My bags are packed; I'm ready to go...
Welcome to the 2016 travel blog starting in Prague, Czech republic. I have been away for just over 3 months thus, this is a meeting of two worlds. I started my journey 14 Aug at 10:00 AM from my deployed location. I travelled with Mikaela, a Swedish police officer and friend I met through the United Nations. We loaded up into a 'trusted taxi' and head through the Rwandan mountains to Kigali.
We arrived in Kigali and had the luxury of time so we decided to explore the dark history of the country at the Camp Kigali Belgium Memorial Museum. The site dedicated to the 10 Belgium Peacekeeping soldiers that were assigned to protect the home of the Prime Minster of Rwanda. They were rounded up at the beginning of the 1994 genocide and murdered by Hutu extremists in order to provoke a withdrawal of the UN from Rwanda; we all know what was to follow.
We had a few hours to pass before our flights and spent them pool side at Hotel des Mille Collins. This paradise hotel was popularized by its roll in the genocide, Romeo Dallaire and the movie Hotel Rwanda. We enjoyed the sun, cold beer and a delicious buffet.
By this time, my parents, Josie and Louis; and Tim were off to the Winnipeg Airport. We were able to have a poor quality FaceTime conversation to express our excitement that our vacation was about to start. Although I had already been gone several hours, they would arrive a few hours before me.
I arrived to the Kigali Airport a few hour before my flight, helped Mikaela find her boarding line and settled in at the coffee shop for a late night snack. Once my check in was opened I moved my way through security and into the VIP lounge for a beer. It was a quiet place to spend my time with only 3 people there, probably a sign of the cost ($30 was a great value to me, but a lot of money in Africa).
I first flew to Entebbe, Uganda (short layover in the airplane) and then to Istanbul, Turkey. Following the recent attempted coup, there were concerns over safety in Istanbul; however the only danger I found was over indulging in beer and missing my flight. Happily, neither happened.
Tim and my parents travelled via Toronto (small delay for an unruly passenger) and arrived to Prague at about 7 am. Tim obsessively researched the trip which was a lot of help. They easily checked their bags in storage for the day and headed off to downtown. They passed time walking around the Old Town Square, Wesela Square and the streets (and market) around our apartment. They got the keys around noon, and headed back to the airport to pick me up (dad took a nap).
After a bit of a wait for luggage, we had a meeting of two worlds. It is impossible to describe the feeling of seeing the love of you life after 3 months of separation! I may have shed a tear or two.
We were all tired after 24 hours of travel, but we mustered the effort to get some groceries. Although we are not doing the trip on the cheap, we are going to make some meals in our apartment. Tonight we made caprese salad, bolognaise pasta and garlic bread. Yum! I'm sure the food at restaurants is good, but with food like this, we are not missing out.
Although we were all tired, we went out for a walk. There are two things immediately apparent: the city is incredibly beautiful and draws a lot of tourists. Focusing on the former, the streets are paved with cobblestone and the architecture is stunning. All the buildings are adorned with statues either constructed of stone or iron. Walking along the Vltava river we enjoyed the views, shops and people watching. We happily got lost in the narrow cobblestone streets near the Old Town Square.
