Well, while I’m keeping you in suspense about Dachanger Clive I think I’ll tell you about our little holiday last week. It is the first time that either of us has stopped work since we got here, so because the schools had broken up for Easter we decided to make the most of Tracy’s freedom and take a little trip down the country to Cyangugu (pronounced chang-goo-goo). When I say “little trip” I actually mean a two hour bus to Kigali, followed by a five hour bus down to Cyangugu! Fortunately the landscape kept us entertained and we even saw seven monkeys as we drove through the National Park near the end of the trip! And we were also entertained by a fantastic array of music, at top volume, so that whilst we were glad to have been given the front seats for the view and the legroom we were also deafened by our proximity to the speakers!
Anyway, we decided the journey had been well worth it, when we arrived at the Anglican Guest House and were shown to our room which overlooked a most impressive vista of Lake Kivu and beyond to the Congo the other side (see left). It took me a good few days to realise that this is in fact the same lake we have been swimming in at Gisenyi, and that it is massive and runs down the side of the country! For some reason it is much warmer by the time it gets to Cyangugu…though I can’t understand why…I suppose Cyangugu is much hotter than Ruhengeri – I think it is lower, and also seems to get less rain.
We were both exhausted when we got there, so the first proper (non-travelling) day we spent just lying in the sun outside our room, reading and admiring the view, and then going for a swim in the lake. This was quite a trek actually, because we had to go up the reception to collect a key for a massive gate which lead to a path down the hill and eventually to a jetty that you could swim off. It had been quite amusing the first day, because a boy was sent to show us how to get down to it, and also told to demonstrate how to swim!! We had explained to him that now we knew where it was, we had to go and fetch our swimming costumes, and by the time we got back he had somehow decided that we were asking for life jackets, and had managed to procure them for us! We explained that we could in fact swim, but he only seemed satisfied once I had jumped off the end of the jetty and swum half a length of the lake (well, not quite…it is immense!) It turned out that the most difficult bit was getting back out of the water – of course, two musungus swimming was of great interest, so we had a fair crowd of people around, all of whom were keen to help, but having watched Tracy having help to get out and scraping her leg up the wood as a result, I was far more keen to manage myself, and declined the outstretched arm dangling in my face!
On the second day, we walked along the road into the main town – there were beautiful lakeside views all the way along and when we got there it was like an old fishing village from a film. Everyone was hard at work, piling up coal and loading up boats. We walked further with an aim to get to the border, which we did – though we couldn’t cross it because we didn’t have our passports, not to mention the fact that an otherwise very nice man who was chatting with us, told us in no-uncertain terms that he wouldn’t let us cross because we wouldn’t be safe. So, we had coffee at the Hotel du Lac at about 10.30am, which quickly became lunch at about 11.30am – it was lovely sitting in the sun, looking at the lake, discussing our future plans (you’ll be unsurprised to learn that despite incalculable hours mulling, I am no further on with my future plans…though Rwanda is definitely a feature in them! Tracy, on the other hand, has a much clearer idea of what her future should entail…and it most certainly doesn’t involve marrying one of the many many Rwandan men that keep proposing to her – see entry entitled ‘Cattle Market’ to come.) In the evening we ate at the Guest House again, which in general served good food…although on this occasion I waited over two hours for some soup which arrived looking like someone had sneezed into a bowl… and sadly, tasting like it too. During the two hour wait we had taught the hotel manager to play cards…and it was only after several rounds of rummy that she asked had we not yet eaten…and we said we had ordered an hour and a half ago. She investigated for us and said the staff had been in a meeting…good timing we thought!!
Anyway, we decided the journey had been well worth it, when we arrived at the Anglican Guest House and were shown to our room which overlooked a most impressive vista of Lake Kivu and beyond to the Congo the other side (see left). It took me a good few days to realise that this is in fact the same lake we have been swimming in at Gisenyi, and that it is massive and runs down the side of the country! For some reason it is much warmer by the time it gets to Cyangugu…though I can’t understand why…I suppose Cyangugu is much hotter than Ruhengeri – I think it is lower, and also seems to get less rain.We were both exhausted when we got there, so the first proper (non-travelling) day we spent just lying in the sun outside our room, reading and admiring the view, and then going for a swim in the lake. This was quite a trek actually, because we had to go up the reception to collect a key for a massive gate which lead to a path down the hill and eventually to a jetty that you could swim off. It had been quite amusing the first day, because a boy was sent to show us how to get down to it, and also told to demonstrate how to swim!! We had explained to him that now we knew where it was, we had to go and fetch our swimming costumes, and by the time we got back he had somehow decided that we were asking for life jackets, and had managed to procure them for us! We explained that we could in fact swim, but he only seemed satisfied once I had jumped off the end of the jetty and swum half a length of the lake (well, not quite…it is immense!) It turned out that the most difficult bit was getting back out of the water – of course, two musungus swimming was of great interest, so we had a fair crowd of people around, all of whom were keen to help, but having watched Tracy having help to get out and scraping her leg up the wood as a result, I was far more keen to manage myself, and declined the outstretched arm dangling in my face!
On the second day, we walked along the road into the main town – there were beautiful lakeside views all the way along and when we got there it was like an old fishing village from a film. Everyone was hard at work, piling up coal and loading up boats. We walked further with an aim to get to the border, which we did – though we couldn’t cross it because we didn’t have our passports, not to mention the fact that an otherwise very nice man who was chatting with us, told us in no-uncertain terms that he wouldn’t let us cross because we wouldn’t be safe. So, we had coffee at the Hotel du Lac at about 10.30am, which quickly became lunch at about 11.30am – it was lovely sitting in the sun, looking at the lake, discussing our future plans (you’ll be unsurprised to learn that despite incalculable hours mulling, I am no further on with my future plans…though Rwanda is definitely a feature in them! Tracy, on the other hand, has a much clearer idea of what her future should entail…and it most certainly doesn’t involve marrying one of the many many Rwandan men that keep proposing to her – see entry entitled ‘Cattle Market’ to come.) In the evening we ate at the Guest House again, which in general served good food…although on this occasion I waited over two hours for some soup which arrived looking like someone had sneezed into a bowl… and sadly, tasting like it too. During the two hour wait we had taught the hotel manager to play cards…and it was only after several rounds of rummy that she asked had we not yet eaten…and we said we had ordered an hour and a half ago. She investigated for us and said the staff had been in a meeting…good timing we thought!!
On the third day we went on an incredibly long walk to the upper village, which was busier and less ‘quaint’ than the lower, and as a result slightly more daunting, but we pottered, ended up in a market where the smell of fish was overpowering, and then started a long hot descent down to the lower village where we had been the day before. The thought of lunch at the Hotel du Lac was the only think that kept me going, especially when the heavens opened and we were soaked by a very heavy downpour that lasted long enough to drench us from top to bottom. When we arrived at our old haunt, the hotel manager looked us up and down, and offered us a room to change in…which we declined, because as yet we are not in the habit of carrying around a change of clothes – though if the rainy season finally arrives we might have to think about it! Pam said that the rainy seasoned had arrived in Ruhengeri while we had been away, but since we have been back there hasn’t been any rain at all (not that I’m complaining!)
Our last day dawned early, if not so bright…at 5am! It was possibly the worst day of the month for me (my female friends should sympathise here…) and so not the best day for being crammed on a bus – on a back seat meant for four people with five squeezed onto it…for five hours!! There was a good half an hour - after we had all been thrown off by the police while they checked the boot for illegal monkey smuggling (we think…) and then all piled back in again - in which I only had one buttock in contact with the seat, and the other half way up the side of the bus, and my arm out of the window! Well, we made it to Kigali anyway, were met by Nathan’s brother Ebon who took us to collect our passports with renewed visas and then we mounted the bus for the last leg of the journey…I was also on my last legs by now. I should point out at this point that we had been and done a bit of shopping for Pam, and one of the items we had purchased was a lettuce in a particularly sturdy bag. I remember thinking when we bought it that it really was a ridiculously sturdy plastic bag for a lettuce, and that you could in fact keep live fish in it if necessary.
Anyway, so we were on the bus and I started to feel a bit faint, so I leant forward – I’ve never fainted in my life, so I wasn’t expecting to actually do it. Then, however, I started to feel sick…and vomiting is something that I have done in my life, and probably more times here than in the whole of the rest of my life put together! I woke up Tracy and told her to take the lettuce out of the bag, only to be asked, “You’re not seriously hungry enough to eat a lettuce leaf?” My reply filled the bag. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience which I wish never to repeat! The bus made an unexpected stop at a toilet block where I have NEVER known them stop before…I have a feeling that news of the musungu with the bag that needed to be dropped off somewhere had reached the driver, though I can’t be sure – no-one said a word to me. Well, I was lucky enough to make it home with no further repeats, but I was very sick once I got home…which in one way was a relief, because it meant I had a bug rather than late-onset travel sickness…but in another way wasn’t because I had been so looking forward to getting home and seeing people, Pam especially, and they came round for dinner which I could not partake in. I was also confined to my bed the next day, while Tracy did all my PAing duties…she’s even tidied up all Pam’s Microsoft word files so I can’t find anything now! Ruthless efficiency wins the day…I should have got round to doing it when I had the chance!
Well, you’ll be glad to know that it only lasted 24hours and then I was right as rain – but none of you will be as glad as I was! Jill assures me that when I have lived here for twenty-five years I will have become immune to all these bugs (I very rarely get sick in England – even when I eat yoghurt that I have made myself in the airing cupboard and forgotten about for a couple of weeks so that it is almost cheese – so I cannot understand this sudden propensity to vomit!)
I have rambled on long enough, but I hope the pictures that I have punctuated the rambling with have helped you reach the end of this entry…I do promise to be shorter next time! Oh, and before you go, seeing as no-one has guessed correctly yet…here is another Dachanger Clive hint (but only a small one!):
Our last day dawned early, if not so bright…at 5am! It was possibly the worst day of the month for me (my female friends should sympathise here…) and so not the best day for being crammed on a bus – on a back seat meant for four people with five squeezed onto it…for five hours!! There was a good half an hour - after we had all been thrown off by the police while they checked the boot for illegal monkey smuggling (we think…) and then all piled back in again - in which I only had one buttock in contact with the seat, and the other half way up the side of the bus, and my arm out of the window! Well, we made it to Kigali anyway, were met by Nathan’s brother Ebon who took us to collect our passports with renewed visas and then we mounted the bus for the last leg of the journey…I was also on my last legs by now. I should point out at this point that we had been and done a bit of shopping for Pam, and one of the items we had purchased was a lettuce in a particularly sturdy bag. I remember thinking when we bought it that it really was a ridiculously sturdy plastic bag for a lettuce, and that you could in fact keep live fish in it if necessary.
Anyway, so we were on the bus and I started to feel a bit faint, so I leant forward – I’ve never fainted in my life, so I wasn’t expecting to actually do it. Then, however, I started to feel sick…and vomiting is something that I have done in my life, and probably more times here than in the whole of the rest of my life put together! I woke up Tracy and told her to take the lettuce out of the bag, only to be asked, “You’re not seriously hungry enough to eat a lettuce leaf?” My reply filled the bag. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience which I wish never to repeat! The bus made an unexpected stop at a toilet block where I have NEVER known them stop before…I have a feeling that news of the musungu with the bag that needed to be dropped off somewhere had reached the driver, though I can’t be sure – no-one said a word to me. Well, I was lucky enough to make it home with no further repeats, but I was very sick once I got home…which in one way was a relief, because it meant I had a bug rather than late-onset travel sickness…but in another way wasn’t because I had been so looking forward to getting home and seeing people, Pam especially, and they came round for dinner which I could not partake in. I was also confined to my bed the next day, while Tracy did all my PAing duties…she’s even tidied up all Pam’s Microsoft word files so I can’t find anything now! Ruthless efficiency wins the day…I should have got round to doing it when I had the chance!
Well, you’ll be glad to know that it only lasted 24hours and then I was right as rain – but none of you will be as glad as I was! Jill assures me that when I have lived here for twenty-five years I will have become immune to all these bugs (I very rarely get sick in England – even when I eat yoghurt that I have made myself in the airing cupboard and forgotten about for a couple of weeks so that it is almost cheese – so I cannot understand this sudden propensity to vomit!)
I have rambled on long enough, but I hope the pictures that I have punctuated the rambling with have helped you reach the end of this entry…I do promise to be shorter next time! Oh, and before you go, seeing as no-one has guessed correctly yet…here is another Dachanger Clive hint (but only a small one!):
2 comments:
Pole dada! looks like youve not yet gotten used to the environment there...o well, it takes time. Ps...the photos..wonder where they are, they dont seem to appear on my screen...???i like the way you describe your experiences.Keep up the good work.
Rwandans are friendly than other people in the world.
I am rwandan but living in EU.
I am looking forward when I will visit there.
as Rwandans I welcome all visitors to Rwanda.
Vous etes les bienvenus, murakaza neza
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