Last weekend I went to Gisenyi on Lake Kivu for a night at the Gorillas Hotel, I was hoping for some speedy wifi, but sadly it was struggling on 2G most of the time. More to the point a large comfortable bed, hot running water and a flushing loo, also the ability to eat what and when I wanted without a bean in sight. The hotel manager had arranged a taxi, Hassan to collect me and he proved to be brilliant taking me hither and yon over the weekend.
I also spent time with very helpful Felix at Tigo and a nice lady at MTN and I´m managing the wifi situation better now.
Some of you will have seen on FB the pic of the cars in the road, for those who didn´t, suddenly a procession of vehicles led by a truck sporting a chap with video recorder parked up in the middle of the road on the white lines, then wedding cars threw a wheelie around those in front and parked further along the road for wedding pics by Lake Kivu. All the other traffic in both directions just had to navigate through. I guess they´re used to it
I had imagined a leisurely wake up on Sunday but it was not to be as the energetic would be sportsmen were running uo and down the road chanting like US Marines well before 6! There seemed to be some encouraging disco music hitting the airwaves also. But never mind, I was going to the Anglican Cathedral for the service which I was told would begin at 9.......no! It begins about 9.40. At it was Communion the bishop was present, when he spotted me he waved merrily, and when I was called forward to say the usual words he hugged me enthusiastically, well I had seen him on several occasions at Mercy House clad only in a towel. I had allowed for a lengthy service but insufficient so had to leave before the end. Not to worry as I am welcomed at the RC Mass here at the Community on Tuesday mornings. I´ve met 2 young priests, very attractive they are too! Anyway after the priest had taken Communion we all wandered around the altar and helped ourselves whilst he sat aside. Every now and again when the sisters and postulants were singing, he threw in a few notes to add interest I think.
It´s been a bit difficult to get everything sorted for teaching this week, I now have 2 classes each day for 2 hours each, not too much time for lesson preparation, made increasingly difficult by lengthy electricity outages (as our American friends would say)
This is definitely not a closed order, at Masaka where I shall be after Easter some of the sisters teach in the school and one is at uni training as a nurse. Here at Busasamana it is different as it is the first step for the would be nuns. The postulants are instructed how to sing all the parts necessary for the different services, and the proper French for parts of the liturgy as well as the English lessons. The rest of the time they are involved with all the work in the community including cooking.
There is a cottage industry making, and drinking sorghum beer, banana beer and banana wine, all of which are sold to the locals as well as enjoyed at meal times here. I stick with water like a good Rwandan Anglican.
The volcano by day
and night.
OK, you have to squint at the centre of the pic and you´ll see the red glow.
And no, I´m not going across the border and climbing the volcano to camp overnight and see the lava lake in the early morning light.
No comments:
Post a Comment