Moving on to the small central African country of Rwanda, we spent a week getting to know life in the bustling city of Kigali. While the country typically brings to mind images of war-torn conflict and genocide, Rwanda is quietly becoming a cultural and economic hub for east Africa, while still keeping a somewhat stable peace with militants in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Urban middle-class sprawl and slums dot the “land of a thousand hills”, as Rwanda is often known.

Crowded marketplaces and eager moto-taxi drivers in Kigali

One of the students we would run across every day on our way to the market from the nearby Sainte Famille Christian academy

Names from the memorial wall dedicated to the victims of the Rwandan Genocide of the Tutsi people in 1994

The Genocide Museum is very much a sacred place in Rwanda and is only one of many memorials throughout the country.

The actual wreckage of the plane, carrying then-president Juvenal Habyarimana, which was shot down as part of an assassination.

Avocado salad–one of our favorite Rwandan side dishes!

Dinner and drinks with our newest friend, Gisele. Thanks for everything, Gisele! We had lots of fun!