Rwanda – 132nd Country
Rwanda – 132nd Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Rwanda is my 132nd country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Rwanda is another landlocked country in East Africa. Around 12 million people make their home here with approximately 10% living in the capital of Kigali. Sadly, Rwanda is best defined by its brutal 100-day genocide in 1994. The Hutu, the majority ethnic group, decimated nearly 10% of the country’s population, mostly the minority ethnic group, the Tutsi. A couple of million people were displaced having them scurry to neighboring countries. Since the genocide, the country has gone through an extended healing period. Rwanda has made giant strides under President Paul Kagame including everything from offering universal healthcare and having a monthly day of community service. I crossed into Rwanda overland and headed to Kigali. I spent a couple of days in the capital learning about the [...]
Uganda – 131st Country
Uganda – 131st Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Uganda is my 131st country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Uganda is a landlocked country bordered by giant Lake Victoria on the south. Forty-five million people are crammed into the East African nation. Uganda became part of the UK in 1894, and then won its independence in 1962. Uganda has had a chaotic history with governments being overthrown and civil wars. Larger than life, Idi Amin ruled during the 1970s with many losing their lives. Currently, Yoweri Museveni holds the office of the presidency which he took in 1986. I spent eleven days exploring Uganda. I spent my first night in Entebbe (where the international airport is located) on Lake Victoria. Then I spent the next several days exploring the hectic capital of Entebbe. Then the rest of the time was spent road tripping across the country to the Rwandan [...]
Visiting The Nyamirambo Women’s Center In Kigali
Visiting Nyamirambo Women's Center. Eighteen women banded together in 2007. Their goal was to empower local women in the community and address gender-based inequality and discrimination. Today, over 50 women in this Kigali neighborhood are living better and richer lives. Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC) offers community-based tours, including neighborhood walks, cooking classes, and a weaving workshop. Other women are also employed making local wares which can be purchased in their store. And NWC offers workshops on women’s rights, literacy, computer, and weaving courses. Rwanda was home to a vicious and tragic genocide which wiped out nearly 10% of its population in 1994. A movement began after the genocide to promote fairness between the genders. In fact in Rwanda, more women are represented in parliament than any other country in the world. Overall, Rwanda is ranked top five on the continent in gender equality. NWC is one example of the country moving in the right direction. Check out my tour and agenda with G Adventures. I was invited by G Adventures to [...]
Learning About The Rwandan Genocide In Kigali Rwanda
Learning About Rwandan Genocide Kigali Rwanda. The streets are so clean. There are neatly painted curbs demarcating the sidewalks. I fixated on the center line dividing the road as my car rumbled across the pavement. I was fascinated and impressed. I recently spent 3 weeks in Western Africa and the word that comes to mind is chaos. But here in Rwanda, everything seems to be so … well put together. Yet, Rwanda, was savaged by a brutal genocide which decimated the country. In a 100-day period in 1994, up to 1,000,000 Rwandans were murdered by their family, friends, and neighbors. Its estimated that 70% of the Tutsi population was wiped out in less than four months. This is a horrific low-tech killing machine with an average of 10,000 people killed a day, often with just a machete. At the time of the genocide, Hutus controlled the government, military and police, and comprised approximately 85% of the population. Tutsis made up less than the remainder. A sobering sign at immigration Rwanda, to me was a [...]
Thor Pedersen … left home in October of 2013 to travel the world without taking any flights
Thor Pedersen … left home in October of 2013 to travel the world without taking any flights Thor has traveled to 173 countries On today’s episode, I welcome back Thor Pedersen to Counting Countries. Thor is on a mission to see every country in the world with several caveats; no airplane flights, at least 24 hours in every country, and will not return home until the mission is finished. Before I introduce Thor, I am reminding you that Counting Countries is now partnered with Patreon. Patreon is a platform that allows patrons, that’s you, to support creators, and that is me creating Counting Countries. I have been extremely fortunate to be be able to create this podcast and be able to meet so many interesting and compelling travelers, but I have also spent a tremendous amount of time and some money creating this podcast. So for example, some benefits are extended interviews. Some Patrons are able to listen to an exclusive additional 20 minute interview with last month’s guest, Petro. Or a five minute update from [...]
Wat Pan Tao Ceremony
Wat Pan Tao Ceremony. The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is the home of hundreds of Buddhist temples. A visitor can spend several days cycling and visiting these diverse temples in this ancient walled city. There is so much to see and do in northern Thailand, check out these Chiang Mai tours. One temple of note is Wat Pan Tao. It resides within the old city and dates back to the 19th century. It is carved from teak wood and had been previously part of the royal palace. Wat Pan Tao is an attractive temple, yet you would not recall it to be a highlight from a trip to Chiang Mai. Unless you were fortunate enough to visit the temple during the festival of Yi Peng and Loi Krathong. And why is that? Loi Krathong which translates to “float a basket” and takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (typically November). It is somewhat difficult to plan your visit, since the dates changes every [...]
