Making my way to Kigali
Trip Start
Apr 21, 2008
1
27
225
Trip End
Apr 20, 2009
Kigali,
Rwanda
Sunday, May 18, 2008
It took me a while to get to Kigali but it was more because of my own undoing rather than anything else. Once I crossed the Uganda - Rwanda border (where I met a generous American girl who unloaded her Rwandan francs on me as she was travelling the other way), I jumped onto a minibus to Kigali. About 5 minutes into my ride, a 25 yr old Rwandan woman (Josephine) starts chatting with me in French. She was amazed that I was travelling all on my own. She was on her way to visiting her parents in a nearby town and asked if I was interested in coming along. What the hell I thought. I may not get another opportunity to visit a local family's house. She was travelling with her younger sister and her younger cousin who both couldn't believe that I was coming.
As soon as I got off the mini bus with the girls, Josephine starts telling me how her dream is to marry a white guy. Here we go, I thought. This was going to be another situation where a local person was going to ask me to help them out in some way. I get about 20 requests a day. It's either to help them get a visa, a scholarship or a job back home. I was yet to be asked to marry someone. Maybe this was going to be it. A little later into our walk, she asked if I could help her get to Europe. When I asked her how she wanted me to help, she said it would be great if I could buy her the ticket. I was regretting getting off that bus. I told her I wasn't rich and that all I had in my pocket was 7500 Rfr (Rwandan Francs) which is about $15. As soon as I told her I wouldn't be much help to her, she totally lost interest. All women are the same :).
Once I got to her family's home in this beautiful rural village, I was left alone pretty much the whole time with her dad. I spent an hour answering the father's questions about Canada while eating heard boiled eggs and drinking milk. He was a nice guy but after an hour, I was ready to leave. Of course, before I left, the dad who is a school teacher asked if I could do anything about getting the local school some computers and text books. He was a teacher and asked if their would be a possibility in finding schools in Canada that were willing to give up their old computers and send them to Rwanda. I made no promises but said I would look into it when I returned home. In the end, I was glad I went to her village as I got some amazing pictures of the fields and the hills. By the way, tehy call Rwanda the country of a thousand hills. I can see why. Throughout my journey to Kigali, you drive up and down these lush green hills. Rwanda is truly beautiful.
It took about 3 hours to get to Kigali and it was only an 80 km drive. The mini bus must have stopped every 5 minutes to let people on or off. I was right by the passenger door so each time we stopped, the door would swing open to the delight of the locals on the street who would scream "Mzungu!". I tried smiling most of the time but it does get tiring. SOme of the women or the kids would shake my hand and say hello. Some guys would want to tap knuckles with me. It was all good. I just hated the moments where thety would ask me for money. I always say no.
I arrived in Kigali at about 5:30 pm. I was glad I made it before the sun went down. At first glance, I wasn't impressed with the cityy. It seemed pretty run down. But I was at the bus depot and these are normally found in the crappier parts of town. I jumped on a motorbike and asked the young kid to take me to my hotel. He found it with no issues. The hostel only had one room left at a cost of 12000 Rfr ($24) which is quite steep but I didnt feel like roaming the city for something cheaper so I just grabbed it. I was glad I did as the staff here are amazing people.
I didnt do much at night. Just had supper at the attached restaurant. I am looking forward to seing the city tomorrow.
Some noticeable differences between Uganda and Rwanda:
1 - Rwanda has licensed motorbike taxi drivers that wear uniforms. In Uganada, it seems like everyone is a taxi driver. All you need is a motorbike or a car. In each town I visited in Uganda, guys with cars would drive up to you at the bus terminals and ask you where you were going. One of them would definitely be going in your direction. So I would find myself just jumping into these strangers' cars to get from point A to point B. This is how the locals do it as well. I felt uneasty in the beginning but i have gotten used to it. I definitely feel more comfortable if there are other locals in the car.
2 - You cant get on a motorbike without a helmet in Rwanda. I didnt see one helmet the whole time I was in Uganda.
3 - Everything has a price tag!!! Even bus tickets. That means everyone pays the same price. Foreigners cant get ripped off. I love that.
4 - The roads are amazing here. They are all paved. After the genocide, countries gave Rwanada lots of money to re-build.
5 - The mini buses in Rwanda have signs indicating where they are going.
6 - They drive on the right side in Rwanada. In Uganda it is the left side (when they are following the road rules)
7. The fries here come with mayonaisse!! In Uganda, you just get ketchup. I prefer mayonaisse :).
Later.
Dino
