Day 36: Friday 7th March: Karonga to Nyamagabe via Nyungwe Forest. Odo start 9355km.

The Nile Congo trail continues and we have some fun today crossing washed away dirt roads that the locals build split pole bridges for us to cross over (and for a tip of course) and past broken down lorries that we mean we have to literally edge by at a 40 degree angle - very exciting (for me at least, Lyn of course is now sitting on "driver's" side of the road). Actually I hopped out "to take photo's of course"!

After about 50km of the 129km trail, we come to Bisesero where there is a genocide memorial rehabilitation coming to an end. Originally built in 1998 it has been upgraded (presumably for the upcoming 20 year memorial services being planned around the country) and we take a guided tour given by a victim who was shot in the leg - a very nice guy and very knowledgeable.

Mind-boggling for me is that the guide lost all his family in the massacre - all his aunts and uncles, his grandparents, his parents and six of his seven siblings were killed. He was shot in the hip and fell on his younger sister to protect her. They pretended to be dead and in the end survived. One cannot even begin to imagine the trauma! (Lyn)

First we visit a shed that houses 1040 skulls and various other human bones (which we see but are not allowed to photograph as special permission is required and although easy to get, needless to say we don't have it) - it is gruesome, horrific, chilling, mesmerising. The skulls often show how the people were killed - by club, bullet, fire, machete etc. In Kibuye about 500 000 Tutsi were killed and in the Bisesero Protectorate (a province) about 65 000 were killed. Anecdotally, the guide tells us that in April 1994 when French and Canadian soldiers arrived in Bisesero (ostensibly to stem the killing), the survivors who had been hiding out in the hills came back to the town, only to be told to go to Kibuye (some 50km away) for 3 days and then return. In that 3 days many more thousands were slain.

The 9 spears in the photo represent the 9 districts of Kibuye and the "head" stones set in the steps represent the Tutsi survivors running away with the large stones as the killers - the guide does not say who the killers are (historically we remember Hutus of course, but my recollection of the Rwanda genocide is flimsy as we were all celebrating the birth of democracy in RSA at that time).

We then go up many flights of steps to the 3 new memorial houses in which the remains will be put - and they are already full of piles of bones that have been exhumed from the cemetery on top of the hill (that is also undergoing rehabilitation). This visit has left a lasting impression on me.

After the memorial visit we continue along the Nile Congo trail and eventually reach tar - when it starts to rain - HEAVILY. Thanks goodness we are off the steep bumpy 4x4 dirt by now. We are on our way to Nyungwe Forest, the last pocket of tropical rain forest left in Rwanda. Unfortunately we do not see much, but there are several spectacular looking hiking trails and the views are breath-taking (when the rain eventually ceases). We also see the watershed point where streams start to flow east or west, into the Nile or Congo respectively (not quite the source but one of them as here are several). It's decided by consensus not to stay in the park but rather to make some ground toward Kigali today and find a motel / hotel on the way.

Here we come to Nyamagabe and the Golden Monkey Hotel - looks ok at US$55 for a couple, double "executive" room and breakfast. On arrival we decide to go to a local pub and I get back into the Turbo Kings and after 2 local pubs, the Conga (yes, the Conga), dinner and more beers, we find ourselves at the local night club - but fade quickly. Unfortunately the night club music doesn't end until about 3:30am and the Muezzin calls at 4:30 for first call to prayer - little precious sleep for some.

Day 37: Sat 8th March: Nyamagabe to Kigali. Odo 9370.

It's tar road all the way to Kigali for 220km but the road is very windy (remember there are no flat spots in this country) and lots of trucks make this a 3 hour journey. A hotel in a good part of town is found then we wend our way to Bourbon Coffee Shop and Nakumatt supermarket to stock up for the braai we've been invited to at the South African High Commissioners Residence at 12 noon.

Unfortunately, 6 of the most senior staff were given 48 hours yesterday to clear out of Rwanda as there is a spat between Rwanda and South Africa regarding Rwanda's president allegedly organizing the assassination of a spy in Johannesburg late last year. However, we have a fine time chatting and meet just about everyone. (Not sure if I mentioned we had been invited by a chance meeting with a Ugandan guy at Nakumatt, who is the Company Secretary of the Rwanda Development Bank, studied at UCT and wants to drive to Cape Town next year). Good boerewors (sausage to you Pommies) and good South African wine to be had. There were about 100 people there.

The "new" ambassador" gave a speech and it was a bit emotional and as the drinks flowed so they got a bit more out of hand! But a good time was had by all. I'm currently writing from the Kay Sun Hotel and wondering what to do for supper.

SOME THOUGHTS: Rwanda in a few words: mountainous with stunning scenery (a real eye opener in fact), cultivation on extremely steep slopes (and everything is cultivated), nice people, typical poor and rich mix. No police interference. Apparently 17% of GDP spent on health. Great beer. Women dressed much better than men. Bicycles and motorbike taxis generally licensed and drivers bibbed (with city bikes offering passenger helmets). Great distinction between rural, small villages to large towns and cities. Major artery tar roads are brilliant. Police all have AK47's (guns) as do security guards and army personnel and there are quite a few of them posted around. I asked someone what the threat was but they all say there's no threat, just very disciplined and show who's in charge - apparently the police are so good you can actually call on them and they WILL help you - this is unique so far in Africa!

I didn't realize it but we came fairly close to Goma (where there is a lot of trouble from the M23 rebels) and we did see several Congolese refugee camps along the main road between Kibuye and Nyamagabe.

Day 38: Sun 9th March: Kigali

We have a 'rest' day today which is actually a 'recovery' day after the braai at the SA Embassy! Too much good SA wine.

We have a leisurely breakfast and then go off to the Kigali Genocide Memorial centre. I thought we were well prepared after visiting the previous memorial, but this centre has very graphic detail and photo's and then quite a few video's documenting the experiences of some of the survivors. Chilling and horrifying to say the least! Where neighbour turned on neighbour and family members even turned on one another. A carefully planned genocide unleashed when President Habyarimana's plane was shot down - that was just the catalyst for something that had been planned for a while and it seems that the International community just were not aware of what was happening. It is also a chilling reminder of how powerful the media is in creating hatred and contempt and spreading that message far and wide. The Hutu's were really brain-washed into seeing the Tsutsi's as 'Inyenzi' (cockroaches) that had to be exterminated. However, in the killing spree it seems that Hutu's even turned on one another and those who would not participate in the genocide were often themselves killed. More than one million people were killed and the memorials are intended to educate and remind the people of Rwanda of these terrible deeds so that it never happens again.

Presumably that is the reason we see so many armed people around here. At every roadblock (where we are just waved through) at least one of the traffic police carries an AK47. Every policeman, security guard and member of the army is armed at least with an AK47. We've seen a lot of weapons since we started this trip, but sooooo many in Rwanda. At the entrance of most shopping centres, hotels, and even at this memorial centre, we are stopped and they use mirrors to look under the vehicle to ensure that you have no bombs. We also constantly have to walk through metal detectors, be scanned and have our bags searched whenever we enter a building - even the hotels we have stayed at. They say the vigilance is to ensure that nothing violent ever happens again.

I am also surprised that the Catholic Church remains active in this Country. Testimony indicates that some Catholic Priests actively sided with those Hutu's killing people while others did everything in their power to protect and hide people. It remains a horrifying example of the human beings' capacity for cruelty - even to another human being. Children who were tortured and then simply beaten to death and of course women who were repeatedly raped and mutilated before being killed. Even if the women were not killed (perhaps left for dead but surviving), the killers were often HIV+ (and these men purposely targeted women) which has left a gruesome legacy on survivors and their families. There are an indordinate number of orphans - even these days - which is also the legacy of HIV+. No-one escaped death - babies, elderly, men, women, children, animals. After the killing many bodies were left lying around (the ultimate insult not to be buried) and eaten by those dogs and rats that had survived. I wonder if that is one of the reasons that we see so few dogs around. I think I have counted 5 dogs in Rwanda - compared to hundreds you see all over the place in the other Countries that we have driven through. It seems very unusual.

All in all a very informative but very depressing and emotionally draining morning.

Tonight we go to dinner at the Hotel Rwanda (actually Hotel des Mille Collines) featured in the film of the same name - it's been re-plastered though, so no bullet holes evident. Great meal, quite expensive but probably THE place to stay in town.

Our chosen hotel was also clean and tidy - Kay Sun Hotel, reasonable and recommended.