Days 8-10 - Kigali, Rwanda We had a plan, and it was good! However, sometimes life happens and plans don't work out exactly as expected. Fortunately, our itinerary was not altered - we just didn't get to enjoy this leg of our trip with everyone we wanted to. It's okay - there will be future shenanigans somewhere around the globe!On the afternoon of Day 8, after a refreshing dip in the pool after a sweaty walk (part-way) up a mountain in Bujumbura, we boarded a plane to Kigali, Rwanda. Despite being a mere 30 minutes flight, this was the most expensive part of our trip - Rwandair has a corner on the market! We left the poorest nation in the world, and landed a short time later in a hilly capital of a modernizing Rwanda - the stark contrast was shocking!
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While we all know that Rwanda has a dark past (more on this later - as we did visit the Genocide Memorial in Kigali), it turns out Burundi has also struggled with tribal conflict - also btwn Hutus and Tutsis - however, the world was horrified by the swift and calculated actions in 1994 in Rwanda, whereas the conflict in Burundi was largely overlooked. In fact, the presidents of both Rwanda and Burundi were in the plane shot down in 1994 (this ignited the plan to exterminate Tutsis in Rwanda). Both nations struggled to gain independence from Belgium and both nations (like countless other colonized nations) struggled to unify after they gained independence. This came to a boiling point in 1972 in Burundi http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and.../burundi and continues to modern day. Remember, it's one of the poorest nations in the world and without outside help, the cycle of poverty and violence will continue. https://www.genocidewatch.com/country-pages/burundi
What we saw in Kigali - the capital of Rwanda - is what can happen to a poor African nation when international aid and other forms of support pour into the country! Driving around Kigali seemed like we were in an eastern European city maybe 20 or 30ish years ago - signs of modernization all around! Motorcycles (and helmets!), cars, lots of construction, banks and credit cards, and so much more. We were told that the Rwandan government has leveraged the international attention and aid to turn things around. We saw kwibuka signs around the capital - remember, unite, renew....
One of the things we didn't do in Rwanda was a gorilla trek - just too time-consuming and too costly for the time we spent in Rwanda, but this is one example of how Rwanda uses tourism as a moneymaker for their economy. The short time we spent in the hilly capital of Kigali was lovely (crane sanctuary), somber (genocide memorial), and relaxing (food, drinks, conversations). While signs of modernization were evident in Kigali, there is still plenty of work to be done throughout the entire nation (and hopefully region) to continue on a modern and peaceful path. Stay turned for a couple more posts before we wrap up our April 2023 trip to Africa...
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