Wed 1st Nov. I liked the idea of starting a new adventure in a new country on the 1st of the month. Relatively early start, but at least the Kahama Stand was only 2 minutes walk from the hotel. I had seat no. 1, but had to kick somebody out of it initially. The countryside was much greener after Kahama. A comfortable trip lasting 5 hours…which was what I was expecting. I got my Tz exit stamp; was confused as to where the Rwanda side was.
The One Stop border wasn’t quite that. I managed to get a free boda ride down the hill from the Tz side, across a little bridge to the Rwandan immigration. The guy was a bit surprised that I didn’t offer to pay anything…well, if we agree a free ride, then it’s a free ride..!!! The granting of a visa was straightforward…a few questions and confirmation that it was free to members of the Commonwealth.
An element of backwards and forwards and a bag check to get to the point where I could catch my minibus to Kigali. I got a front seat for the frustratingly long 5 hours to cover a mere 180kms or so. A regular bus so lots of stops and starts. At least I sat next to a young guy who explained lots of aspects of Rwandan society/life. Both driver and passenger have to wear helmets on a boda. Max 2 people. The speed cameras…notification on your phone about the fine, and payment. The plain standard facade of many shops. How to detect bars/pubs ! The fact that all roads have ‘street’ lights in Rwanda.
I alighted at the central bus station. Only the Kaiven hotel stood out. I looked at the second cheapest room which was really nice with a balcony. But I kept my options open and looked for another hotel on my way to find an ATM. Got my 200,000RWF and back to Kaiven as there was nothing else on offer. The price of 25,000rwf..or £17..was really good, considering it included breakfast and the fact that there was WiFi. The availability of WiFi was my main concern.
Shower then across the road to Sunrise bar for a much deserved beer. I learned from the guy on the bus that Primus was the standard lager. The bottle seemed very heavy for a 500ml bottle, which I put down to the quality of Rwandan glass. However, when I managed to read the small print I noticed the content was 700ml…for an amazing cost 1,300rwf or 70p. I drank 2 of them and ate a small bag of peanuts. I went to the bar on the top floor of my hotel and enjoyed 2 more beers while listening to a live band. No appetite for any food. A great evening and a good start to my Rwandan travels.
Thurs 2nd. A good nights sleep; comfortable room. Breakfast consisted of an omelette, 2 slices of bread (no butter), tea and 4 bits of fruit. Back to my room where I spent at least an hour with BlueHost support, trying to solve my inability to log into my blog domain. Wasn’t resolved but happy that I started the process.
My next aim was to get to the Kigali Genocide Memorial…probably an hours walk. Had a coffee along the way…glad there was a good toilet at the Memorial because within half an hour the coffee went straight through me. The Memorial was on a ‘contribution ‘ basis…just as well because from the charges on the website I wouldn’t been able to afford the entrance. A 10 minute film with survivors…Very moving…followed by an exhibition of other genocides, including Namibia (19C), Germany (2WW), Cambodia, Serbia/Bosnia.
By now it was pouring heavily with rain. I waited for the rain to subside before heading off with my umbrella ….glad that I anticipated the rain and took the umbrella with me. Had a quick look at a Garden, but not much fun in the rain. Passed the minibus stand near my hotel to get information on getting to Musanze (aka Ruhengeri) in the north on Saturday.
I needed a snack. Difficult to find restaurants. The 1st one I looked at was dingy and dirty looking. The 2nd was slightly better, but the 2 samosas were awful and the tea was just about ok. By the time I got to my room it was nearly time to out again. Decided to try New Orleans Resto & Bar but the guy said the cost of a Primus was 1,500, I marched off saying that it was 1,300 right next door at Sunrise Bar. I know it’s very little money, but it was the principle….
I returned to my room by 7pm in order to talk to Phil, but the WiFi wasn’t working. That was confirmed by reception. So I went up to the hotel bar for a couple of beers and to listen to the live music. The 5 musicians were really bad, although they improved a little as time went by…
Fri 3rd Slight variation for breakfast…2 hard boiled eggs instead of an omelette. The selection of fruits was the same every day…banana and pineapple being 2 of them. But at least now I know what a tree tomato is, and finally getting to grips with the difference between a passion fruit and a pomegranate..!!! The hotel wifi was working so I tried to sort out my domain name login problem. Still no success. I messaged Tor about how I understood the situation…giving him the facts as I saw them…and asked him to look into it.
It was cloudy but dry so I headed off to the business district up on the hill. I wandered around, basically looking for somewhere to have a coffee. But a Mandi restaurant caught my eye before I decided it didn’t look very clean. Found a bakery place to have a cappuccino. The Bank ‘district’ wasn’t busy at all, but the streets got much busier the further down the hill I walked. So I wandered slowly down the hill back to the hotel. I asked permission to take a photo of a 1930 abandoned prison. Drew money out; showered; and actually managed to sort out my domain access problem. It transpired that if I had the Chat line open, that’s why I kept being thrown out when trying to login in to My Account on Bluehost. That was put to the test later when I posted about my time in Zanzibar. All good.
I went somewhere different…the bar directly outside the hotel !! Passed the time playing sudoku. Next door was a little restaurant where I ate a very flavoursome chapati; that was my dinner for the day. A bit embarrassing when I tried to pay with a 500Tsh coin…!! Went to the bar at my hotel which was packed, being a Friday night. Once again there was a band playing who were okay. Then to my room to bed.
Impression of Kigali…interesting but not special. Well, it’s a Capital city. Built over/on many hills so quite testing walking at times.