Kigali Genocide Memorial

I wasn't going to write a post about my visit to the memorial because I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. But it's important to take the bad with the good so I'll say a few words and share a few pictures about this experience.

Just less than a month ago, my friend Nancy came to visit me from Nairobi and we went to the memorial together. The place itself is beautiful...but it holds a lot of pain and feelings I still can't put into words. The names of some of some of the victims (those that have been identified - the identities of many victims remains a mystery) as well as pictures of some of the murdered children are posted on walls.  There are many stories here - of both survivors and victims - and at times it was extremely difficult to read them...

I couldn't take any pictures of the inside of the memorial (and I wouldn't really want to as there are some very personal items and stories in there) but I did take some photos outside. They've dedicated gardens and have described the strength and memory of the victims symbolically through trees and beautiful plants.

 This sculpture is a gorilla on a cell phone - telling the world what happened here in Rwanda so that it does not happen again...

There are many graves here. Too many. But at least these people are now resting in peace in a place of beauty..

The hallway leading to the graves

Nearly a million lives were lost in Rwanda in 1994. The genocide is a dark reflection of how humanity can go so wrong. In the years preceding the genocide, there were indicators, signs, warnings of what was about to happen in Rwanda. But it was not prevented. The saddest part is that historically, Rwandans lived in peace but it is colonialism that brought about separation between the Rwandese people. Europeans created animosity between the ethnic tribes through favouritism and just general ridiculousness and in the end, it led to disaster. It's pretty unbelievable that all the UN had to do was send 5,000 troops and over 800,000 lives could have been saved....

I won't get into the history of the genocide but I will say that reading the stories and watching videos of survivors recounting what happened to them in '94 made me question how people can be so evil. It's a very dark and almost unbelievable story. Almost. Until you meet the people who were here in April of '94 and hear their stories and see their pain. 

The thing that hit me the most though was just how far Rwanda has come. Seeing how horrible things were nearly 18 years ago made me realize how resilient these people are. Here they are, living in peace and unity, smiling, dancing, singing and moving on. Reconciliation will not happen in just 18 years. It will take generations but this tiny African nation is well on its way to healing. I struggled emotionally with this experience but in the end, it just made me love Rwanda and the people here more...

Hash from Hell

It's taken me a few days to write this post because I'm still coming to grips with the events of the past weekend. So maybe "Hell" is a strong word....but it was literally one hell of a weekend. Maybe 'absurd' is a better way to describe it. Absurd. It was completely and utterly absurd. Adventurous and almost surreal. So I'll get to the story...

From the beginning, things were going wrong. We were supposed to meet the other hashers who needed a lift out to Cyangugu (where the has was taking place - Southwestern part of Rwanda) at 12:30 on Friday afternoon. When we showed up, no one was there. Eventually, an hour later, some people began arriving but we quickly realized (Norah and I) that we were leftovers - we had no rides. But luckily, a bus of Ugandans and Kenyans joining us for the East African Interhash were still in Kigali and made room for 2. So Norah and I hopped on and at first it was fun. Singing and lots of energy. But then my stomach decided 1) it was sick of the food I was giving it; 2) it was sick of the winding road; 3) it was sick of the heat. And you can guess the result - thank god I was sitting by the window. But it was a 7 hour trip so although I got sick 3 hours in, I still had 4 more hours to endure. Thank god I carry Gravol everywhere I go. So I took 3 and hoped for the best. Ugandans love to chat but I was in no mood so by the end of the 7 hour trip, I definitely was not the favourite Muzungo....

So we get to the hotel. Little tiny smelly room. But my standards have dramatically decreased since I embarked on this trip. Basically, as long as I don't see cockroaches in the bed or fecal matter on the floor, I'll sleep in a room. I managed to eat some rice and then I passed out (I took too many Gravols haha...)

The next morning, I was SO excited. I mean, who gets to run in the jungle?! And breakfast was delicious - lots of fruit and bread. The two things I've decided I'm going to live off for the next 3 months  after Friday's vomiting extravaganza. We were set to hit the road by 10:30AM. But of course, everything here is delayed - African Time they call it. Turns out there weren't enough vehicles, so we had to hire 2 additional trucks for our crowd of 50 Muzungos and East Africans. As we were waiting outside our hotel for the trucks to arrive, a crowd of 50+ villagers surrounds us and stares. It's literally like being a celebrity without all the perks! It was so uncomfortable...

Finally the trucks arrive. We depart 2 hours later than anticipated. But it's okay, I'm still trying to be positive. Until we reach the jungle...

The drive to the hash (running trail) was supposed to be 2 hours. But it quickly turned into 5. We started with 7 cars and arrived with 4. The road through the rainforest was mud, hills, curves, and cliffs. Cars got stuck about 3 times and at one point, a beast of a construction vehicle was stuck blocking the road. 2 cars turned back and eventually one car broke down 3/4 of the way in and had to get towed the rest of the way. As cars were dropping like flies, so were available spaces in cars. So half of us ended up just piling into the back of the pickup trucks. Let me tell you, I was ready to jump off the pickup a few times as I was fairly sure it was going to fall off the cliff.

But Nyungwe jungle is BEAUTIFUL. And all that was worth it.

About 8km from the Burundian border, I got fed up with the whole situation and jumped out of the truck. I decided to run the rest of the way. And run I did. Fighting my still very unhappy stomach and mild altitude sickness (2000m above sea level). Legs felt like concrete but I did it. And so did Norah. And as she puts it, it all felt like an enchanted dream.

Vegetation began to change as we got closer to Burundi

We ran into the village around 4:45pm (nearly 2 hours late). Many of the villagers had never seen white people. So it was something out of a movie. A crowd of white people in trucks and on feet enter this tiny village. People were mesmerized. We were supposed to reach the border at 3pm. But by the time we ACTUALLY made it, it was nearly 5pm and the border closes at 6pm. We tried desperately to negotiate crossing the border into Burundi. From Burundi, we could drive back and avoid the jungle and be back in Cyangugu within 2 hours. We could also get food across the border as there were restaurants in the Burundian border town. Our hash leader had prearranged for us to cross the border but on this day, when we REALLY needed to get to our neighbouring country, we couldn't. Border officers refused. We tried money, vodka, calling the Burundian military, Burundian Police, Rwandan Immigration - NOTHING worked. As we waited, a small group of us turned on some Phoenix on my iPhone and danced in the dark. We looked nuts but it served to warm us up and lift our spirits.

So here we were, this group of East Africans and Muzungos in this tiny village on the border of Burundi. No electricity, no food, no where to sleep. It was freezing - like actually probably no warmer than 8 degrees. The africans found this room that was selling used clothing and they bought jackets and pants. People stayed in a tiny bar, someone's family home with a single bed, their cars, in the clothes of the 'clothing store', and at the municipal office. I was huddled on a bench in a room at the office with Norah and my new American friend Mike. We were still in a our sweaty running gear, and we shivered our way through the very very long night. The guards took down the curtains in the room and we used them as blankets. The mosquitoes ate me alive. It was definitely not one of my greatest moments.

We didn't really sleep but we made it through the night. And the sunrise was gorgeous.

The border opens at 6am so we quickly began working on the authorities to try to negotiate our way into Burundi. We found some tea (which is actually just sugar water - it tasted like watered down table syrup) and managed to warm up a bit. We weren't even hungry at this point. Just wanted to get back. We tried for 3 hours. Negotiated, bargained, and in the end begged. But for no reason, Burundi said no. It seemed they were intimidated by the number of Muzungos trying to get across.

Burundi, LET ME IN!!

By 9am the Kenyans lost their cool. They had traveled 36 hours for this hash and were beyond fed up. So they decided to risk it and face the jungle and head back on the 4 hour drive to the hotel. Everyone agreed. But we were short vehicles and so we all had to pile in the back of 3 pick up trucks. We were lucky in that we made it out of the jungle fast and alive. Bruised due to the bumps and the fact that I was in a back of a pickup for hours. But alive. And the view was amazing on the way back. Tea plantations everywhere!! I even saw some quicksand. Wild.

I was COVERED in dust at this point but we had fun!

When we got back to Cyangugu (4 hours later), all we could do is pack our bags and hit the road back to Kigali (another 6.5 hour drive home). We got home at 8:30, without a meal for 36 hours and simply proceeded to shower and crash...

So it was epic. Adventurous. Absurd. And in a strange way, Awesome. There were points we weren't sure we'd ever get back to Kigali and moments were it was all to surreal to be happening. But we managed to spend the night in a real African rural village and ride in the back of pickup trucks. We made new friends and had good laughs. I guess to REALLY experience Africa, you've got to take the good with the bad. Have the full experience. And that we did...

Finally updated

The blog is finally updated so please read away! More to come soon!

Gisenyi

This past weekend, I took a trip to Gisenyi - a town on Lake Kivu that borders with the Congolese border. Gisenyi is known to have sand beaches, hot springs, and a wicked view of Mount Nyiragongo - an active Volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

It was quite the journey to get out to Gisenyi. It's about a 3.5 hour bus ride from Kigali. But the view is pretty incredible:

From hills to full blown mountains

Because Gisenyi is so close to the active volcano Nyiragongo, the volcanic gases really affect the area. When you swim in the lake, bubbles come up from the ground underwater and you can feel them. It's a very strange experience. There is even a part of Gisenyi with hot springs - so so so cool (or should I say hot? haha).  This is also attributed to the high level of volcanic gases beneath the earth's surface. The water at these springs is literally boiling. Villagers are known to bring potatoes and boil them in the water! You actually see bubbling water coming out of the ground. 

I couldn't hold my hand in for more than a few seconds - the water is so hot

I was pretty pumped about the hot springs

Lake Kivu at Sunset

After spending the day beachside, I took a nice walk in the evening after the sun set. As I was walking, I noticed a very strong red haze and red clouds in the horizon. It was so strange but I quickly figured out it was the volcano...erupting!! It was wild! I tried to take a photo but it's tough at night. If you look closely at this photograph, you can see some of the glow coming off the lava:

I wish I could have taken a better picture because it was just an unbelievable site. The volcano erupted in the direction away from Goma (the nearest city) and was spewing lava towards the forest (according to a local there that was giving us the play by play - he also said this is the first time in a few years that he's seen this much activity from the volcano). The orange cloud coming off the lava was unreal. And it all made sense that the volcano was erupting because earlier that night, while on the beach, the water became suddenly very wavy. It had been calm all day and there was no wind or boats so I was stumped as to how waves could suddenly appear. The volcanic activity really impacts Lake Kivu here.

This is the view of the volcano the next morning:

Looks pretty harmless, huh?

The clouds you see to the right in the next picture indicate the area affected by the lava: 

I've now had the chance to see most of Rwanda. Although it is a small country, there is so much to see here. And each area is known for certain specialities - in the case of Gisenyi, sand beaches and delicious sambaza (little deep fried fish - so yummy!). 

This weekend, I'm heading out to Cyangugu to run with the Hash House Harriers. Cyangugu features a jungle that borders with DRC and Burundi - I will be crossing both borders as I venture out in the rainforest. I'll be running with my camera so hopefully, I can post some sweet pics when I get back! 

To everyone at home facing shorter hours of daylight and the upcoming deep freeze that is Canada, I invite you all to come and join me out here in Rwanda. You won't regret it! I even have an extra bedroom in my house, just for you.... 

Running to the Congolese Border

Ok so I didn't run from Kigali to the DRC, but I did it from Gisenyi - so maybe a 3 km run each way but I can still pretend it was a long and epic journey. After all, I ran to another country!

Sunday morning was a perfect day for a run - it was cool and damp. Sometimes you forget you are on the equator out here. It gets pretty chilly. Good for running though. 

I'm about to run to the DRC baby!

Running along Lake Kivu to DRC

Scenic and beautiful run - note how green Rwanda is

OMG I made it! 

I was planning on getting a tourist visa and visiting Goma (the Congolese city that Gisenyi borders with) for the day - I mean it's RIGHT there. Unfortunately, DRC is even more unstable than usual because there is currently a presidential election going on. Later on that day, I found out that there had been gunfire in Goma that afternoon...so I guess I was lucky I didn't go, although it was disappointing. It's really sad how much violence and political strife there is out here. But on the plus side, I had a memorable run and maybe I'll try visiting Goma after the elections are over. All is not lost!

A Morning with Rwanda's Silverback Mountain Gorillas

The mountain gorillas are a defining figure of Rwanda. They attract people from around the world and do wonders for Rwanda's economy (tourists need to pay $500 per visit). These are absolutely incredible creatures and Rwanda is so lucky to have them here.

My friend Nancy from university is currently living in Nairobi and came up for the weekend to visit me and join me on my adventure to see the mountain gorillas. We had been planning this for months and so we were both so excited when 'Gorilla Weekend' had finally arrived. 

The entrance of Volcano Park - where the Mountain Gorillas reside

In Volcano Park - there are 5 Volcanoes in this area

The gorillas are near Musanze, Rwanda (about 3 hours from Kigali) in Volcano National Park - the home of 5 dormant volcanoes. We met with our guide when we arrived and then off we were into the jungle to find our very large, furry friends. Unfortunately, I was very sick that morning. My stomach has not at all enjoyed life in Rwanda. So it was a rough start for me but thankfully, once we got going, my excitement to see the gorillas overode the aching I felt in my tummy!

As we got deeper into the jungle, my entire group became more and more excited. We were comprised of people from all over the world - India, Australia, the US, Canada, Europe...like I said, these gorillas attract people from all over. At one point, we climbed a cliff - I was walking ahead of the group with the guide (thank you running for keeping my lungs and legs strong enough for these jungle hikes) so when I got to the top, I was the first to see mama gorilla with her baby twins. I was literally 1 metre from her. I was sort of in shock as I wasn't expecting to see a gorilla that soon and in such close proximity to me! It was wild! literally....

I then looked ahead into the bush and saw this giant hairball:

Mr. Silverback Gorilla

Silverback gorillas are polygynous creatures - so this silverback gorilla is the alpha male with several females and young males in his family. I found out he is 27 years old and you can tell from the photos, he is one big dude. 

The way the guides communicate with the gorillas is through making these grunting sounds. They indicate 'we come in peace' - so humans can actually communicate with these primates so that our encounters are generally smooth and peaceful. These gorillas are used to humans too so it makes it that much safer for the tourists. There are several gorillas out here but we managed to only see one family - it was more than enough though since this family had gorillas of all ages and sizes and we got to see them play. So cute. 

So I was obviously on a photo rampage. I love animals and I need to take a million of the same photo to make sure I have proof that I was actually in the same 20 metre radius of these majestic creatures.  But on this day, my photo obsession served to get me almost mangled by Mr. 200kg silverback gorilla. So here's the story:

I was casually minding my own business photographing one of the females indulging in a bamboo shoot. It was funny, she seemed so into the bamboo and I had to take at least 3 photos of this. As I'm being paparazzi extraordinaire (national geographic styles), I suddenly hear the bush behind me crunching and 2 seconds later I find myself totally airborne. I crash into the bush, totally hazed, not sure of what just happened. Turns out, the alpha male got pissed at his female for eating the bamboo shoot and ran to stop her. I was in his way so the bad boy decided to push me so he could get to his precious bamboo that much faster. Collateral damage I guess? He didn't hurt me and I was lucky I landed a metre from the edge of the cliff. But he was STRONG. It's amazing how much power these creatures have. 

He got his Bamboo back - he was pretty pumped

This gorilla family has gorillas of all ages. From babies, to teenagers, to adults. The youthful ones are so playful. It's incredibly entertaining. They play fight and mischievously go slap papa gorilla when he isn't looking. They are bold - after he pushed me, I was scared to even look at him the wrong way. And their eyes are so expressive. More or less human. You can see how close our biological relationship is to them. The kids play like humans, the adults watch unamused like human parents, and they look at us humans beings with the same inquisitive eyes we use to look at them. Pretty amazing....

The silverback watching the younger ones frolicking about 

Baby gorilla, just hanging out

Check out how close I am to him. I think at this point, he was no longer interested in me, so I was bit more comfortable

The reason they call him the silverback - his back is actually a grey silver colour. He's the only the gorilla in the family with this coloration pattern

Doesn't he kind of look like the Buddha?

Overall, one of the coolest experiences I've had out here. And now I can say that I've touched a real life gorilla - and not any gorilla, a wild, silverback mountain gorilla! For anyone ever thinking of venturing to East Africa, I highly recommend you also spend a morning with the mountain gorillas. It's definitely unforgettable. 

Nancy and I after we finished our visit with the gorillas - we were still giddy with excitement

Halloween in Rwanda

Who can give up Halloween? Even if you're half way across the globe in a continent that thinks you're saying heroine when you say halloween. Rwandans don't really know what Halloween is and we probably looked crazy dressing up in random costumes, roaming the streets of Kigali. But we decided to do it anyways. And it turns out, a Rwandan friend who has had plenty of exposure to us muzungus, decided to throw a "heroine party" - to our delight, we showed up and we were the only ones in costume. Oh well...

We did in style though. Norah and Matt were retrostyle geeky basketball players, while I chose the more modern gangta bball playa look.

The family pose - my friend Nancy was visiting for the weekend so she got to enjoy the madness with us

We went the whole nine yards and even bought a pumpkin. Our Rwandan friend Joel carved it. Looks pretty awesome eh?

We bought candy and ate that too. It's not the same as Halloween in Canada, but it'll do. It was definitely worth the extra stares we got!!