I am so hungry right now. Focus, Sibo, focus! You are supposed to be telling you about your travels.
One of the bus companies in Uganda operates the Kampala – Kigali – Bujumbura route. It departs at 22h00 daily. At this time, most of the people are still awake, until when the bus hits Masaka at about 00h00 and sleep starts to overpower. Unfortunately, that is also the end of the good road. For the next 4 hours, the road is in bits and pieces. So many potholes and yet so many humps. You are completely shaken. So you sleep in instalments waiting……just waiting for the next hump when your head hits the ceiling!
Arrival at the Katuna border is between 05h00 and 06h00 and the border opens at 06h00. We arrived at 05h30 and the border did not open until 06h45. Mbu it is a weekend!
The Rwanda side (Gatuna) is slower than the Ugandan side! Kudos my Ugandan people! We rock! These guys take their time. The official will look at your passport, check your face, a glance at the passport and then calls you just to confirm that it is really you!
To enforce the ban on kaveera, the Banyarwanda check every passenger’s luggage for kaveera. That is waht I noticed. If they find one, they empty the contents in your bag and take away the kaveera.
The road from Gatuna to Kigali is quite smooth compared to the rough ride in Uganda. The only problem is that it is in never-ending curves.
Arriving in Kigali on a Saturday morning at 08h00 is good and bad. Good because you have a full day to rest. Bad because this is slumber city every thing comes alive in the faternoon and by 20h00 it is asleep again! We Kampalans like to partry!!!!
This post will now take a break for breaking the night fast!
Welcome back, dear readers!
So I spent a weekend in Kigali. Monday was Eid so a public holiday. If you do not have a car, the best way to move around the city is by bodaboda.
No helmet No ride! Police is very strict on this. Thatman who lives on The Edge can tell you all about it. He has been there.
I returned home with the bus at 13h00 after a very sumptuous lunch!
While in Rwanda, visit the Genocide Memorial Centre in Gisozi. You will learn alot about how the 1994 Rwanda Genocide was planned, executed and aftermath.
Visit the National Museum in Butare. This is the best ethnographic museum in Africa (Not my words). See the history, witness perfomance of the Intore. Visit the university town!
Have a great weekend.
PS: My sincere apologies for missing at BHH.
Lionel Mugema 