Thu 16 Oct
Kibuye lakeside looked lovely but I had already had my "day off" and was keen to keep going. Reluctantly I checked out and wandered up to the bus station. Luckily I found there was one taking the old mountain road (vaguely parallel to the lakeshore) up to Gisenyi. It wouldn't be leaving for several hours so I went and got my sandals mended and went to look at the genocide memorial (it seems there's one in every town).

In Rwanda most people wore western clothes. Those with office jobs wore suits, ties, or top-shop tops. Poorer folk almost entirely wore second-hand clothes (from the west). They have big markets here where people BUY the clothes that presumably westerners DONATED to charity shops, often buying a shirt for its colour or picture with little idea of what it portrays; "Caldwell family reunion 2001" amused me. Though when the local kitenge fabric is used it tends to be made into quite elaborate dresses and shirts. These wares are often displayed on Caucasian manikins. Wellington boots are popular too, and rucsacs.

We no sooner set off and we had a torrential downpour; made for interesting driving through the mountains many hairpin bends, stunning views, occasionally of Lake Kivu. The rivers very heavy with silt and the main river (provincial border) was dramatically flooding surrounding smallholdings. The minibus driver was kind enough to drop me at the lakeside Regina guesthouse.