"Rwanda- forever in mumutima wange (my heart)" Prefecture de Kigali by Emmie730

I went to Rwanda with a grant from my university to study the effects of conflict on education. I didn't think I would like Rwanda very much, and planned a two month stint there and left the other 4 months for UGanda and Kenya. But Rwanda was the place that grabbed my heart and is still in my dreams. The people are warm, generous and ambitious. They are beautiful, open and loving, despite their terrible history.

Kigali was interesting! The people there were very open in their comments as I was passing. Fortunatley (or unfortunatly!!) I had a friend who translated and laughed at every comment made. Nice legs mzungu (amaguru neza), how many cows for your friend, mzungu mwiza .. ahh and mzungu means white person. Expect that comment ALOT if you travel to east africa. The taxis were bumpy and a little slow even in Kigali, the capital. taxis (matatus) Boda bodas, and motor bikes/ motorcycles are the main transport.

Visiting schools is a must if you have some time. Also, the churches give you a good close look into the culture. That was fun, but put a few hours aside on a Saturday (Seventh Day Adventists) or Sunday, and wear your dancing shoes!!

I made very many forever friends in Rwanda and I intend to go back as soon as possible! My time in Kigali was interesting, but exploring the rest of the country was what won me over. What a beautiful place. And, no, I didn't see the gorillas. Unfortunatly that was a bit too expensive. I console myself by saying I will be back someday.

Genocide church in Nyamata

Before going to Africa, I don't advise that you fret about finding a hotel so far in advance. More than likely, the ones listed on the internet are very expensive, more so than the others locally. Especially in Nyamate/ bugesera I found that there are a lot of nie guest houses run by churches, etc. The locals can always direct you, and they are not usually hard to find. I stay a short stint in Nyamata with World Vision, just as a part of research. I visited a school (we were surrounded!! by children) and did some interviews/ visited genocide memorials. The church memorial in Nyamata is tragic and eye opening. The bullet holes are still in the ceiling, and some of the skulls still wear their traditional hair covering. Unthinkable... God's people killed in His own house...

I loved Gikongoro and Gisenyi. I made three visits to Gisenyi (about 3 1/2 hours by taxi from Kigali) and 2 visits to Gikongoro.