Kigali

I've arrived safely in Kigali, Rwanda for those of you keeping track. The drive from southern Uganda over the border was unbelievable. It is certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth. No picture I've seen can do justice to the true beauty of the countryside we drove through. Breathtaking. The city itself is a much cleaner and more organized place than Kampala, Uganda. It's a welcome change for sure. I had spaghetti with meat sauce last night, slept in a big soft bed, walked down a clean (and well lit) street. You take these things for granted, but I've been depraved the last 3 weeks. It's nice to have the little comforts again even though the lack of these things is all part of the experience.

Most of the time has been spent simply orienting ourselves and trying to pick up on the language, Kinyarwanda. English is spoken very little, usually only by University students and in some restaurants. It will present an interesting challenge I'm sure. I move in with my second homestay tomorrow evening and will be spending the following 11 nights there. I don't know anything about the family yet but can't wait to see what it's like.

I'm also curious to dig deeper into some of the current issues within the country. From what I've seen, you would never guess a genocide happened just 14 years ago in this beautiful country so it will be interesting to uncover some of the divisions and problems that are still present. Thousands live abroad, still fearing return and the government claims that ethnicity no longer exists and it is safe to return. The disconnect between the two stories is just one of many interesting contradictions that I've heard. We shall see.

Peace,
Matt