In May of 2017, I researched, taught english, volunteered, and explored in the country of Rwanda. For more on my trip you can visit the blog post: Rwandering Around & Safari 101
The Sphinx’s riddle above is how I feel about leaving Kigali city (Kiyovu) and venturing into the other provinces of Rwanda. Rwanda is the size of Maryland so you can travel the whole country in a day’s time. While here, I went to Lake Kivu (in the western province, which splits the border of Rwanda and Congo), Muhanga village in the southern province, and Akagera National Park in the eastern province.
LAKE KIVU
The lake is about a three hour drive from Kigali and half of the magnificence of the trip is owed to the many rivers you drive over and the mountains you climb to get here (if you like baby goats this is the perfect drive for you because they are all over the mountains and the sides of the road). The other half is owed to the serene Lake Kivu. The day that I went, I was the only person out on the entire, huge lake. I ordered a boat for the day for 30,000 RWF ~$37.5 and visited three islands (again, private island- where is everyone?). The first one was called Napoleon Island because it was shaped like Napoleon’s hat. It had a beautiful view of the Congo in the west and the Nile river trail in the east (Rwanda is the source of the Nile). I am still waiting for a good time to do the pun about me being ‘in deNile’… someday, someday. Napoleon Island has thousands of bats that circle around you and about 30 swimming cows. After this, I stopped at Peace Island and ate guava off of the trees and admired the cormorants diving underwater for fish. The last stop was monkey island. The second the boat docked, a huge monkey jumped onto the boat to greet me and to share my apple.
MUHANGA VILLAGE
Muhanga Village was one of those experiences of a lifetime. The day was so perfect that it felt divine. I was welcomed into the home of 90 year olds Josephine and Albert. We talked via translator for three hours and the generosity and kindheartedness of this couple will forever stay with me. Without running water, electricity, or any other contemporary conveniences, they welcomed me with open arms and love. They showed me the whole village and every kind of crop grown here. The village looked like a heavenly oasis filled with greenery and fertile sepia-colored clay soil. The village sits atop a mountain so the air is crisp and sunny and there are no cars as far as the eye can see. It felt like stepping back in time. Later that day, I helped Josephine hoe beans in the abundant banana tree garden. We passed by her daughter’s grave where an adolescent tree is now growing and bowed our heads to pray. I helped her crush cassava leaves for bread by mashing a heavy wooden stick into a large handmade vase filled with said leaves before leaving.
That being said, I think the most important thing to do while in Rwanda is to visit the Genocide Memorials (or at least one). The one in Kigali is amazingly done. The memorial gives you a sense of what makes the people who they are. The hardships that every family had to overcome. The losses that are etched into each person’s heart. It gives you even more respect for the understanding and caring eyes that greet you while you are here.