The Epic Update: Final Days in Uganda and Arrival in Rwanda!

For the multitudes of family and friends back home that I haven't updated in a while, I've been in Kigali, Rwanda for three days now.

Leaving Gulu was bittersweet.  I developed such a strong connection to my family, but it was time to move on to new things.  The only consolation is that I'll be back there in less than four weeks for my ISP.  I can't wait to see my family and friends again and get back to the comfortable, homey atmosphere of Gulu.  I'm literally counting down the days.

Catchup on things we've done since leaving Gulu last week:

JINJA:
Jinja, on Lake Victoria, is home to the SOURCE OF THE NILE.

I exist in Africa!  standing in front of the source of the River Nile.

Yes, that's right.  I stood on a small island and watched deep blue water bubble up from an underground spring to flow over rapids and down waterfalls through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.  (Some argue the source of the Nile is in Burundi... pish posh.)  Jinja was absolutely beautiful, and we also visited a series of waterfalls that will disappear at the end of this year when Uganda's newest dam is completed.

MBARARA:
Mbarara, in southern Uganda, is home to Nakivale Refugee Camp.  Although we didn't get to go to the camp due to a new rule that requires requesting permission from the Office of the Prime Minister, we talked with some of the Rwandan refugees who live in the camp.  Uganda hosts refugees from all over East Africa, but the ones we talked to were specifically from Rwanda.  They claim they fled Rwanda due to land conflicts and fear of violent retribution from victims of genocide, but it is also entirely possible that they were perpetrators in the 1994 genocide and fear prosecution by the Gacaca Courts.  I suppose we'll never really know.

We were also reunited with the other half of our group, who have been in Rwanda this past month, in Mbarara.  I think we scared them a bit with our tales from Gulu... we all realized that it was definitely better to go to Gulu first, get the "worst" of it over, and then really appreciate the cushy life of Kigali.  And by cushy I mean reliable electricity and the resources of a metropolis.  That being said... I can't wait to go back to my lovely little Gulu.

Doreen, one of the girls in my class and on the list of my top five favorite people in the entire world, is a native Ugandan and Rwandan.  Her family has a home in Mbarara, so Doreen, Rachel, and I skipped out on the hotel and stayed at her house for the two nights we were in Mbarara.  We were spoiled in her beautiful home, and I took my first hot shower in a real bathtub since I've arrived on this continent.  BEST. DAY. EVER.

family photo time!

And now, the biggie: ARRIVAL IN RWANDA!

The drive through southern Uganda and northern Rwanda was nothing if not spectacular.

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in sub-Saharan Africa, and therefore it is necessary for ALL land to be used in some way.  You'd be hard-pressed to find any land in Rwanda not being used for commercial, residential, or agricultural purposes.  The hills and mountains are terraced so that every inch can be farmed, and this makes for the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.

Once we got into the city, we settled in to our new office (which is stellar) and began our Kinyarwanda language lessons.  Much more difficult than you would expect, especially after a month of learning Acholi and Luganda.  But I need to learn this language if I want to communicate with my homestay mother, Faith, who doesn't speak a word of English apart from "How are you?"

Kigali is so overwhelming, but much more manageable than Kampala.

Best thing about this city so far?  THEY HAVE TRAFFIC LAWS AND A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR PEDESTRIANS.  I cannot say as much for Uganda.