We finally arrive in Kigali after a sweaty Westlife-tune-filled bus journey. Pretty wrecked by the time we arrive and it turns out our attempts to book a nice place to stay for our last few days in East Africa have failed miserably. We arrive at 5am and end up traipsing around Kigali with a very nervous taxi driver trying to find accommodation. Check in at Hotel Gorillas and as with most places here, it's completely overpriced but we need the shower, the rest and some food.....urgently!

Kigali is a nice city but a little surreal - not at all like other cities in East Africa. It's SO clean and quiet and there are very few old people to be seen - a product of the genocide of the 90's! It's all french speaking here so with the calm atmosphere and the clean streets, you could well be in any modern French city! President Kagame really has done a fantastic job in developing the city and the country since the genocide.

In Kigali, a visit to the genocide museum is a must and many people make a day trip from Uganda especially for this! The museum is... I don't know the right word.....fascinating/disturbing......! It's divided into various parts including an introduction to the history of the genocide and corresponding time-line. There are numerous photos of some of the most significant events which are seriously disturbing. For a reminder of the history of the Rwandan genocide, take a look at the movie 'Hotel Rwanda'. There is also a section on real life stories from those Hutus who helped Tutsis escape/survive - some of the stories of sacrifice and general goodness are amazing!

Finally, you finish with a section which tells the stories of a number of children who died in the genocide. This is heart-wrenching stuff - there are details of their favourite foods, their last words, other specifics and pictures of each child. You literally cannot speak after reading these!

The final part of the museum is the memorial garden which has numerous mass graves and memorabilia. Even the hardest individual would be numb after visiting this museum!

Apart from the museum, there aren't any major sights really so I take the opportunity to relax and rest up for the rest of the travels in Africa.

Dee is heading home in a few days so we have our first and last big night out (that's if you don't count the whiskey-fuelled celebrations after Kili)). Ethiopian food is really big here so take the opportunity to sample it and its pretty delicious. We go to a really cool bar called Papyrus for a nightcap and end up hanging out with the most random bunch of people including a lovely Rwanda brother and sister, Somea and Medy, a group of Indian guys working in Kigali who give me plenty of tips for my upcoming trip to their homeland, an American author and a passing group of randomers. Such a random but enjoyable evening!

Getting used to the idea of managing the rest of the travels alone but will miss Dee. Despite the odd disagreement over stupid things (like Museveni t-shirts) we really travel quite well together!

Next time I'll spend longer in Rwanda...taking in only the capital really isn't enough!