A Thousand Hills, A Thousand Smiles, and A Thousand Pictures

Ok... so maybe I didn't take a million pictures, 4,690 to be exact, but it sure feels like a million. So I've uploaded them into a flickr account so everyone can see all of my pictures. If you're on my facebook I'll also be uploading them there, but this was an easy way to upload them so everyone can see them. If there is one that you're wondering what it is, feel free to comment on it and I'll reply ASAP. Please know that if you want to use any of my pictures you need to contact me for permission, and you will need to give credit to me as the photographer. Enjoy!

Day 1: Kigali

Day 2: Kigali

Day 3: Kigali

Day 4: Kigali

Day 5: Travel & Butare

Day 6: Butare

Day 7: Butare

Day 8: Butare

Day 9: Butare

Day 10: Nyungwe

Day 11: Nyungwe

Day 12: Nyungwe

Day 13: Travel & Bisesero Memorial

Day 14: Boat Ride & Gisenyi

Day 15: Travel & Ruhengeri

Day 16: Ruhengeri

Day 17: Today I was sick and missed out on the activities

Day 18: Kigali

Day 19: Returned Home, no pictures during 20 hour flight.

Day 18 & 19: Coming Full Circle and the Long Road Home

Hey all! Sorry for the delay in my final 2 days of postings. Between running around and seeing the sites we missed our first time in Kigali, shopping for more stuff to bring home, and trying to pack all that stuff, it just wasn't possible to blog. Now I'm well rested and have fast internet, so I can post about my last day and a half in Rwanda.

So we all got up and had some breakfast at the guest house in Musanze and left the guest house by 10am. From there it was a short, paved, 2 hour drive down to Kigali. Once we were there we went to the hotel, grabbed some lunch and then split up. Previously we had missed a planned memorial visit so Dr. Gaydosh and I took one driver to that memorial while everyone else went shopping. Unfortunately it was a Sunday, so most stuff was closed. They couldn't get us into the main building, but after some "persuasion" the well armed police officer took us for a walk through the outside part of the memorial. There are some pictures below to give you an idea of the memorial. On the way back into town we stopped the an infamous ETO school, which is still used as a school today, but was the site of a UN base that house refugees, until the UN pulled out, leaving the refugees to be massacred. Below there is a picture that has the signage, which should provide a good idea of what happened. It was a little weird taking pictures there because it is an active university. Students came up and translated to the guard what I wanted to do, and they guard let me in, but the students looked unhappy that I wanted to take pictures, which is the first time during the whole trip that I felt unwelcome at a genocide site. 

From there we went back to the Kigali Memorial Museum to find out if we could buy 20 year anniversary banners from anyone. The guy there put us in contact with a man who said he could make them. I wanted one for myself and to use when I go and lecture, and Dr. Gaydosh wanted one for the HGS room. It will be interesting to see if in 20 years where the country is, and if the banner still resides in that room. 

The following day we went ran around and packed and then waited at the airport for the banner guy to come drop them off. Luckily he showed up in the middle of a rain storm and gave us the banners minutes before we needed to board our flight. From there it was over 20 hours of travel to get back to the U.S. Coach wasn't bad, and Bethany and I kept each other entertained on the trip, laughing many times at things that were probably only funny to us. Once we got back I forced myself to stay awake and then finally passed out around 10. I plan in a few days to write a reflective post on my impressions, etc. now that I'm back in the states, but wanted to finish off the actual day to day part of the blog first. Below are pictures of the memorial and the school.

Day 16: Hiking Volcanoes to See the Monkeys

Today has been a lighter day for me. I ate something that didn’t agree with me, so I only got to participate in the first event of the day, which was tracking the Golden Monkeys at Volcanoes national park. I’ve spent the rest of the day napping and hoping to feel better soon. So we got up this morning pretty early and had some breakfast made by the cook at our guest house. It was good and there was imitation nutella, which made us all happy. Then we drove out, picked up our guide, and drove to the trail head. We walked quite a ways just to get through fields that were filled with dark mud, until finally we were at the entrance to the bamboo forest zone. From there it was about another 20 minutes of hiking mainly uphill in thick, dark mud until we reached the spot where we left our bags to then walk about 10 meters to where the monkeys were. The monkeys are completely habituated, and we were able to stand as little as 1-5 feet from the little guys while they ate, played, and bickered. We got to spend about an hour with the little guys as they bounced from one chunk of bamboo to the next, stopping to eat the freshly grown chutes. It was really cool to be so close to them, and to see them interacting with each other. After an hour we made our way back to the cars, which was much easier as it was all down hill. On our way back to the hotel we stopped along the side of the road because the local people were participating in their day of remembrance for the genocide. Every year each area has a specific day where they walk to their local memorial and spend about 2 hours remembering those that were lost. We witnessed hundreds of children walking by to pay their respects. It was an incredibly somber moment, where I noticed the oddness of being a tourist and a the same time the local people are attempting to remember the atrocities of the past. These polar opposites of the spectrum can be a bit intense sometimes, but I’m glad I got to witness it. The rest of the group went on to see some more basket weaving, banana beer making, and for another boat ride, but I stayed back hoping I’ll feel better for tomorrow’s activities. Here is hoping! I only put 3 pictures up here because I’m using my cellphone for internet and it can get a bit expensive to upload a bunch of pictures.

One of the volcanoes looming in the distance, shrouded in fog and clouds

Bee keeper's nests. Made from wood there were tons of them during our walk.

A curious monkey tips his head out to see what we are up to

Day 13: Travel and the Bisesero Genocide Memorial

Today was a long day. We got up early and left the hotel by 8am. After about an hour of driving on the highway the paved road ended and we spend several hours bouncing around the car on some wicked dirt roads. The views were amazing though. About 3.5 hours into the drive we stopped at the Bisesero Genocide Memorial which is currently under construction to see what was there. We were able to see the areas they had built, but not filled with anything, along with a  memorial to those that fought back against their murderers. The people, about 50,000 of them all hid there where men with spears stood guard to help protect. However, they were not able to hold off all of the murderers that had guns, grenades, and many hand weapons. Some survived the first wave of attacks, but the French arrived, and told them that they would arrange transport into a safe zone for them. The French then left to arrange transport, and when they left, the murderers returned and killed all of the remaining people, who thought they were under French protection. We were taken down to tin shed and inside was the skulls and bones of 1,040 victims. Below were coffins filled with as many as 50 people’s skeletons each. The plan is to move all of the remains into a permanent location where visitors can see the remains of all 50,000 victims. From there we drove a few more hours, getting lost part way, to our hotel which is right on lake Kivu. It is beautiful, and I’m sad that we are only here tonight, and leave in the morning. Below are pictures from the memorial.  I look forward to posting tomorrow!

The pictures of the bones in the genocide are not mine, but ones I found online. When we got there they said the government has to give permission for us to take pictures, and we didn’t know this in advance. But I wanted everyone to see what we saw today.

Day 6: Murambi Genocide Memorial & Butare Museum

After a decent night's sleep, though a little shorter than I would have liked, I grabbed some breakfast and rushed around to make sure I wasn't late for our tours today (I haven't been late yet, but I'd like not to be "that person").  We left around 9am and headed 45 minutes away to the Murambi Memorial. When you get about 2.5km away from the memorial you can see it perched on top of the next small hill. After a bumpy dirty road ride to the gates we got out and began our walk up the path. The cite of this massacre was chosen because it sat between many high hills, allowing militias to see anyone trying to escape. Tutsis were told to go there and hide to be safe, but it was all a plan by the Hutu militias to collect the local Tutsis in one place. There was a small tiki torch in a glass case as part of the torch ceremony in the country, presumably where they placed one at each genocide memorial, finally lighting the large torch in Kigali for the 20 year anniversary of the genocide. We approached the front and were met by our guide. He greeted us and showed us the way into the museum part of the memorial. The walls were filled with the timelines of the genocide, testimony, and many pictures of victims. It appeared that either someone had broken in recently and stolen all of the projectors, or they had removed all of the projectors for some unknown reason. The TVs for informational videos did not work and every projector, and floor-mounted screen were missing. Even though parts were missing, the museum was incredibly well put together and provided some good background, as well as a section dedicated to those that sheltered Tutsis, thus risking their lives in the process. Following the museum section we went outside and visited the mass graves. When we got there we all participated in a moment of silence, and a Rwandan man that was taking the tour with us offered to say a prayer in Kinyarwanda, which was a humbling experience to witness. The mass graves are left in a way that allows the top to be opened up so as more bodies are found, even 20 years later, they can be laid to rest with the others.

From the mass grave we walked around the main building and saw a series of small buildings, meant to originally act as housing for the students that were supposed to go to school there. Now the buildings sit in disrepair, no windows, few doors,  and bars over the open windows. Once we got to the rear of the complex of buildings we were told that we were going to see preserved bodies of victims that had been removed from mass graves farther in the back of the complex, and had been treated with lime to, essentially, mummify them. The first two rooms consisted of both male and female bodies, preserved and laid out on raised wooden racks. The bodies were contorted, some having not been killed before they were thrown in the mass graves were in defensive positions where they died, trying to suffocate under other dead Rwandans. Some were captured in their final position, begging to be spared. Many of the corpses were flattened due to the weight of the bodies above and the heat from decomposition. The following rooms were separated by groups such as women, children, women that were raped, and women with their children. Every room had the same sickeningly sweet smell, kind of like you hear described in books about death and murder. We were told that we would have had to write to a government agency to get permission to take pictures of the bodies, but at the end the guide informed us that he would allow us to take a couple of pictures since we didn't know and had come all that way. So we took a few pictures, though I did feel a little bit uncomfortable taking pictures of the dead, I knew that if I didn't, I would want to have them to show others within my program, and when I give presentations on my trip.

From there we walked around back where we saw the spot that the French troops had their flag during "Operation Turquoise."Billed as a humanitarian mission to the U.N., French troops entered Rwanda to defend what remained of the Hutu extremist regime. Claiming to provide protection, many of those they gathered up to protect, were left for a day and when the French returned, the Hutus had killed all of those they had saved. During the tour, the guide explained that not only did the French protect the old government, but they also shot Tutsis that had been brought to them for  protection. Additionally the troops put men and women that were still alive in bags that held their legs and arms together, loaded them into helicopters, and dropped them from thousands of feet in the air into the middle of the forests to the east. Additionally, the French built a volleyball court on top of a mass grave. Here they celebrated, partied, and drank above the bodies of those recently murdered.

So I had it all written out a 2nd time and it had another issue, so I'll be super brief because I've written the story out twice and it has failed to upload. So our guide told us that he and his brother are survivors of the gencide. We were very shocked about this and he told us the story of how he survived.

Below you will see pictures from today. A little warning, some of the pictures are graphic and while I feel that they are imporant for others too view, they may be too graphic for others.

We LOVE Rwanda!!!

Murabi as seen from an adjacent hill. It can be viewed from all sides

Standing at the gate

Signs on the front of the memorial for the 20 year anniversary of the genocide

Female rape victims of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide

Female victims of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide

Area that the French built a volleyball court on a mass grave

Mass grave that has been emptied of bodies, but left open to show the scale. There were 5 of these on the property

Me with our guide and genocide survivor. Amazing to meet such an amazing man, and have him explain what it was like

Day 4: Nyamata Memorial & Millenium Village

Last night I finally got some sleep! I took a sleeping pill and was able to get about 7 hours of sleep, which was nice. I got up in the morning and had some breakfast, including plenty of fresh bananas and ickynumero, the delicious red fruit.

Soon after breakfast new guides met us at our hotel and we drove outside of Kigali to the Millenium Village. Located in a part of Rwanda that has been hard hit by drought, famine, and was particularly hard hit by the 1994 genocide, the village was a collaborative effort between the U.N. and some other non-profits. The goal was to cure the famine, provide jobs, create farms, and raise the standard of living (anti-malaria efforts, HIV prevention and testing, healthcare, family planning, etc.)

Part of the village included the Nyamata Church, which now acts as a memorial to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. In 1992 when the Hutus began killing some Tutsis all of the people from the area sought shelter in the church and were able to stay safe. So when genocide broke out in 1994 they went back to the church, this time was different. With gates over the doors locked, locals could not get in to kill the 10,000+ men, women, and children located inside. Unable to get in, they called the government and the government arrived and used grenades to blast open the gates. Once they had gained entry the church was so packed full of people that they couldn't enter and kill the victims one at a time. So the murderers threw in grenades until everyone appeared to be dead in the main part of the church. They then walked around and killed those that had survived the grenades. Babies were kept in a back part of the church to keep them protected and they survived the grenade attacks. When the Hutus came in they threw the babies against a wall to kill them, there is still blood stains on the wall from the children murdered by hand. The church is no longer used as a church, and exists as it did at the time of the genocide. The bodies have been removed, but their clothes were left in piles on the pews as part of the memorial. There are piles and piles of clothes everywhere, including children's shirts, which were particularly horrific. At the altar there is a white cloth over it that was there during the attack, and it too is stained everywhere with the blood of victims. Looking up at the tin roof you can still see the tiny shrapnel holes, letting dots of light shine through, from the many grenade explosions. A new room was added under the church that houses skulls and bones of some of the victims, and below that the casket of a pregnant woman that was horrifically tortured and mutilated before, and after, death. Behind the church the former garden has been converted into a mass grave. Unable to identify most of the victims in the graves, the coffins inside hold dozens of sets of bones. Additionally, bones and skulls are left out on racks so when we walked down the steep steps we were surrounded by exposed bones of victims. Each skull showed a different method of death, bullet, machete, hammer, etc. There are over 10,000 victims in these mass graves. This was an incredibly sobering experience to be confronted not only with a memorial, a site of an atrocity, but also the remains of those that will never be identified, and died in such a horrific way. 

After the church we moved on to a local farm where we got a tour and saw all of the things they grow. The farmer showed us how they grow their crops, and explained the variety of things that can be made with the crops. It was very interesting, and the farmer was very nice. We found out that they have started planting macadamia nuts and they are doing very well, which is exciting for Rwandans as it may provide a new export for them. The farmer's wife came out at the end of the tour and told us that she has had 14 children and is still strong. We couldn't believe that someone would have that many children. The farmer told us that through the Millenium project his farm has grown and he can now feed his family and afford insurance and schooling for all of his children. After the farm we went to a little building where a meal was waiting for us. Full of traditional foods, 99% of the items we ate were grown in the Millenium Village, which really made what we had just learned come to life. We were all starving and it was so good. After taking our fill of the amazing food we traveled to a cooperative where women, both Hutu and Tutsi work together to make baskets as a source of income and as a way to bring the two sides together. I took pictures as everyone sat and worked one on one with a different woman to learn how to make the baskets. I didn't mind taking the pictures, it was nice getting to see everyone's smiles and know that I was able to capture that special moment. Once the demonstration was done we all loaded up on some of the most beautiful baskets we've ever seen. We all bought so much that the ladies wanted to thank us, so they gave us each a free basket. We also got to have our pictures taken with the woman that made the baskets we had purchased. It was a truly unique experience that adds a new dimension to buying local crafts. 

Following the baskets we took a trip to the reconciliation village. This was the most awe inspiring thing I have ever witnessed. The village exits to have survivors and perpetrators live side by side and help each other, as a way of forgiveness and creating one Rwandan people, no longer divided by "race" We arrived and villagers were playing music and dancing for our arrival. Then we sat and a genocide survivor told us about his experiences and why he chose to live in the reconciliation village. His story was very interesting, and it is still hard for me to imagine how he has forgiven the man that killed his father in cold blood. Following his speech a perpetrator came up and talked about how he served time in jail and then a few years ago he was offered a program by the government where he could apologize and show he was sorry, and in exchange he could get out of jail. He did this and then chose on his own to come live in this village. They told us that not only do the two sides live in the same village, but it is mandatory that they are alternated in their housing so their neighbor is their former enemy. Additionally, the helped to build each other's houses, care for their children, grieve during loss, and celebrate during times of joy. Every house is identical in terms of size and construction, so nobody envies the others. Following the speeches we tried some banana beer and shared the drink with the villagers. Then there was more dancing where we were invited to dance with the villagers, which was amazing. I got pictures of everyone dancing, while I danced too. Then we took pictures with the children, which was such an amazing experience. They love selfies and more and more tried to pile into the picture, and ultimately you could only see my shoulder and then about a dozen children's faces. It was an amazing experience and I hope to return to the village some day to see how it has progressed. 

I just realized, when looking through the pictures, that I forgot to mention the health clinic and school we visited. We got tours of both. The clinic gets better each year and allows the insurance to provide for everyone's healthcare, there are pictures below. Also, the school we vacant, but we got to see it and go inside a room It was interesting to see that 1,500 students go to school there and there are only about 16-ish teachers employed there. They split into 1/2 days and each teacher teaches classes of about 50. 

Original gate for the church that was blasted with grenades

The other gate, through it you can see the piles of vitim's clothes as well as the altar. Pictures inside the church are not allowed.

Skulls in the mass grave. The different breaks and spots on the skull tell you how the person was killed.

Skulls and bones. Nobody could be identified, so they were not given individual graves.

1/2 of the amount of bones you walk by and look at in the mass grave. The smell is indescribable. 

Different plants the farmer grows

Banana Tree

Carving the casava root so we can all try some fresh out of the ground

Primary School

Classroom

Expanded health care center

Children with there parents that followed us on our tour.

WCU students learning how to weave baskets

Dr. Gaydosh Learning how to weave a basket

Welcome dance and song when we arrived

Singers and drummers for the dancers

Genocide perpetrator (on the left) who told us about his experience and his quest for forgiveness

The dancers came and made us all get up and dance with them. It was so much fun!!!

Christina Dancing with one fo the dancers

The love of a selfie below you can see as more and more kids come in and eventually you can't see me at all

what selfie madness looks like from above!