Hotel Rwanda

My mosquito net fell from the ceiling last night so I was exposed…. and, needless to say I got some bites and lost some sleep. C’est la vie. And, anyhow, who cares?.... it’s our first official day of our Development Tour in Rwanda!

The Jeffrey’s made it safe and sound, and tonight Nicole and Christina will arrive. After breakfast at the Blues Café, we took care of some logistical business and exchanged our money. Then we walked just minutes up from our hotel to visit the Hotel Milles Collines, also known to most foreigners as ‘Hotel Rwanda’.  This is the famed hotel depicted in the movie Hotel Rwanda where the manager, Paul Rusesabagina, saved hundreds of lives during the Genocide by harbouring them inside.

WE MADE IT!

We made it to Rwanda! 

It’s 5:20am and I can’t sleep. My internal clock is still a little mixed up, but I am actually feeling quite well and don’t feel that jetlagged.  After 5 horizontal hours and a mercifully hot shower, I am ready to take on the world.

Hookers, Drugs, Sex Shows...nah, TAKE ME TO RWANDA!

After nearly missing our flight because of a ticket error (don’t ask), we (Shannon and I) hopped on our 9 hour flight.. a mere hop skip and jump over the Atlantic. Because of our ticket issue, we got “upgraded” to a nicer seat..... in economy of course. I should say, in all my years of travel, I have yet to experience a harder and more uncomfortable seat than the one on KLM. Arg. My least favorite part of travelling is ending up on a flight with a bad seat. Oh the pain... the horror. I joke, but I honestly think that having to sit for 9 hours on a hard seat is a mild form of torture that should be made illegal.


So, as I descended on Amsterdam demoralized and frustrated, the only think I could think about was finding our hotel. After the usual lineup through immigration and collecting our bags, we literally walked over to our hotel called the CitizenM. Hello swanky! I’ve decided I want a shower that has its own glowing lights in variable colours... with a remote control. But, I think I will pass on the toilette with glass doors - what’s the point.

On our way to Rwanda

The fact that I will be returning to Rwanda just became a reality for me. At long last and after much planning and anticipation, I will finally be hopping a plane to return to one of the most intriguing places I have been.  Now  all I have to do is finish my packing and take a couple of deep breaths as I endeavour to fully absorb myself in the experience. I am officially incredibly excited!