Rwanda

“We are preaching hope, standing on the bones of the past.”

~ John Rucyahana, the Bishop of Rwanda

On one of the free days during our stay at Lake Bunyoni in Uganda seven of us decided to take a day trip over to Kigali, Rwanda, about a 2.5 hour drive from Uganda. Rwanda is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," and I have to say that it absolutely lives up to its name. The drive to Kigali was beautiful as we passed by terraced farms on hills and villages along the road. When we arrived in Kigali we first toured the Kigali Genocide Memorial where 200,000 victims of the 1994 genocide were buried. Next we went to lunch at the real "Hotel Rwanda," the Hotel des Mille Collines. It was a beautiful hotel. It felt so surreal to be there and wonder what it was like during the genocide. I was surprised at how centrally located it was; I had always pictured the hotel being a little outside of town and not right in the middle of the city.

Before leaving Kigali, we drove around to see more of the city and visited the site where 10 Belgian UN Commandos died after fighting off Rwandan forces for several hours. It was hard to shake the eerie feeling I had as I looked around the city, knowing what happened there just 20 years ago. I couldn't help but wonder what these people saw and experienced, and how they rebuilt their lives in the aftermath, but it's something that seems very taboo to talk about with others, so I kept my thoughts to myself. This place has such sad history, but to understand Africa you have to recognize and acknowledge the troubles as well as the beauty. I am glad I had the chance to visit Rwanda.