City Guide: 5 ways to find your way around Kigali

Hi there lovely people.
I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last wrote on here.
So to compensate it here are some of the tips I have learnt throughout the year on how to go about knowing places around Kigali.

You can bond over your favorite cup of coffee or tea if you like.

1. Find locals and befriend them

It's no secret that in order to familiarize yourself it's wise to have a local take you around.
This might be tricky if you don't know people at first. But if you meet someone who you feel comfortable with don't hesitate to talk to them because you might learn a lot from them in your to understand the place. I must confess, the most places I have come to love and frequent is because of friends who directed me there or went with me to the particular place.

As hilly as it looks walking on foot can give you a better perspective of places.

2. Get walking

Walking has proven to be my most go-to solution when I am trying to know a place. First I do it for fitness, to distress and also to see things at slow pace when I am unhurried. Weekends for me sound just about right. I can squeeze in enough time and walk as far as my legs can take me on an aimless whim for sheer discovery or just purposefully walk to a new place I heard about.
Don't be fooled by the hills, I was surprised to find how short distances can be if only I give it a try.
A solo walk can help you learn about places in a longer time so sometimes if you have friends around the walk can be much more faster and less stressful if you intend to go further.

Get walking but keep your feet warm especially on cold days. This was taken on a hot lazy day. Comfy walking shoes would be an added advantage.

3. Online platforms help a lot sometimes

To be honest getting around is a lot easier when using social media. In the sense that when you ask using a hashtag such as #RWOT on Twitter you could get a substantially reasonable response or you could try Facebook. My best bet however on getting around using online is this website Living in Kigali. Honestly there is a chock-full of information going on there and if you are in a hurry and not planning a long stay in Kigali that could help you familiarize yourself with as many info you would need in one seating. However, you could go to a library or bookstore and read about places around although I am not sure if there is a lot out there written about Kigali so that's why I chose to stick with the online title as a safe bet. But hey, it's better to try and found out than just rule it out as if it were nonexistent.

Bus rides that are guided are a great way to learn deeper histories of a places.

4. Find out about guided tours

Another way I recently found out was going on community tours which are primarily based on walking. The tour guide gives you some history about the place, shows you places of that area and its environs for a fee. You could also use bus rides if you are running out of time and need to maximize and internalize as much as you would love to get. Guided tours are a great option if you want to learn facts and not miss out on the most obvious spots out there.

This view is so majestic! Also, it wasn't meant to be here but I just loved it and decided it should grace this blog.

5. Make use of Google Maps

When all else fails, although I doubt that could happen, give Google Maps a try. In all honesty, that trusty application has really made my life easier. Especially when directing someone gets a little too hard and the nitty-gritty details can be missed without an aide such as G-maps!

Of course there are other ways to traverse your way through this oh-so beautiful city but I chose these five quick ones I have learnt in just about a year of living here. Feel free to add other ideas you have learnt to find your way around the city.

That's it for now, until next time,
XO


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Ps: Pictures and words by me unless stated otherwise.

Nyanza Travel!

So recently I had a privilege to go to a place called Inyanza or Nyanza in the South of Rwanda. It has some history that, for a novice like me, I found quite fascinating and as usual I took to Snapchat to make my story flow(Though I had to take them in a hurry and a long the way, the phone battery went off on me! Sob sob!). Some pics however were taken by super awesome friend and extraordinary photog Cyril check his work out. Such a fun workmate. He booked our tickets and was there earlier than I did! Man he is a time keeper! Gotta respect a man of his kind that takes his work seriously!

As for me, I used a moto to reach the Nyabugogo bus park where all the buses across the country are situated (fun fact I learned from Cyril).

Sadly I didn't take road trip pictures because I was seated in the middle of the bus away from the windows but one thing is for sure, the drive was scenic. I was so full of oohs and aahs every turn of the road that Cyril had a laugh as we traversed the long winding and unwinding road! Suffice it to say that, I loved it! It was actually my first time out of Kigali when you remove the times I went to Kenya via Gatuna Road

So people, take a look at what really happened. The captions will speak for themselves so sit back and enjoy the photo ride! 

Oh, the moto is the quickest means to get anywhere plus they are safe if all rules are followed, such as wearing your helmet and such safety tips, to the letter.

That's our tour guide. He was so funny full of Rwandan jokes that had our group reeling in laughter.

That tree is called an umuvumu tree that wards evil spirits from entering the royal court.

Umuko w'umurinzi- another of the two trees that are at the entrance of the royal gates. The two trees had powers that protected the King from evil lookers and all that jazz.

Yup! That's the palace. Adorned with traditional masonry and artistic beautification, this beautiful house to me was a reminder of what Africans underwent to make their houses comfortable regardless of how it looked from the outside.  

Agasongero stick, the one at the top was owned by every house to show that a man lived in there and once he died, it was removed. The amashyoro sticks however symbolized the King's palace. Only the King had these two sticks to show sovereignty.

See that white semi-circle border? Well that is as written on the pic, no one was allowed to pass that place without permission. However, if one was strong enough to pass through the guards of that time and place his or her hands on that white part, he or she would be pardoned and the King would hear his or her plight.

Yup it is! I loved getting to know some weirdly amazing things I got to learn along the way... Keep checking below. The compound has 2 other houses behind the King's house that you will see a little later on.

This is compulsory, no one was allowed in with their shoes on back then. So we were asked to keep the tradition.

Man that ceiling was high! Duh, what do you expect with a King as tall as the ones Rwanda had?

Case in point... Man they shoulda been great basketballers! Image via Google.

On cold nights (basically all nights) this was lit up and men would talk all night till they fell asleep while women were in another room besides it chatting up as well. At some point the men would talk in hushed tones so that the women could not overhear their manly conversations.

OK! I just think King size beds was an inherent thing! I mean that bed was huge! Even though it was made traditionally it fit the exact measures of a true King size bed! We had to go around to see it because the sitting room entrance (where the men chatted all night) was solely the King's entrance to the bed. The queen and all who wanted to be with the King as he lay asleep(and in that case summoned to grace his presence) used this side. Also there was a royal singer of lullabies on stand by to sing until all the royals in that room were sound asleep.  Just so you know, those many baskets you see were meant to be clothes storage in other words wardrobes.

Quite humongous I must add!

Yeup that's where royal wine resided.

Man I cringed when the tour guide told us about this! Haha... As if Kings had no feelings! Lol... (Get it together Dee! Still laughing as I write this though!)

These surrounded the entire house just like walls that separate rooms in our modern day. I love the creativity here especially the curves and mat-like walls and poles in between give it an exquisite African ambiance even if it is centuries old!

So out we went to the next house in the compound. It had its own fence around it and it housed the royal milk. Of course it smells like milk because the cows(unbeknownst to me as of the time I captured this particular picture, milking was taking place in the next compound where the royal cows have their shelter.) 

These are the gourds that held the finest milk. One other interesting fact, the chosen virgin from around the Kingdom lived here until the King retired. She didn't have to be a royal per se but that she was a virgin with good standing.

That's like a whetstone for grinding flour and the likes. Man traditional days have me grateful of what we have now.

Well this is the final last house in the royal courts. The men would assemble here and the weakest who could not drink wine without stuttering was told to sit on the floor with the lowly as the strongest and mightiest of them all sat telling stories of triumph and valiance while sipping slowly on the wine only to give a tiny sip to those that sat on the floor. Here housed the chosen male virgin from the entire kingdom.

Oh yes they are! Look at those gigantic horns!

Traditionally called Inyambo these cows were the choicest of them all in their breed the two best(heifer and bull that is) were taken and their young ones continued their lineage. They had to be the best there is.

Ornaments on fleek! Whoever came up with such an idea! Pure genius. I mean, how could you miss the African touches all around you in this tour at all!

Cyril representing! Woop woop!

The cows get sung to every time. Man these cows definitely have a ball! 

Yeup! That thing stunk real bad! But for flies-free option we will let it slide.

How the fence has stayed so put like this still amazes me. Of course there are caretakers and maintenance people around so yeah, that's how the place stays at its best shape.

OK, that was meant for Snapchat people alone but I loved the entrance so much I had to include it here. See the blue hills in the background? How scenic can it get!

That caption on the pic isn't right I just came up with it to make me look cool on Snapchat... Lol... Unfounded foolery, anyway that was gifted to that king up there because he collaborated with the colonizers amicably. Gotta love peaceful rulers!

Yeup. it goes without saying.

 I learned that we weren't supposed to take pics while inside a little later on but these were too cool not to share!

The territory already conquered by the royal army. 

Fleek

Outside the Kings palace, miles away to be exact a man-made lake gives Nyanza its agricultural life. How cool bruh!

These next pics are from The Big Man Cyril!

Inside the traditional palace, yeehaaa! FYI that is the corridor where the female royals used during the night.

Trying to be brave touching those humongous horns. Deep inside I was about to run! Thanks to the side kick Cyril I managed to be composed or not. You be the judge...

Oh man I look like I am about to scream or something! When it turned around I almost run for my life. But good thing is that these cows are people friendly. You pat it and you are besties. Cyril got that memo earlier than I did but it's alright. It was fun while it lasted. I am now confident that I can meticulously pat it if given a second chance... Ha! Who am I kidding!

Me and my paraphernalia getting all the breeze in because the leeward of that lake was uber HOT! I think I turned darker afterwards. JK

What pictorial ends without a selfie?

And another selfie to crown it all! 

I absolutely had fun doing this! It was a pleasure to get assigned to do this awesome trip. Actually the entire event was a tour of the area dubbed, "Nyanza Twataramye" a cultural event that seeks to explore tradition at it's best. This time though the mayor chose to mash it up with an investment platform so guys from across all walks of life to see the opportunities there. And as a journalist that is why i got assigned to be there in the first place! Thank God for my super duper boss, she just rocks!

So we toured the small but vast in history Nyanza District. First up was the Palace of course, then we went to Nyanza Milk Industries-the oldest of its kind in the country then we went to the man-made lake that is extremely deep and serves a lot of the hilly Nyanza surroundings with an irrigation scheme all yearlong. The place is quite scenic plus there are renovations taking place around the town and further down the dusty roads, which is impressive if I may say so. One thing a hippie can invest in that tradition chock-full environment is real estate, their plan is quite sleek and classy. With that we went back to the town in the buses specially rented for that event, there we headed to the Nyanza Museum Gardens for a luncheon organized by our hosts. It was quite sumptuous, you know how Rwanda is obsessed with buffets- spoilt for choice. For a gourmet, that's a plus but health freaks we keep our eye open for them health hazards out there. Food chat aside, we missed the highlight of the entire festival. Bummer! But we had other plans so we just left after the briefings and interviews were 'almost' done.

So we took a ride back home hearts content. It takes two hours to drive there and two hours back! But I think were it not for the chat we had along the ride I wouldda slept all the way back. Gotta appreciate people who take their time and give you a chance to let your guard down and give your heartiest of laughs in the process! I am so grateful. Couldn't have had it any other way! Bless up! Thanks for scrolling through with me, hope you learned a thing or two about my culture.

A few other pictures that didn't get the cut up there...

Cool quick fact: These arrows are a collection of arrows hand-made to pay homage to the late King who loved arrows for they protective nature. The number is sure to grow as that is how passionate the King was about arrows! Come to think of it I have used the word arrows I think I will watch the series arrows tonight! I digress...

It is the only surviving thing in her room. All the other stuff were taken during the genocide period. Sad.

These flowers adorned the luncheon that we were hosted for.

With this beautiful flowers who needs a food picture? Lol... Ion, the food was yum!

When they are sang to, these cows are in a euphoric state man! Cool beans!

The End!