One Step Forward: Trip Itinerary

Some initial funding came through, so the trip is officially moving forward. Figured now was a good time to lay out the itinerary so anyone following along can see what 19 days in Rwanda actually looks like on paper.

We leave May 29. Back June 16. Here's the breakdown.

Kigali

We start and end in the capital. In Kigali we'll visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, which holds over 250,000 victims in mass graves. Also the Natural History Museum and a few academic sessions to set the context before we start moving around the country.

Butare (Huye)

South to Butare — the university city, now officially renamed Huye. This leg includes the National University of Rwanda for academic exchange, the King's Palace in Nyanza, and the Nyamata and Ntarama memorial churches. Both churches are preserved as they were found after the massacres. Clothes, belongings, still there. These are going to be difficult visits. They're also important ones.

Kibeho and Mayange

Kibeho is known for Marian apparitions in the early 1980s — the only Vatican-approved apparitions in Africa. Some of those reported visions are said to have warned of widespread violence. Given where we are in the country's history, that context is hard to ignore. We'll also visit the Millennium Village in Mayange, a development project focused on community investment in agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure.

Murambi

The Murambi Genocide Memorial is one of the hardest sites in the country. Thousands of victims were killed there after being told to gather for their safety. Remains are preserved in lime. No way to write that sentence that doesn't land exactly as heavy as it should.

Nyungwe National Park

After several days of heavy memorial work, we go into the forest. Chimpanzee tracking, colobus monkey tracking, and a canopy walk through Nyungwe. Genuinely looking forward to this stretch. Rwanda's natural landscape is part of this story too.

Ruhengeri (Musanze) and Gisenyi

The northern end of the trip. Musanze caves and the region around the volcanoes, then Gisenyi on the shore of Lake Kivu right at the DRC border. Then back to Kigali for the flight home.

Nineteen days. Four cities. Memorial sites, cultural sites, forests, academic work. Still can't quite believe this is happening. More updates as they come.