I started in Mwanza, TZ and stayed over night at Millennium Square Hotel. I bought my ticket to Benaco the night before at the bus rank nearby (Nyagezi) for 20,000 TSH (about 10USD). A guard walked me the 5 minutes to the bus rank at 5:15am. Reporting time was 5:30am. I put my bag under the bus and was assigned a seat. The bus was a 5 column,12 row charter bus slated to leave at 6am.
We pulled out at 6am with about 10 people on the bus. At about 6:15 we were told to get off the bus to buy tickets for the ferry (I assume. It was in swahili. I do a lot of watching other people to know what I'm supposed to do.) The ticket was 1000TSH (about 50 cents). We then proceeded to the ferry and rode it across Lake Victoria for about thirty minutes. At some point the conductor called for everyone to get on the bus and I noticed that about 10 more people had joined us.
Oh Botswana. How you have spoiled me with your paved roads. Most of the 9 hour ride was on dirt road or straight up potholes. My phone thought I had climbed 120 flights of stairs that day. We did have two bathroom breaks, which was exciting, but squat toilets are not my favorite. The bus wasnt as crowded as I expected as there were rarely people standing, but a couple and their young son took up the two seats next to me. At 2:45am we reached Benaco (or Benako. Or kasulo. Depending on the map).
I took a taxi to the Rusumo border gate for 20,000 TSH (9USD). I went throug I'm going to first give great detail of my border crossing from Tanzania to Rwanda. There isn't much information as to how to do it by bus, and I want to help out future travelers. Skip down if you wish.
I started in Mwanza, TZ and stayed over night at Millennium Square Hotel. I bought my ticket to Benaco the night before at the bus rank nearby (Nyagezi) for 20,000 TSH (about 10USD). A guard walked me the 5 minutes to the bus rank at 5:15am. Reporting time was 5:30am. I put my bag under the bus and was assigned a seat. The bus was a 5 column,12 row charter bus slated to leave at 6am.
We pulled out at 6am with about 10 people on the bus. At about 6:15 we were told to get off the bus to buy tickets for the ferry (I assume. It was in swahili. I do a lot of watching other people to know what I'm supposed to do.) The ticket was 1000TSH (about 50 cents). We then proceeded to the ferry and rode it across Lake Victoria for about thirty minutes. At some point the conductor called for everyone to get on the bus and I noticed that about 10 more people had joined us.
Oh Botswana. How you have spoiled me with your paved roads. Most of the 9 hour ride was on dirt road or straight up potholes. My phone thought I had climbed 120 flights of stairs that day. We did have two bathroom breaks, which was exciting, but squat toilets are not my favorite. The bus wasnt as crowded as I expected as there were rarely people standing, but a couple and their young son took up the two seats next to me. At 2:45am we reached Benaco (or Benako. Or kasulo. Depending on the map).
I took a taxi to the Rusumo border gate for 20,000 TSH (9USD). I went through border beauracracy (stamp out of TZ and into Rwanda in one building!), paid 30USD for my visa, walked across the border, used a forex, immediately boarded a bus, and we were pulling out to Kigali one hour and fifteen minutes later. Which, with the time change, was 3pm in Kigali.
My bus was not only driving on the right side of the road (CRAZY!) it was also luxury like I've never seen in Africa. Including USB chargers in the seat! What! It also cost 3000RWF (3.50USD). Although my guide book told me the trip should take 3 hours, we didn't arrive in Kigali until 8pm. I took a taxi from the bus station for 5,000RWF (6USD). In total, I traveled for 16.5 hours.
Needless to say, I slept well.
On my first full day in Kigali I mainly worked on job applications, did my laundry, and tried to get my head on straight. That night I went to dinner and then to an art gallery’s cocktail hour with a group of solo travelers from my hostel.
The next day, I went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial: a memorial dedicated to telling the story of the Rwandan Genocide, among other genocides, to honor victims and survivors, and to prevent future genocides around the world. The museum was moving. I was particularly touched by a picture of a two year old girl who had been murdered by a machete in 1994: the same age I was that year. It was important for me to honor this memorial and to learn all that I could about the one million people killed and the other atrocities that were committed here. We must learn the early signs of genocide if we are to prevent it from happening again. I fear we may not have learned our lesson yet.
In the evening, I went with a group from the hostel to a film festival showing at the convention center. The movie was called Victoria. It was German and it was all shot in a single shot, which was really artistically awesome. But the movies was extremely stressful to watch! It was fun going with the group though.
On Saturday I went to the Nyamirambo Women’s center, where I took a walking tour of the neighborhood which ended in a delicious lunch. I learned about the history of the historically Muslim neighborhood. Including the story of how museums finally gained rights and respect in Kigali. During the genocide people fled to places of worship for protection. Many who hid in churches were mastered, often with the help of the priests or pastors. The people in mosques are saved because the genocidaires were afraid of the rumored magic of Muslim people, so they would not enter.
The women's center is a self sufficient cooperative which provides classes and work for the women in the now diverse neighborhoods. If was a wonderful afternoon learning about the Rwandan lifestyle in Kigali. The tour guide was lively, the lunch was incredible, and the shop was amazing quality and prints.
That evening I went with the group from the hostel (which kept growing!) to see live music and crafts at a local women's empowerment event. Afterwards a few of us came back and played cards for awhile. It was a very chill night and a great time with new friends.
Sunday we went to brunch at the Hôtel des Mille Collines, which is the hotel featured in Hotel Rwanda. The movie was filmed in South Africa so it doesn't look the same, but it was cool to see the history. Brunch was amazing and included love music and great friends. We went to a much taller hotel after to have tea on top of the roof for an incredible view of the city.
That evening we went to another film festival event where they screened a documentary called MaliBlues about musicians in Mali and the persecutions they face from Islamic extremists. One of the most moving parts of the film was when a female international artist who had ran away from her village at 19 so she wouldn't have an arranged marriage, came back to her village after years. She sang a song to them about the horrors of female genital mutilation. It started a conversation among the women related to why it was being done and if it should be happening. The use of music and art to address social justice issues is extremely powerful and moving.
We finished up my last night with ice cream and laughter.
I really loved being in Kigali because I had a very nice, fairly big group of people to hang out with, and there were always things to do and experience. The city is clean and safe and livable and has a great vibe. Everyone in the hostel kept extending their stay because they were so happy in Kigali. I'm so glad I chose to stay so long. Everyone had wondered why I wanted to come here, but I just felt like I had to go. I'm so glad I did. The longer I was there the more I appreciated and admired the country and the people. It wasn't enough time for Rwanda. I must come back.
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