There are four places a person should visit when they go somewhere new - it doesn't matter if it's a new country, state or city. The four places are a school, a church, a supermarket and a coffee shop. I was able to visit all four while in Rwanda and I appreciate that fact as I look through my pictures and read through my journal.
Unfortunately, two of those places were used against people during the genocide. Churches and schools are supposed to be safe places but the perpetrators of the genocide often used these places of refuge to slaughter innocent people. What we saw in our time in Rwanda was a return of churches and schools to communities. Students should feel safe going to school and they do. You can see the respect for teachers and administrators. While we didn't go to a service, one of the principals we met, Father Isidore, was a compelling and engaging man. He is passionate about his mission and his students. Truly an inspiration. I have faith that both schools and churches will continue to be cornerstones of communities and villages.
On our last day in Rwanda, Stacy and I asked Charles if he would take us to buy coffee somewhere if we had time. We definitely had time and for that I am so grateful to Charles for making my last day even more memorable. We said goodbye to Tim at his hotel and we drove back to the city center. Charles took us to a supermarket first to buy coffee. The supermarket was a lot like supermarkets in other countries I've been too; a combination of supermarket and other stores in one place. If a person only shopped once a month they could get everything in one stop. And when I say everything I mean it - food, coffee, hair extensions, clothing, toys, alcohol, housewares. You name it, you could probably find it there. Going to a supermarket always makes me feel like I'm more a part of the place I'm visiting. And that first cup of Rwandan coffee is going to taste really good!
Our final stop was Bourbon Coffee, right next to the supermarket. For those of you who have seen Long Way Down this is the coffee shop that Ewan and Charley go to when they get to Kigali. I really wanted to go there after seeing the episode and Charles suggested that we get a cup of coffee before heading to the airport. I never mentioned wanting to go there to him but Charles just knew that was the place (or it was convenient which is probably the better explanation). We sat outside, looking out onto a rainy Kigali and enjoyed a cup of local coffee and a nice conversation with Charles. I think it surprised him that what so many people know about Rwanda is the genocide; no one seems to go further than 1994. He kept asking us to be ambassadors for the country - I don't think he needed to ask! It was great to share this last part of the day with Matt and Stacy too. We arrived together and we left together. I like those kinds of endings. (Bourbon Coffee's US website) This was the perfect way to end our visit.
Saying goodbye to Rwanda was very hard to do. There was so much to see and take in and experience. At one point Matt said that we need some new vocabulary to describe the experience. Words like amazing and beautiful and awesome seem sort of weak despite the fact that they're perfect ways to describe what we've seen and done this past week. Maybe I'll learn Kinyarwandan.
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