Memorable People in Rwanda (Part 1)

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be revisiting past international travels like I did in the entry entitled "A Picture Paints a Thousand Words." As I mentioned in that post, the trip to Rwanda was only 3 1/2 days and 4 nights, but the memories I collected there will live on forever. The places we visited and friendly people made the whole trip unforgettable.

My husband, Darren, and I met wonderful people like Greg Bakunzi, the owner of the eco-tourism company Amahoro Tours. The moment we met Greg, at the Gregoire Kayibanda Airport in Kigali, there was an instant connection. During the two-hour drive to the Mountain Gorillas Nest lodge in Kinigi, we chatted it up with Greg about everything from food and religion to politics and our personal lives. When we told Greg how excited we were to sample the local cuisine, he eventually invited us to dine with him in his home and gave me the honor of helping cook the Rwandese meal.

It was great getting to know Greg who felt comfortable enough to share intimate details of his life with us. Greg didn't grow up in Rwanda, but in a refugee camp in Uganda where his parents fled during the 1959 revolution. He moved to his native Rwanda with nothing - no money, no possessions - after the 1994 genocide, brimming with hope to start anew. Eventually, he built up his eco-tourism company which has been very successful.

Through Amahoro we visited villages and interacted with the locals. We also had an opportunity to visit an orphanage where we spent a good amount of time playing with the children. Greg and his guides gave us an understanding and appreciation of Rwanda's culture, heritage, history and people - an experience that went above and beyond what I expected. And, one that I will always cherish.