6am breakfast …. Leaving 6:30 from Gorilla Valley Lodge

No plastics allowed in Rwanda (Water bottles allowed)

Visas and passports at border then 2 hours to Kigali, then genocide museum and a Women’s Centre

When asked if the local people have ever seen the Gorillas, Paul said that once a month they’re allowed to go up for free otherwise they could never afford it. Everywhere you see women particularly, walking carrying something on their heads. It’s no wonder they have good posture. If you didn’t stand up straight you wouldn’t be able to carry stuff.

Everything is very lush here. We did not see any rain while here but the hillsides are shrouded in mist. It was still slippery muck.

People everywhere carrying gerry cans…… for packing water in.

Women carrying hoes on their way to and from the fields. Funny ….. you don’t very often see a man with hoe. I guess most of the work being done these steep hillsides, are by women. Because they egg y are so steep they would have to bend over much.

Another checkpoint near Kibale town and another after…. Check licences, weight of load plus where you’ve been.. Now onto the Uganda/Rwanda border after returning the rental camera …. That didn’t take all that great photos.

Rwanda, “land of 1000 hills”. Time change 1 hour back. 3 official languages… Rwandan, English and French. They drive on the right hand side of the road as opposed to the other 3 countries we have been. There is also a speed limit of 60 kph that is monitored by cameras. Good roads with no rumble bumps that we have seen…… thank God! My body has been jarred and shook like never before. If you get caught for speeding, it is a $100 fine…. A lot for most. There were 2 tribes but they are no longer allowed to be recognized as either…. now they are all one. There are elections every 7 years but current president had been in power for 20 years. There had been troubles in this country since 1925 but in 1994 when Tutsis who had been in exile wanted to return to their country, the Hutus thought if they killed them all then the country would be totally Hutu going forward. Of course some leaders helped to stir the pot.

Apparently, there is lots of money here but most are poor. The general population looks to me like they are not as poor as Uganda. It is an expensive country so some with money will have their 2nd home in Uganda. The hillsides as well as the lowlands, are neatly laid out with farms.

The difference in fees to see the gorillas is …….200 USD in Congo, 700 USD in Uganda and 1500 USD in Rwanda.

Laundry day …. Laundry splayed out on the grass along the highway.

Hydro poles are made out of cement here unlike the other countries which are poles.

At Genocide museum

1,000,000 were slaughtered in 3 months. 250,000 are buried on the grounds. In 100 days neighbours killed neighbours. Apr 7, 1994 was the start….. not that long ago. Europeans were in power here the 1800’s and early 1900’s. They decided to call the people that had more than 10 cows, Hutus and those with less than 10, Tutsi’s. Can you believe separating into separate tribes over the number of cows you had? And then you get some evil leaders that convince their people that they must kill their neighbours and friends. It reminded me of some other would-be leaders that are inciting the same kind of hatred….playing on peoples fears and insecurities. The rest of the world turned their backs on this country and allowed it to happen including the UN peacekeeping decision makers. How very awful! It all made me cry. I could barely keep it together.

We then went for lunch and a tour of a women’s centre…..a centre where single moms could get an education and learn a trade,,,,, sewing and and producing products for sake. One they have completed their training, the government will help them pay for their own sewing machines.

Some people are staying over but we have a 1:50 am flight. Not much point. Off to the airport at 10 pm. It’s going to a looooong night/ day we’ve been up since 5:15 am.