The drive from Lake Bunyonyi to Kigali is not all that long, and as we proceeded, I began to feel that odd mixture of sadness that the trip is over and I wouldn't be seeing my new friends again for a long time, if ever, and also of excitement at going home. We crossed the Uganda/Rwanda border like old pro's and proceeded through the gorgeous terraced hills, heading generally lower the farther we drove, through the tea fields and the farms and the villages, until the outskirts of Kigali became apparent.
My friends kept telling me about the special lunch we were going to have, but they didn't tell me much about the place, probably in case we couldn't get a table. We drove through some shady residential streets and into a driveway. A young woman met us as we got out of the vehicle and said "Welcome to Heaven!" and right away it was clear that we were in a VERY special place.
Heaven is a lovely restaurant built by an American couple shortly after the Genocide. They came to Rwanda to help re-build the country after the tragedy and stayed and raised a family there and built and ran a their restaurant. It is one of those rare places where one can immediately see that immense attention to detail has been always paid, both in the food offerings and the decor, not to mention collecting a fabulous staff.
As soon as we were seated, these wonderful complementary little avocado smoothies appeared at our plates, and Jackie and I went to work toasting each other right away. They were SO refreshing and tasty!
For a moment I am going to pretend to be a food/travel reviewer and post some photos of the offerings. They were so exceptional.
These were the chicken kabobs that Moses, Jackie, and Emma all enjoyed, and they
look wonderful
And these were the best fish tacos I'd ever had, and that includes the ones I make and am quite proud of. These were a work of art.
And here's us four travellers, from left to right, Moses, Emma, Jackie, and me. What a memorable meal.
They were selling the book about the owners' experience in Rwanda called A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda, written by the owner Josh Ruxin, at the restaurant, and I picked up a copy.
When I got home, I read it, and the Genocide seemed closer than it ever had while I was in Rwanda. Mr. Ruxin talks about the time a stranger showed up at the door--before the restaurant was even ready to be opened--and asked permission to dig in their parking lot. She had learned that her husband had been murdered in that very parking lot and wanted to exhume the remains so they could be laid to rest at the Genocide Center. Of course he gave her permission, and yes, indeed, her husband's bones were there. He learns of some of the terrible stories from other atrocities that happened in that bucolic, lovely neighborhood. Again, I marvelled that so much beauty and peace were resurrected from such a history--and in so short a time too.
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