On the border of the Congo -- Jasmyne

Today was an adventurous one! This morning we left Musanze and headed to Gisenyi, which is a town that is about 45 minutes away. When we first
arrived, we toured the city a little. The coolest part of this tour was finding out we were so close to the Democratic Republic of Congo's border. Since we, as Americans, aren't allowed to travel to this country, it was exciting to get the chance to get near the border.

Upon approaching the border, we saw many Rwandans and Congolese crossing back and forth and interacting with each other. Many of them were
selling fruits, vegetables, and other goods. Besides seeing all the people everywhere, it was interesting to the difference between the two countries. Just a few feet across the border, you could see that the streets, houses, land, etc. were completely different! The houses on the Congo side were in poor condition and were placed very close together. The roads were not paved at all; just dirt and rocks. This was strange because there was a nice road going from Rwanda up to the border of the Congo, then it just
stopped. It was a complete change from what was going on a few feet
before. It was obvious there is a high level of poverty within that
country.

I would one day like to visit the Congo to see more of the city so I can get a better picture of what the entire country looks like. Although, just seeing the huge differences between the two cities gave me a great appreciation from Rwanda and all the hard work they do to advance their country. This was one of the most memorable things we encountered today. :)