Sounds

I think one of the things that I will miss most about this place is the sounds.  It starts with the clanging of the tire rim at 5:00 am for church and then slowly and gently increases from there.  There are the birds of course, and the roosters and the cows, then the children singing, and some extremely loud bees and finally the whole day comes together as church is over and the cooking begins—generally there is a child or two crying somewhere, but on the other hand there is the laughter of the babies as they receive their baths and get dressed for the day.  Sometimes Victor plays his guitar and sings in the morning.  By 7:00 when the first children leave for school and the rest head for the fields, the orphanage is in full swing.

Then the opposite occurs as the sun goes down.  First there is church so the kids settle down from their play, and they sing again (they often sing to themselves during the day as well).  Study time follows which can be quiet or sometimes a little rowdy.  By 7:00 it is dark and we have our dinner.  Then it is only the sounds of conversation at the guest house which can also range from quiet to a bit rowdy, but always interesting. 

Except for the occasional motorbike or car in the distance there is no ‘traffic’ noise and I have only heard the ambulance siren once.  And siren is a stretch, more like a horn that says “I’m here”—you certainly can’t drive fast enough on these roads to hurt anyone and there is not enough traffic to get in the way. No TVs or video games and few radios (think tinny transistor sounds).  There are a number of old cell phones that hold some music for the kids but you don’t even hear those that often.   And I have only heard Lady bark twice while I have been here (I need to have a chat with Willie when I get home to let him know that is an option).  

I know I’m not describing it well, I think it is one of those things that you have to experience before it makes sense. And I’m happy that I have. 

Rain, hellos, and goodbyes

The rainy season is here.  I thought that it might delay its arrival as a favor to me but no luck.  It has been raining off and on for the last week but pretty steady for the past two days.  Just when you think it isn’t too bad, it starts raining harder to prove a point that you aren’t in control of anything here. 

It leaves you a bit damp and not bone chilling cold, but certainly not the warmth of the sun that I was so getting used to.   It is the weekend and Victor discourages work so I try to read but it doesn’t hold my attention so you have to be content with just being, and alone with your thoughts—which is harder than you think.   At some point, I just crawl back into bed. 

But Pam arrived on Thursday evening so that is a bright spot for me.  Although, I wasn’t sure she was going to survive the moto taxi drive to the orphanage, she did.  I think she would have preferred to drive.  And if you know Pam, you know that is true.  Now we need to stop her from stashing one of the babies in her suitcase to take home.    

We spent the morning after her arrival exchanging money and grabbing a few supplies in Kigali before heading out to the orphanage.  You don’t know the look of joy until you deliver jar of Nutella to Janek.  The bottle of Vodka didn’t hurt either. 

Janek and Beata leave tomorrow for three weeks of travel in Uganda and then home to Poland.  I am in quite a bit of denial about it as this has become my home for now and they are my family.  They are an amazing couple and have been a pleasure to live and travel with.  I will miss their humor, Polish Tuna salad on the top of a volcano, and a story worth it’s own post about Janek  ‘saving Private Ryan,’ aka my cell phone.   I hope to be able to see them in Kigali on the 12^th before they catch their flight home, so it is just a temporary goodbye.  But it is worthy of a dance party tonight with the kids and an adult party later to ensure they end this part of their adventure in style.    

The Routine

The adventures are over for a little while and so I’m settling into a routine at the orphanage.  They ring the bell (actually a rusted out tire rim) at 5:00 am for the kids to get up.  I can now sleep through it but am generally up by 5:30 or 6:00 and get a little alone time before everyone else gets up.  Breakfast is at 7:00 and then we ease into the day

It’s probably time that I admit that I have a dog here in Rwanda--please don’t tell Willie.  Ok, so maybe it is actually Victor’s dog but I have adopted her as my own for the time that I am here.  Her name is Lady and she definitely fits her name.  There aren’t a lot of dogs in Rwanda (most were killed after the genocide for less than pleasant reasons that I won’t go into) and Lady has to be the fattest one here.  She is so spoiled.  The kids call her the Muzungu dog because she is white (blond color), has her own bed (a bean bag chair), lives at the guesthouse and gets good food.  She is very patient about her food but knows she is probably going to get an omelet and guacamole for breakfast and if not, a hard boiled egg—which she can peel herself, very lady like of course, if you start it for her.  She loves a good butt rub and I would let her sleep with me if it weren’t for the darn ticks and fleasJ

I generally go to the office in the morning and fight with the Internet.  We are waiting on the ‘mapping’ to come back on the land and in the meantime I’m trying to figure out how to register a business in Rwanda and be prepared to move forward on the purchase (and various other tasks regarding Birambye).   I have become the editor for most documents as I’m the only person here that English is their first (and only, embarrassingly enough) language.  I have also been assigned the project to figure out how to cut costs in their egg producing business which should be interesting.  Add tour guide to the list and it provides a lot of variety. 

Lunch is at 1:00 after which Victor takes a siesta.  I may siesta myself or head back to the office.  Some days we head to the hospital if we need to do any heavy lifting on the Internet or I may take a walk.  Every couple of days, whether I need it not, a shower is in order when the water is hot in the afternoons.  Wednesdays may involve a walk to the market in Mugonero although not every week.   A trip to the baby house is generally in order at some point during the day.  Dinner is at 7:00 and after some conversation, to bed embarrassingly early.   

This past Friday we headed to Kibuye.  Cristina met quite a few people in Kigali and one guy has a cottage on the lake which he offered up for her use.  His ‘man’, Kazunga, (I swear that can’t be his name but she insists it is) came and picked us up on the boat (a motorized raft really) which was a nice break from the moto taxis and provided us a different view of Lake Kivu.  The cottage was lovely—we had lunch at a hotel next door, did a little shopping in the market in town and just hung out on the porch for the evening.  Saturday morning I took a couple of hour walk doing a bit of market research on the hotel competition in the area and we headed back to the orphanage in time for lunch and of course, more weekend guests.  I don’t think there is a weekend where there are not guests here. 

Guests change the routine a bit but there is a certain rhythm to the days that doesn’t change.  And it is amazing how quickly it feels like home.  This week Pam will arrive and I am very much looking forward to her visit and showing her this crazy little corner of the world.   

Road Trip #2-Wow!

It seemed like a busy week.  We returned from the rain forest last Sunday and late that afternoon two unannounced guests arrived.  Since I am now the official tour guide of the orphanage, I showed them around.  They are two German medical students, Bartu and Chris, whom had just finished up a surgical rotation in Butare, a town a few hours away.  I guess there isn’t actually a lot of surgery performed at this hospital due to lack of equipment and supplies and amputations seem to be a popular procedure.  Still, they were ready for some R&R and a friend who was a previous volunteer here sent them our way.  They planned to stay for one night but they stayed for four. 

We finally made it down to Mugonero market with them on Tuesday (it was a day early due to a national holiday on Wednesday that no one could seem to explain), and more guests (two women from Britian) arrived that evening.  That prompted Victor to throw a somewhat crazy little party on Tuesday evening.  I am now quite familiar with Rwandan pop music as well as some European.  At one point in the evening a limbo contest broke out, with a broomstick as the limbo pole.  Let’s just say a good time was had by all.

Our moto taxis arrived at 6:00 am on Thursday to take Janek, Beata and me on our Congo adventure.  I will be upfront here and admit that half the reason I did this was to get the Congo stamp on my passport.  Some of you will understand that (Katlin, if you are reading this I thought specifically of you).  But it was way, way worth it.

We stopped in Kigali to load up on food for the hike and also met Cristina for lunch.  She seems to be thriving in Kigali but will return to the orphanage this week.  Then we were off to Gisenye where we spent the night.  We headed out to the border (Gisenye and Goma are side by side) at 8:00 the next morning and the process to enter the Congo was surprisingly simple and easy.  Our guide from the park met us at the border in what looked to be a huge former military transport truck.  Most comfy ride we have had so far.

The DRC is one of the poorest countries on earth but I did wonder if I was going to be able to detect a noticeable difference from poor to poorer.  But there was no doubt we were in a different country.  The first thing you notice is the amount of barbed wire and also that about every third vehicle is a UN car or truck and there are several large UN compounds just outside of town.  The airport has a wrecked jet sitting at the end of the runway.  I guess it crashed a few years ago and they just haven’t bothered to move it.  The housing is denser and definitely more dilapidated.  The markets feel more desperate as well.  The USAID stamp is everywhere.  And yet, the people were friendlier and less uptight than the Rwandans.  Go figure. 

We had a quick stop at the office where two older American women and a son of one of them joined us.  (Louis works for Human Rights Watch in Kigali but spent over two years in Goma and was quite knowledgeable).  We arrived at the park where we met the rest of the group, four deaf Germans, and after loading up our porters and getting a short orientation, we were off.  Two armed guards/guides with us, of course.

It was a very nice hike up Nyiragongo (the head cold I had wasn’t so nice).  We were slowed a bit as one of the Germans was ill and they would not break up the group, but still a good hike.  I wouldn’t say that loose lava rock is my favorite hiking surface but hey, what can you do.  This volcano last erupted in 2002 and much of the trail is along that lava path. 

We arrived at the top in the late afternoon and settled in and had some dinner.  They recently built some little wood and metal A-frame huts at the top that have two cots and provide some shelter from the wind.  The wind really was nuts during the night so I can imagine how fun a tent would be.  I had taken an early peek at the lava lake but it was nothing compared to want we saw once it got dark.  I’ve searched my brain for the right words to describe it but all I can come up with is ‘It was so friggin cool!!!’  Sorry, I have never been too eloquent.

Mother Nature is amazing.  The lake is a hot pot of boiling lava that looks so alive and powerful.  Fire patches that move about the pool and a ring of fire around the perimeter.  The crater itself is about 800 meters deep (yet you can still feel the heat) and incredibly steep with the lake glowing and growling in the middle.  My pictures will never ever do it justice.  If it had not been so windy and a bit cold, I could have stared at it for hours. 

Not much to do after that but read a bit, try to get warm and turn in for the night.  We were up early for one last look at the lake and then we started our decent.  Did I mention I’m not a fan of loose lava rockJ  But after the steepest part, it was just a long good hike down.  We didn’t get back to town until about 1:00 but Louis recommended an Indian restaurant that was outstanding.  The food in Rwanda lacks a bit of flavor so we were pretty happy to have that opportunity.  A short walk back to the border and we were out of the Congo.  I had promised Janek a helicopter rescue should we be kidnapped so I think he was a bit disappointed that didn’t happen (he wrote his masters thesis on the whole ‘Blackhawk Down’ Somalia incident) 

We headed back to Kigali on Sunday where I left Janek and Beata. There is a concert on Monday night that they want to see but I was eager to get back to the orphanage.  It was a long day but I arrived back at the Hilton (aka guesthouse) just in time for one of Rasta’s excellent pizza dinners, a warm beer and a good night’s sleep.  All and all, a great weekend.                      

Road Trip—it’s all about the transportation

On Wednesday we had a new visitor, Jose from Spain, that Victor had met the previous day on his way to Kigali.  He mentioned he was traveling next to Nyungwe National Forest and asked if Janek, Beata, and I would like to come along.  As usual with me, I said “sure, why not”.

We packed up and headed out on Thursday mid-day.  After waiting an hour on the road for the bus, we were on our way.  We decided that it would be best to stay in Kamembe and then head out for the park on Friday morning.  After five hours on a crowded, dirty, smelly, bumpy (not a strong enough word) bus that was probably from the 60s, we arrived in Kamembe late afternoon.  (At one point on the drive, we all had to exit the bus as it navigated this makeshift wooden bridge that was barely as wide as the bus). 

After scrambling to find a place to stay, we headed out for a much needed beer and dinner.  (It’s not like you want to spend a lot of time in a room that $5 per night will buy you) 

We found a covered outdoor patio bar that came in handy once it started pouring rain.  Soon the electricity went out and we were eating by candlelight (and the light from the bank sign across the street which was apparently the only place in town that had a generator).  We, of course, were the only mizungus in the bar and after the electricity came back and the music started up, Jose decided we needed to dance with locals.  That required another round of the ridiculously large Primus beers, but we all eventually jumped in and were welcomed with open arms.

I took a little break back at the table and as I sat watching the rain and the dancing, I had one of those ‘how in the world did I ever get here’ moments that often happens when traveling.  Half way around the world with three new friends in a town whose name I didn’t even know at the time and only a vague idea of what the next couple of days would bring.  And my logical voice said that we should probably go back to our room as we had a big day ahead, but then another round was ordered, it started to rain even harder and it seemed as if I needed to just be right there, right then.

No surprise we got up a little later than planned on Friday.  After grabbing a quick breakfast and locating a bus to the park we were off in search of a market to load up on fruit, chapattis and samosas for lunch.  Our plan was to go the park, hike and then camp but when we got there we found out that they charged $30 PER PERSON to camp.  Now that’s a little nuts to pay $120 to camp so we bagged that idea.  Jose is traveling for 18 months and even the hiking fees were too much for his budget so he dropped out and headed out to find a bus to Butare. 

Janek had spoken to a taxi that was in the parking lot and arranged for him to take us back to a guest house about 12 kilometers away, but our hiking guide convinced us to stay at a different guest house the other direction that would be more affordable.  He said that flagging down a mini bus to there would be no problem so we cancelled the car. 

We finished around 4:30 and headed out to the road to flag the bus (this, by the way, was the only time we saw monkeys but we did see about six of them and they came within a yard of us).  Hmmmm, seems that finding a bus isn’t so easy as there were not too many and most passed us by with the ‘we are full’ hand sign. 

Then it started to rain.  Change of plans, we will take a bus in either direction, just need transportation.  We finally got one to stop and although he was also full, he was happy to let us sit in the cargo area.  It is hard to describe how funny it was and how scared the three of us looked when the back door started to fly open before we all grabbed it. 

Not knowing exactly where we were going, we accidentally overshot our destination by a few kilometers so now we had to grab the motorcycle taxis to get us back.  Riding on one of those with a large backpack is a special treat.  But we made it and headed to reception where we were promptly told they were full.  Change of plans again.  Sam, the guy at the front desk walked us down to the nearest village and hooked us up with a room for about $8 each.  Luckily the newlyweds don’t mind sharing a room.   It was ‘tolerable’ but also was the second night we chose to sleep in our sleeping bag versus the house linens—Janek was still itching from the flea bites from the first place.

So we lost the Spaniard but we picked up a German, Bertal, at this place and he joined us the next day when we returned to the park for a longer hike.  Another transportation challenge as the buses were few and far between but we finally got a guy in a little Toyota pickup to stop and we rode in the back of that for free. 

Today’s hike was six hours long and we saw such a plethora of wildlife--two worms and five frogs-- Woo Hoo!  It really was a very nice hike in the rain forest with three waterfalls and enough elevation change to wear us out.  One of the guides was willing to take our money and give us a ride back to the original guest house where we knew they had a room for us now, so our transportation was not as eventful.

Had a lovely dinner and shared a table with a man from Wales working for the Rwandan Education Board for six months and a Rwandan friend of his.  We turned in early as we needed to grab a motorbike by 6:45am to meet the bus at 7:00.

If I described the first bus experience as crowed, etc., this one was over the top.  I did not know it was possible to squeeze that many people into one bus.  We gave up trying to protect our packs and just endured.  It’s not too bad when you are moving—and develops your core strength staying upright on all the crazy curves—but some of the stops were long as people were crawling over and under other people to get out and the heat and the odor just got worse and worse.  But in a mere four hours we were back ‘home’ at the orphanage.
 
We were disappointed by the lack of primate viewing but overall had a ton of fun on the trip; probably for its impromptu nature and creative problem solving.  Thank goodness for Janek and his French and negotiation skills.

Next road trip…..The Congo!!

Weekends

The only true weekend day is Saturday but given I’m not working that hard, it seems like every day is a holiday.  However, this is the day that Victor relaxes, the kids go to church, and then they play in the afternoon.

We knew we had visitors coming in the afternoon so Cristina, Janek, Beata, and I headed for Cristina’s and my first trip to the ‘beach’.  The orphanage owns a bit of lakefront property that is about a 30 minute walk (all downhill).  It’s a sweet little spot where we could soak up the sun, read and swim without the kids around (they sometimes come after church on Saturdays but not today).  I know most people say not to swim in the lake but it is too inviting.   Janek and Beata have been doing it for months and they don’t appear to have any nasty parasites.  

There were a couple of local boys swimming and playing soccer (of course called football here) with the requisite ball made out of plastic sacks compressed and tied with a string.  We had brought a ball as well, so Cristina and Janek, our soccer professionals, joined the boys for a bit.  

We headed back for a late lunch at the orphanage.  I hadn’t really been paying attention to how steep the earlier descent was but I sure felt in on the way back up.   Luckily we hadn’t had any of the beer that we were dreaming about. 

Our guests had arrived and as usual, it was an interesting array.  Ralf who picked us up from the airport, his roommate, Ellie, and her boyfriend, Norman.  They had driven from Kigali and brought treasures for us, most notably cheese and wine!  I love these people.

Spent some time getting to know more about Ralf and his work.  He works for a German company that consults with the Rwandan Development Board and his specialty is food processing and production.  But we spent most of our time talking about a business that he was starting on the side and how inexpensive the start-up costs were in Rwanda.  We also talked about the ecolodge project which I’m spending most of my time on.   Everyone I talk to has a very different opinion on what exactly this ecolodge should be.    

Norman is a PhD candidate doing research in Rwanda for a year.  He is an anthropologist and is studying the effects of health care tracking on funding and policy.  Not sure I would have put those two together but it was very interesting to discuss.  He is currently working at the Millennium Village Project.    Ellie teaches German at a private school in Kigali. 

It was a lively evening (given the wine and all) with great conversation and beautiful weather.  Can’t ask for much more.

Sunday started out as a another lazy day as we had breakfast with our guests and they set out exploring the orphanage and it’s grounds.  They left shortly after lunch and took Cristina with them!  Ralf has a lot of information for her assignment that they can work on together as well as some contacts in Kigali for her to meet with.  Hopefully, she will only be gone a week or so as her energy will be missed.  She is the extrovert to my introvert and keeps things lively. 

I thought the day was winding down when Janek stopped by to see if I wanted to accompany them to the lake as they were taking some of the kids for some play.  At the least, I was ready to master that hike so we took off.  The kids had a blast and I dusted off my rusty volleyball skills.  Maybe skills is a stretch but I held my own.

We returned the orphanage and after an early dinner it was time for the Dance Party!  Janek set up his little DJ station, complete with solar flashlights for lighting, and pulled out his Rwandan music.  The kids absolutely loved it as did I.  They sing along and dance and dance and dance.  Some of the little ones were originally more obsessed with my headlamp than the dancing but soon joined in.  Poor Janek, dozens of kids facing his DJ stand screaming the songs at the top of their lungs.  It has been a long time since I have danced so much that I’m dripping with sweat. 

The dance party is a rare event and there are even those that don’t feel it should happen at all since that type of music is not in line with the Adventist values.   But it’s hard to think of it as wrong when you see the joy it brings the kids and also the ability to express themselves.     

Work

Shortly after arriving, I decided that my time would best be used working on the Birambye Lodge project and of course anything else that Victor would like for me to do.  Cristina is here for three months working on the Orchard business plan so I feel like I would be stepping on her toes to carve out the marketing strategy.  I have offered my services as a ‘consultant’ and I provided her with a list of questions and concerns that I have with the existing plan.

My personal goal is to facilitate the purchase of the land for Birambye while I am here.  Three hectors have been identified and it looks like we have the $10,000 to get it done.  JP, an engineering student from Kigali, came down this week to do the ‘measurements’.   He and John from the orphanage have identified 34 different owners on that little slice of land.  The next step is to finalize the purchase price for each of those segments and have the local authorities bless the sale.  Then we apply to the regional government for a certificate of ownership.  At some point we have to apply to the government for ‘use’ of the land since it is waterfront.  I’m still trying to figure that part out but hope to soon.

So far, that and my assignment to write up a report on the Agricultural Work Program have been about all that I have worked on.  The Internet connectivity is so spotty and definitely frustrating.  Sometimes if I get out one email a day, I feel lucky.  We walked up to the hospital again on Friday to try to use their higher speed connection again but alas, it was down

This week I think I can start working on a fundraising presentation for Victor and Brenda Hull has agreed to help find someone to design a brochure as well.  I want to set up a Facebook page and have started that but of course, I’m dependent on the Internet once again.  I have done a pretty darn good job of divorcing myself from technology but there are certain things you just cannot get done without it. 

I’m hoping that I return to America with a lot more patience than when I left as I think that is what is necessary to get me through.  Of course, no one will probably appreciate my ‘African time’ mentality but me.