Dio Mass College Pilgrims: We've Reached Rwanda! It's Time!

Some of our group, just arrived at Kigali International Airport!

Greetings Fellow Pilgrims!

After two plane rides (a long Boston to Amsterdam and a longer Amsterdam to Kigali) with a total travel time of almost 24 hours, we arrived in balmy Kigali this evening! We deboarded the plane around 7:30 p.m. Central African Time, which is 2 hours ahead (+2) of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); in comparison, Boston is 5 hours behind UTC (-5). When we stepped onto the tarmac to cross into the Kigali International Airport, we were greeted warmly by The Rev. Philbert Kalisa and the REACH Rwanda staff. Walking to the bus, we saw palm trees and hibiscus bushes, and we smelled the fragrance of other flowering plants that we hope to identify tomorrow in the morning light. Kigali, a modern city of about 4 million, was hopping tonight as we rode our bus through the city past the soccer field where two national teams were playing to a packed crowd. Once we got to the Center for Unity and Peace, we found our rooms and were treated to a delightful and tasty dinner, courtesy of our hosts at REACH Rwanda.

We are very tired and stinky tonight after our travels, so we aren't writing much. We are, however, including photographs below for your enjoyment. They follow us across the world to here. Tomorrow, we'll be going to the Kigali Holocaust Museum, and we will surely have much to reflect upon after that.

Here are our photographs, courtesy of Kevin Johnson, Annalise Nielson, Brandy Purcell, and Liz Peter. I upload them for your viewing pleasure to the sounds of some of our group singing beautiful bedtime songs that echo through the hallway of the guesthouse where we are staying. It is so lovely against the quiet of the Kigali night.

Peace be with you all,
Shan Overton, Boston College graduate student