Observations about Burundi

  • Burundi has experienced a similar history to Rwanda. They were both German then Belgian colonies, and both have experienced civil wars and ethnic violence along Hutu-Tutsi lines.
  • The violence in Burundi continued until very recently, with the last rebel group laying down its arms in 2008.
  • Burundi is the most francophone of the East African countries. French is spoken widely and English is rare.
  • There are very few tourists in Burundi. We spent several days in the capital city Bujumbura, and only saw a handful of other Caucasians.
  • The roads of the capital city are mostly unpaved, turning them into a muddy mess when it rains.
  • The people of Burundi were very friendly and helpful, and seemed glad to have us there.
    Burundi claims to be the place where Stanley found Dr. Livingstone in 1871 and uttered the famous words, “Dr. Livingstone I presume?”

Related Post

One thought on “Observations about Burundi

  1. Hi Patrick and Diane,
    I never doubted the accuracy of your blogs…but I am now convinced that you ARE eternal optimists. Huge life experience and adventure aside…I hope you have made reservations at the Wikinninish (sp?) Inn for a much deserved stay with spa treatments, delicious food, wine AND beer! Stay safe and thanks for the updates!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.