Distance: 83.1 km
Ride time: 4:30:51
Average: 18.5 km/h
Max speed: 54.2 km/h
Total: 50077 km
I had only enjoyed a single rest day in Kigali, but I felt I was in the mood for some progress, so I decided to keep moving. I didn’t leave Kigali right away though. After speaking with the other travellers at the hostel it was clear that couldn’t leave without visiting the genocide memorial.
I didn’t expect the visit to be such a strong emotional experience as it was. I think it has something to do with the fact that the horrible actions took place only a bit over twenty years ago – this makes it very very real. I was visiting the museum with a Dutch group, and the whole audience was crying as we watched the introductory video.
It was only an hour after visiting the memorial that I passed the 50.000 km mark. The visit had certainly put things into perspective, and initially the number on my bike computer seemed less important. But, just as tragic as those events in 1994 were, just as amazing it is that Rwanda has learned from the past and transformed itself into one of Africa’s most peaceful and well run countries in just 20 years. The locals are once again smiling, and those thoughts brought the smile back on my face as well – after all 50.000 km by bike is not too bad!
It was as beautiful a day as they get on the bike. I love the green hills of Rwanda! And the people here and not lazy; it takes a fair amount of work to dig out terraces in a whole valley like this.
I also love the powerful weather systems you find here near equator… well, maybe expect when I get caught in a huge storm. This time I managed to escape down the other side of the 2000 m pass just in time.
I hadn’t expected to make it to Uganda today, but since I didn’t see any guesthouses in the last villages before the border I just continued. Normally I prefer to cross borders in the morning. Now I was doing it with the last rays of sun. At the Uganda side I paid the hefty 100$ fee for my visa and easily found a cheap room for the night.
My visit to Rwanda was short but intense. The views have been absolutely breathtaking and everything is so well-organized. I place I would surely want to return to. For now, let’s see what Uganda will bring!
Always love visiting memorials. They’re all tragic, but this one more so. I can’t imagine how it felt like.