Thoughts on Rwanda

 Thoughts on Rwanda

September 25- October 6, 2024

• I knew very little about Rwanda before this trip and I am so damn impressed with the quality of life in this little country.
• Rwanda is the size of Maryland and has 14,000,000 people.
• During the genocide of 1994, there were 7 million people. Over 1,000,000 were murdered and about 1,000,000 people were involved in the murders.
• Of course, catholic priests were involved in the killings.  They were Hoto and they lured the Tutsi on to their church and then murdered them.  The Pope offered an apology in 2014.
• The genocide was horrific and the efforts to move on from this event is admirable.
• I hiked up a mountain for two hours, hung with silverback gorillas for one hour and hiked back down the mountain.  I was exhausted.
• There are peace villages where murderes and survivors live together.  That takes courage.
• There is little to no smoking in the country.  I saw no smothers, no cigarette butts or any cigarettes for sale.
• On the last Saturday of the month, everyone must participate in a two hour requirement to clean up neithg=bors.  As tourists, it was expected that we particiapte as well.
• Their beer isnt too interesting.
• I tried the Banana Beer and I don't need to try it again.  It tasted more like a sour beer.
• Of course, the wildlife was magnificence.
• We had this great, green jeep and I coveted it the whole time.  If I had that jeep, I would pimp it out and live in it.
• We got to see rhinos, hippos, zebras, giraffes, tigers, moneys, baboons, birds, impala and lots of other wildlife.  I never grow tired of watching giraffes and zebras.
• At the women's empowerment training institute, one of the skills taught was making pottery with cow dung.  I found that to be gross.
• The genocide museum was so gruesome that I couldnt look at the displays.  I mostly just listened to my audio tour and wandered around trying to look at nothing.
• There were five of us in the group and we were mostly compatible. Danny was our guide and he was excellent.
• Our trip was really three different trips: three days of genocide, three days of safari and there days with a focus on the gorillas.
• A gorilla vet came to our hotel and gave us a lecture of how they intervene with the gorillas.  I could have listened to him all evening.