I forgot...

There was some exciting news that I forgot to tell you! Last week we took a trip to visit a friend of Pam's, a muzungu called Kay-Ellen...or K-Ellen (we're not entirely sure how its spelt!) Anyway, the amazing thing is where she lives - in Ros Carr's house! As many of you will know Ros Carr lived out in Rwanda for many years, setting up an orphanage primarily for victims of the genocide, but then for anyone who needed to be cared for there. There are still over 100 orphans there and Kay-Ellen and another American, Martha, oversee it. There are also extensive gardens which we wandered through, and found Ros Carr's grave amongst the trees. The acres and acres are looked after by gardeners and still accessible to the public; I think Ros Carr used to use them as a form of income. Some of the orphans also make rugs and shawls which they sell. We celebrated nine June birthdays with them on the day we visited and cut up two huge cakes, enough for everyone!

In the afternoon Pam, Tracy and I went for a walk out of the grounds and ended up collecting a whole bunch of children as we walked back...the pied piper effect which we so often seem to have! They sang to us as we walked and took it in turns to hold our hands - they were very cute!

This picture is (from the left) me, Tracy, K-Ellen, Pam and Sue outside Ros Carr's house. Sue has now returned to the US for some medical tests and she won't be back before we leave so when the three of us go there will be no permanent muzungus in Ruhengeri! In case any of you hadn't gathered, Pam is also returning the UK, the day after we leave for the trek. She is coming home to relax first but then do some serious deputation work around the country. If anyone would like her or me (or most likely both!) to come and speak to a group of people (WI, Rotary, Church congregations, coffee mornings, schools, knitting groups, those-in-awe-of-the-elephant societies...you get the idea) about Tubakunde we would be very happy to do so. Drop me an email or use the tubakunde email to get in touch with the home partners - tubakunde.rwanda@hotmail.com - we talk for free and guarantee a fun filled evening!!

The end is nigh...

Less than a week to go…

It is unbelievable how quickly the last six months have gone – I thought when I came here that I would be desperate to come home by the end of June, but it turns out that I am going to have very mixed feelings on leaving. I am extremely excited about the overland trek that we are about to embark on from Nairobi to Victoria Falls via lions, giraffes, zebra, and buffalo roaming the African plans. I am also extremely sad to be leaving beautiful Rwanda, with its gorgeous children and the lovely people I have met here (especially Pam…I think Pam-withdrawal symptoms are going to be extreme – Tracy's not looking forward to them but I've no doubt she'll administer the valium that we saved from when I was ill before if necessary!) I am extremely looking forward to seeing my family (and extended family…and York family) back in the UK though I am not looking forward to returning to my house in York which has apparently now got a trashed garden, ripped to pieces by the local kids, and a mould infested bathroom. If only I could get them visas, I would very seriously consider bringing Jean-Pierre and Rachael back home with me – he is a great guard, and she can certainly clean!

Here is a picture of them with me that we took yesterday. Note the length of my hair now…and the weight I have apparently put on! The matrons decided today that you could see the fat on my face, my arms and my stomach…and if I could just increase it a little more I would be a perfect size apparently! One of the teachers totally independently also said that I was getting fat. It might be a compliment over here to tell someone they are becoming fat…but unfortunately it just points out to me that drinking full fat milk in African tea (which is all milk with a bit of spice in), irregular meals, lack of exercise and the discovery that Jackie makes very good chips have become a bit of a problem. I went for a long swim this evening to thrash off some of the excess baggage…I don't want them to charge me extra to get on the plane!!

Where was I? Oh yes, my mixed feelings. So, you can see that the last couple of weeks have been hard-going – I began to seriously consider my future and the whens/hows/whys and wherefores connected with returning to Rwanda, and then decided that really the best idea was to make my biggest concern not being eaten by a lion for the next month, and then deal with the other issues on my return! Who knows what the future holds…but there is no reason it should be scary (unless it involves being dragged out of your tent by your feet by a lion of immense proportions!)

Over the next month we will be on our trek, and apparently we will have some internet access on the way, but I'm sure it will depend on where we are and how far we are prepared to "trek" for an internet café, so, if I can update you I will, and if not, fear not, I will fill you in on my return. Watch this space!

Anyone for a corgi?

Don't worry, we haven't been eating more dodgy food... Last week we went to our dear old Queen's Official Birthday Party at the British Embassy! Did you know there are about 300 Brits in Rwanda?...and I've met two! Heaven knows where they are all hiding! I think a lot of them are VSOs and another organisation, but after that there are still 200 random floaters! I actually met a very nice VSO worker who will still be in Rwanda when I come back, if all goes to plan, so I'm going to keep in touch with her despite the fact that she lives in the sticks!

Well, they gave us fish and chips, beef sandwiches and cheese and biscuits - classic British Cuisine (I'm sure you'll agree!)...and houmous, which would have been a nice accompaniment to the cheese and biscuits had it not turned out to be horse-radish sauce (thanks for that Pam!)

They also plied us with enough alcohol to sink a battle ship...and considering we're not allowed to drink out here in real life, for fear of being reported for our un-Christian behaviour, we were well away! Tracy offered to drive home...so Pam and I made the most of the free supply of wine and spirits...and had a simply marvellous time, what ho! Though, for future parties it might be advisable for them to move the tree with the lumpy horn-encrusted branches out of the path of people making a beeline for home...

Tracy was just disappointed that they didn't let us sing the National Anthem, or Rule Britannia for that matter...I was rather pleased myself! Unfortunately she was also disappointed that she didn't meet her future husband...but I thought it was a pretty narrow escape when we found the one she had her eye on, on his hands and knees outside the front gate!

While we are on the subject of Tracy, apologies to anyone who was offended by the appearance of her nose on the birthday blog. As I keep explaining to her, it is difficult to take photos of her WITHOUT the nose...but she worries about these things! Personally I think it is a lovely nose and should have as much airtime as possible.