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.
With no knowledge of what happened one could easily walk in to the hotel and think nothing of it. The hotel itself is quite nice, and rather upscale with a lovely downstairs bar and a big pool. But, by knowing what transpired here, it felt surreal to me. I regret I don’t have the words or the writing prowess to impart to you how it felt.
Over several beers, we spent the next hours lounging downstairs talking with Lama and learning about Rwanda’s history, culture, politics and development. It is always fascinating to listen to Lama who has a very unique perspective. We are so very lucky to have him with us and we would be extremely hard pressed to find a replacement. To make a long story very short, Lama escaped persecution in Rwanda when he was a child and fled with his family to Burundi. The beneficiary of a scholarship, he landed in Canada where he studied at the Lester B. Pearson College and ultimately completed his Masters in Urban Planning at UBC. After founding ‘Building Bridges with Rwanda’, Lama made his way back to his native land to dedicate his energies and skills to the rebuilding of Rwanda. His passion is contagious and his knowledge impressive. As a Rwandan Canadian, Lama’s is able to answer our questions and afford us a perspective like no other.
It was interesting to learn of the real story behind Hotel Rwanda as told by Lama. It turns out that the famed and benevolent manager of the hotel during the genocide, Paul Rusesabagina, actually exploited the situation to get money from people; those who found refuge in Hotel Rwanda bought their way in. You may be surprised to know that Mr.Rusesabagina espouses radical Hutu ideology. He lives in Belgium and hasn’t returned to Rwanda, likely because if he did he would face justice. It is as if the movies don’t always honour the truth (insert sarcasm). Nothing is at it seems. Admittedly, I was very disappointed to learn this… the story had served to give me hope. There are some real stories that serve to re-instill and sense of hope for human kind, but throughout the genocide these are regrettably very few.
As we finished our beers, we went for lunch at the ‘Fantastic Restaurant’ where we enjoyed local ambience and a huge variety of starches. It was hot and no other tourists were there to be seen. I felt, in a word, authentic.
After lunch we took a walking tour of Kigali and fulfilled the Development Tour promise of experiencing places ‘off the tourist trail.’ We walked and rode motos through commercial areas, past a prison and into a residential neighbourhood. The further we got from the commercial center, the intensity and frequency of stares increased. For me, I have come to value and enjoy the experience of not belonging. Being the outsider and the minority takes some getting used to. I quite enjoy the novelty….for others I sense it can be a little unsettling. In any case, a valuable experience.
After our day tour, we moved into our new hotel at La Palisse-Kigali where we ate dinner and hit the sack.
I have decided that I will share an observation for every blog. Today’s observation: There is such thing as ‘African Time’. I suppose this isn’t different that in Latin America. I hate to make sweeping generalizations, but it is true. Nothing seems to happen quickly or urgently here and one can’t count on a schedule actually going as planned. Classic. Yet, it is what it is. For us anal westerners used to the hamster wheel, it can take some getting used to. I think it’s a good practice. -Jess Rothenburger
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