A heavy fog hangs above the city that I can’t figure out if it is fog or pollution. My uneducated guess would be both. Al Gore’s message has not quite hit here yet and as I experience the sites of the city with our appointed driver Paul (who looks 18 but is 35) holding my breath when a truck passes leaving behind it a trail of black smoke as evil and mysterious as the elusive smoke monster from LOST, I realize that emissions and global warming are not high on the priority list. Since arriving here I have poured overwhelming amounts of bottled water down my throat feeling slightly guilty that they will not be recycled and never fully hydrated by soothing liquid. The air is dry and I am getting used to it but feel on the edge of headache most days. Every morning Ian and I cover our selves in sunscreen and bug spray. It smells lovely. Our toxic chemical smell is a stark contrast to the pungent smell of sweaty unwashed bodies that loves to sneak up on you and slap you in face when you least expect it. This too I am getting used to but every once in awhile I feel the sting as it hits my nostrils and gasp slightly trying to hold my breath and breath out at the same time.

Rwanda is a clean and dusty city that hides well the destruction that was rampant here less than 20 years ago. Yesterday I visited the Genocide Memorial in the centre of the city located on one of their many hills that create a stunning and interesting landscape. Also creates a difficult driving atmosphere as the cars are mostly old and seem to die frequently having no regard for on coming traffic. Luckily Rwandans are not aggressive drivers. Phew! I knew the story of the genocide, mainly from reviews and all the buzz of Hotel Rwanda, but was not prepared for the immense evil of the event. The memorial does a great job of communicating from a personal view point the horrifying details of those 100 days and the contributing years of propaganda that lead an alarming group of people to murder without hesitation their friends and families. The exhibitions lead me to ask and wonder how can we stop this from happening again. There have been too many, the Holocaust, Bosnia, Cambodia, Armenia, and Rwanda to know the signs.

Check out the memorial website http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org and read some of the stories of the survivors. Hopefully it will give you a heart for the people for Rwanda and genocide survivors around the world.