Just Passing Through

Trip Start Aug 05, 2006
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Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of Burundi  ,
Saturday, April 28, 2007

Being so close to Burundi and having no easy option to reach Tanzania I decided to transit through the country on my way to Dar Es Salaam.  On the way south from Kigali Li and I stopped at a small village called Gikongoro.  Outside the city is one of the Rwandan genocide's most graphic reminders.  Here at a small school thousands sought refuge from the killings.  However, as in many of the churches, they were not safe from the violence.   Nearly 50,000 people were slaughtered here, many of them children.  Instead of burying all the bodies many were covered in lime preserving them.  It was a truly horrible sight as many of peoples faces still show the fear they felt before being killed.

When we reached the border it was over a two hour wait to reach the tiny customs window pay for our visas to Burundi.  A three day transit visa was $20.  Descending into the lakeside capital of Bujumbura I was able to view nearly the entire city from the cliff side.  Bujumbura has a very relaxed atmosphere which is a bit surprising since Burundi has had a violent history since achieving independence in the 1960s.  Across Lake Tanganyika, Africa's deepest lake, lies the DRC which is protected by an endless wall of mountains. 
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Comments

dmartin
dmartin on Apr 28, 2007 at 05:15PM

Wow! What a place!
Just got your cd and viewed the pictures of Ruwanda, the volcanoes, the gorillas of the Congo. You have some fabulous pictures. Love, Mom and Dad

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