group of ten Japanese and a couple from the Netherlands.

When it was dinner time, they sat us all separately. So basically, I was by myself, the couple was together and the Japanese were together. It was pretty awkward. I just kept reading my book during dinner.

After I finished eating I headed to bed, I was wiped. Being in higher elevation is exhausting for some reason. During dinner the staff and “turned down” my room. They built a fire and added hot water bottles under my covers to warm the bed for me. I wasnt ever freezing, but apparently people get very cold here.

Tomorrow is the gorillas!