GISENYI

I cannot believe it is the end of February and I still haven’t told you about February the 18th! What do you mean, you didn’t know it was Pam’s birthday?! I’ve been planning it since the second week we got here…well the coffee ice cream bit at least. As it turned out, the coffee ice cream was the only bit of the day that remained a surprise…the rest leaked out little by little, through necessity and excitement! Well, 18th Feb was a Sunday, so we had to go to church first, but this turned out to be a good thing, because we had written to the headteacher of Sonrise School to ask if we could take Munana and Justus – two of the pupils that Pam is closest to – with us on the trip we were planning, but he had refused his permission. The only circumstances he would allow them out of school, even on a Sunday, was for a burial, and since that definitely wasn’t part of the birthday plan, it turned out to be a non-starter! So, because they had been so disappointed that we couldn’t get them out of school, we promised to sit and have cake with them after the service before we left for Gisenyi. We have also promised to take another trip there during their school holidays, so that we can take them with us. Hopefully we won’t have hit the rainy season by then!

Anyway, so we set off – a motley crew by all accounts – the random people that we had managed to collect together included Tracy and myself, Sue, Pastor Justin and of course the birthday girl herself. We had asked so many people that we were expecting to take two car loads, but one by one they fell through, until we didn’t even have enough to fill one car! Nathan had a short notice function to attend for the Bishop, so he didn’t come and neither could any of the rest of his family…apart from the ones that were already living in Gisenyi. Sue and PJ went and picked up Nelson (Nathan’s oldest brother) and Solange (Nelson’s wife) and Mercy and Melissa (the two-year old and baby) while Pam, Tracy and I put down a rug on the beach by the lake and started to unpack the picnic. It was a gorgeously sunny day by this point, so Pam and I went down to the lake to paddle…meanwhile poor Tracy was mobbed by locals all interested in helping themselves to our picnic and at one point Pam’s handbag…at which point Tracy apparently screamed and they backed off. Pam and I continued to paddle oblivious! We weren’t very long, but when we got back we had to pack things up and shoo the crowds away with a big stick…it was awful – they were all just standing staring at us, because we were Musungus. The children weren’t so bad, but the full grown adults who just stood and stared – it was disconcerting. Some of them moved away if you stared straight back, some of them moved when I turned my camera on them…and some had to be shooed! When the others finally arrived, and we had some Rwandans among our number, we decided it was best to move, and went through the hotel next door and onto their private beach, buying their drinks for the privilege. It was the best move we had made all day! We had a lovely picnic, and then Pam and I took Mercy down to the water – we had such fun playing with her! We also talked about bringing our children on trips to Gisenyi when Tubakunde is up and running…it really would be amazing to be here…I’m not sure I’m going to resist the urge to return…

Anyway, the time had arrived for a swim…those of you who know me, will know that there was no way I was going to stay out of that Lake! (By the way, for anyone geographically interested, it is Lake Kivu.) In retrospect I possibly shouldn’t have changed into my costume in front of the Pastor…but I thought that I would be alright doing it all under a towel!! I didn’t notice but apparently he didn’t know where to look! Pam and Tracy both swam too – it was really warm actually. And we found half a grapefruit floating past that passed for a tennis ball, and smelt a lot nicer! We had great fun…and weren’t eaten by a single piranha or leech (for which Tracy was very grateful I think!) In fact at one point I accidentally gulped a whole mouthful of water and had no ill effects.

Well, all good things must come to an end, and we departed Gisenyi and returned along the bumpy road back to Ruhengeri to arrive when it was still light and in good time for coffee ice cream at Sue’s house – made in her ice cream maker (which we were introduced to in our second week, at which point Pam mentioned coffee ice cream and I took notes ready for 18th Feb!!)

So despite Nathan’s sudden commitment and people dropping out left, right and centre, the day was a great success and a good time was had by all. We’re off to Gisenyi again on Sunday with the Magnificent Seven…see next entry!