After a few weeks of sniping and backbiting, it was nice to see myWanderlust get back to what it is good at this week with a thought-provoking experience from ColinO about Rwanda and an ethical debate on the Forum that was robust but never personal.
If you haven’t read Colin’s piece, do it now. I visited Rwanda just before the genocide. When I crossed the border from Uganda I was hassled by a border official with a biography of Hitler on his desk. I thought it was weird at the time. After the killing started, I knew it had been a sign.
I got no inkling of what lay ahead during my travels in Rwanda. I stayed in the churches that were later desecrated. I joked with the soldiers that would commit the atrocities. And watched as kids joyfully collected grasshoppers attracted to the street lights at dusk, without realising that their world was about to be turned upside down.
On a lighter note, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Khaoyalandbeyond’s tales of their gap year at 40. We’ve been treated to three parts so far; here’s hoping there will be more to come.
Speaking of Khaoyalandbeyond, it is their post on begging that has created the biggest debate on the Forum this week. Should you give? Wade in and have your say here.
Elsewhere on the Forum, myWanderlusters are busy planning their journeys in the year ahead and need your help. Louisepeasy is considering travelling around Morocco on her own. Hmoat01 wants advice on going solo in Sri Lanka. And mijb needs to know what to expect on Lake Baikal in March. Help them all here.
Over at Just Back From, seanclarke is telling anyone who will listen that he saw a leopard every single day he spent in the Masai Mara. The Bogtrotter is raving about Petra by candlelight. And RedNikki swam with the fishes at Ningaloo in Western Australia. Closer to home, Kevin Hayden had good things to say about Dublin, DeborahCater was disappointed to find Exeter cathedral under scaffolding and Bilbo_Baggins enjoyed a snowy North Norfolk. She's got the pictures to prove it too.
While you’re over at the Photography section, make sure you check out BrunoScarnlet’s gallery from Peru. And Khaoyalandbeyond’s stunning pics from Southern Laos. Travmaz has posted a brilliant selection of images from Iceland, as has superapple, who has bestowed not one, not two, but three galleries from Iceland.
Finally, don’t miss resident architecture buff Steve 48’s slideshow of Interesting street furniture from around the world.
The highest recommendation I can give it is that it does what it says on the tin.
