A great Easter.

A massacre in the bedroom. My FB friends will be aware of the trauma we suffered on April 11th.  I bought a large box of red to see us through our rest week, Passover and beyond.  But we couldn't open the tab.  Marilyn setto with her penknife, I could see what was going to happen......and it did!

With difficulty and trying not to waste any more, we succeeded in decanting the remaining red wine from the incised back courtesy of a large plastic bowl to catch any drips.

Embarrassing!

Wednesday we bought stuff for Passover, and lamb from the German butcher plus shank bone which was more like a half leg.  We enjoyed lunch at the butcher's cafe, good and cheap!  Then I went to Marcie's to start cooking for the following evening.

Thursday we again went shopping for last minute supplies, had a quick salad at Bourbon in City Tower, then to Marcie's to finish preparing the meal.

We were seven people from the US, Rwanda, UK , Czech Republic, before we began we had to practice the songs: Jubilate, Dayenu and You shall go out with Joy

The service was well received so I´m glad that I prepared it

I stayed at Marcie's so I could attend the Good Friday service at St Etienne at 8.15.  I was a very good service, Manasseh led the music extremely well.  The service was a thanksgiving with uplifting songs, quite different to the more reflective service which I'm used to.

Then an unexpected invite to join folk at Lake Kivu for the evening, so off I went and had a very enjoyable time at the Inzozi Beach Hotel....I must return, it was great.

Then it was back to Marcie's for the night.  WE went to the new mall Kigali Heights for dinner, spicy Thai chicken salad was yummy.  There is a cupcake shop in the mall, also a shop selling all things Italian, especially ice cream....I shall return.

St Etienne decorated for Easter Day, little lights in the drapes, it looked so pretty.

The service was joyful of course, although Thine be the glory was ditched!  Manasseh and I are going to sing it sometime!  Bishop Louis preached what was a difficult sermon for him, with Kwibuka, the time of memorial for the genocide against Tutsis, coinciding with Easter he said it could be hard to think of the hope of the resurrection.  His 3 brothers were butchered, a priest of St Etienne was killed in the church.......but out of the despair and desolation of 1994 Rwanda has risen with the  hope of the resurrection.

Marilyn and I decided we would have a Pina Colada at the Serena to celebrate Easter and make up for no Easter eggs or Hot X Buns.  I got mine....but by the time Marilyn arrived from the English service at the catholic cathedral, she was concerned we would be late for the next appointment so didn't get her tipple.

Home in Kigali, at least for a little while.

Arrived late Tuesday night.  The next morning Bosco collected Marilyn and me at 10.  We did the rounds of internet providers as is the norm.  Bought a few supplies for Thursday and went to the Cactus for lunch, lovely! The first thing we did was have a pina colada!

Marilyn very happy with life!

 Then back to the accommodation at Kimihurura to log on to 3G, hooray, and get our stuff ready for Thursday.

As usual we left with Peter Safari at 5am to get to Akagera in good time, then an 8 hour drive animal spotting.  Still no lions, but they've just had cubs so we can forgive them for not posing.  Splendid spotting a python basking in the sunshine.  The 20 rhinos are coming in May so we are hoping to see them before leaving in July. 

Lilac breasted roller

Water Buck

Impala

I don't know if this vid will work.  The baboons were looking for mischief

The next morning we went on the boat trip, I always enjoy this as the birds are great and we had the added excitement of hippos, not happy to have us near their babies, lunging at the boat with jaws aggressively open and much spray.  We spotted an enormous Nile Crocodile, but just as we went to take a pic and family of hippos came from the opposite direction and scared the croc. away. 

Angry hippo behind the spray

 We saw lots of the crested cranes this morning.  They are the national bird of Uganda.  Farmers used to keep them as decoration, clipping their wings, but now they are being rehomed at Akagera and protected.

After breakfast we went out for another four hours, seeing numerous bush buck, this was surprising as they are normally very shy and keep hidden.

Bush buck and a monitor lizard in the foreground.

Then a sunset cruise, we were hoping to see the elephants come to the lakeside to drink, but they must have heard we were in the area as they stayed away.  But we saw more crocs and were once again entertained by the hippos.
Then directly onto the night safari when it's impossible to take pics.  The guide wasn't as good as usual which was disappointing, but we did see a jackal, but sadly, once again no leopards.  One day!

Yesterday, Saturday, I went to Marcie's and stayed overnight so that  could get to the Palm Sunday service, but in the Anglican church no palms, no red vestments, I thought maybe because Kwibuka the time of mourning for the genocide against the Tutsis began on Friday, but the catholic church wore red and had palms.
Marilyn and I met Apollo for lunch and had a delightful time together.

A strange Holy Week ahead as I can't get to the cathedral for services.  Thursday I'm hosting a Passover for Christians which I'm hoping will be well received as it's a first for the folk coming.

I'll return after Easter.

Frustrations and farewells

Now we come to Sunday April 2nd.

I had an unplanned visit to Muzanse this weekend:  the electricity cut out on Tuesday morning, 50 hours later when it appeared that nothing was being done, I had a hissy fit and declared that I was going to Muzanse after class on Friday afternoon.  The sisters were rather taken aback....but what if the electric comes back....  well it comes back, I have made arrangements and I shall go.   All my techie stuff had flat batteries and I needed them for class!  On Thursday morning I did go to the village to charge at least my computer, but we'd no sooner got there than the electricity cut out there also.  I have to confess that the final straw was when I found one of the sisters had gone to the bank, which has a generator, to charge their phones and didn't think to tell me or offer to take mine.  Relationships were frosty that night.  Anyway the electricity reconnected at about 8pm, however it was more off than on during the night and on Friday, so I was very pleased I'd held firm about going away for the night.

Tuesday night the volcano was amazing, the top was completely covered by what looked like a red mantle, it was a clear night and the stars were so bright you could almost touch them.   But for about half an hour the sky was lit by what appeared to be lightning, but it might have come from the volcano, it was like a volcanic Aurora

Another pleasant visit at the Gorillas, then yesterday, which was a beautiful day Eric drove us to Lake Ruhondo, there are twin Lakes, Burera is on the top of the hill, the water falls to the lower lake making HEP.  It's very pretty, lots of storks around which made me nostalgic thinking of Latimer and Lacey who live opposite the Bombeiros in Messines.  We took a boat across to a resort on an island, of course I couldn't get out of the boat, Eric insisted on lifting me which was both foolish and brave!  So a pleasant couple of hours just chilling and talking. 

Then I decided it would be nice to have lunch at the 5 Volcanoes again as I may not return this way anytime soon.  A delicious char grilled fillet steak, absolutely perfect with a glass of red.

Then back to the community and  the first of the farewells!  I hate leaving and saying goodbye, especially when I don't know if we shall meet again. And today ,  Sunday, I'm packing in a logical manner as far as possible.  I return to Kigali on Tuesday to a community house where I've not been before,.  Wednesday Marilyn and I shall go shopping, then Thursday early go to Akagera, return Sat and I shall go straight to Marcie's house so I can go to the 8.30 English service on Palm Sunday at the cathedral.

I´m leading a Seder for Christians on Maundy Thursday evening so will be busy sourcing and cooking the items needed.  Thankfully I have the order of service prepared and Apollo is  printing the booklets.

Apparently the postulants want us to have a farewell do this evening, so it will be alcohol, singing and dancing.  I taught them Jubilate everybody this week which they enjoy,  But you should see them enthusiastically sing and dance to If I was a butterfly.  I was a little concerned about the fuzzy wuzzy bear with fuzzy wuzzy hair, but they haven't taken offence.

We had a splendid party, the students had written special speeches in English, and songs such as 'Byee byee teacher'  and of course we had to dance and they gave me a very nice outfit made of local fabric.

The youngsters then performed a sketch based on my teaching, it was very funny and  Clarisse who played my part had me down to a T.

It's now Tuesday 4th.  Yesterday was easy, I showed both classes the film of Paddington, I had prepared them as much as possible without spoiling the story. Everyone enjoyed it, and Sr Godlive who doesn't usually come to English lessons joined us.

So frustrations with the electricity, which is off again today, also frustrations because the vehicle to take me to Kigali hasn't arrived yet,  They were going to leave Masaka at 7.30 but were still there at 9!   And farewells when I do leave this afternoon, tears all round I expect....along with the farewell song and drumming.

More than just a friend!

I was going to give an idea of the life of postulants and sisters here, but I had such a lovely weekend that I thought I'd write about it whilst it's still fresh in my mind.

Eric, the tour guide come driver collected me before 10, it was umuganda but as he is a licenced tour operator he has a permit allowing him on the road before midday. And we were only stopped by the police twice.
Once again I stayed at the Gorillas and given access to my room immediately, a little too quickly as no towels.....but this time I checked before getting into the shower.  So plugged in everything, not that there are many decent programs on the BBC at present,  then hit the hot water.

In the afternoon I met a young man who's here for 3 months doing voluntary work.  His mum is a friend of Nancy who is a friend and frequent visitor of Lyn and David.  We spent a very pleasant couple of hours talking about all manner of things.  He then went off to meet Bishop Sam, they were going to Skype an elderly gentleman in the UK, from Alastair's family, apparently Sam was a houseboy for this gentleman many, many years ago.
Alastair told the Bishop that he'd been with me so then I had message saying he hoped to see me in church the next morning.  I had planned a lie in.......but there we are, if the bishop 

expects then that's it!

Anyway, I then went shopping and managed to press all the wrong buttons at the ATM, a very nice man helped out in the end, I am afraid there was a very long queue of folk wanting to draw money.


I tried to do some work but there's no direct lighting in the hotel room so I gave up and went for an early dinner which was tasty, and a mango icecream.  I didn't get the icecream last visit.  I'd been awake since 1.30am so was tired and went to bed very early.

Which meant of course that i woke early!  So no excuse to not go to morning service which would begin at 8am.  I decided to walk to the cathedral as it was a nice morning, it took 20 minutes and I got there just as the service was beginning.  It was so nice having an Anglican service and in English....but the shortest sermon I've ever heard in Rwanda!  Barely 10 minutes, not that I'm complaining.

St John the Baptist, Cathedral  

You can just spot +Sam as goes back for the next service.

When I returned to the hotel Eric was ready and waiting so I checked out and off we went.  we had such a nice time, drove around the foothills of the volcanoes, passing a number of new lodges which look rather pricey and include spas etc.  We went to a cultural village which is self supporting and run by the people who were previously poachers, killing everything for 'bush meat' and to sell...killing mother gorillas and selling the babies for $2000 each!   Now they guide visitors through the culture of Rwanda and their wives grow 
the crops which they both eat and sell .

Challenged by warriors at the entrance....not very ferocious we were all laughing too much!

We spent a couple of hours there, I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit.  Eric and I had to participate in most of the activities, and with the onsite guide whose English was perfect we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and laughed a lot with the reformed poachers who now teach conservation.

Instruction on Bow and arrow to kill, no animals were harmed during this activity.  The little 

guy is a member of the Batwa people who supported themselves by hunting and making pots!  They are short in stature but not as small as the 'pygmies' of Congo.  

I  was made to try everything much to the delight and amusement of all present!

Here I'm grinding sorghum into flour which will have a number of uses including making sorghum beer.

The two most important people in Rwanda were the king and the queen mother.

The traditional huts are rental accommodation.  Really nice inside.

Next up, the drummers, apparently the guys thought I was quite good!

The warriors dance.  

Their sisal head-dresses representing the lion manes

 they wore in times of yore

I'm sparing you the pic of me being made to take part in the villagers' dance

After that we drove around another area, the countryside is so pretty and it was a blissfully sunny warm day.  At Kinigi a small village, which is where Eric grew up and his mother still lives, we stopped to pay her a visit, she hugged me so many times!  I 'm not sure who Eric had told her I was.

I was thirsty by this time so suggested a stop for lunch, We went to the most delightful place; 5 Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, it was perfect.  The dining area upstairs on the level of tree tops.  There are a number of rooms, I would love to stay there but it is expensive, there's a pool and sun bed area.  Lunch was tilapia cooked in a mushroom sauce, and perfectly cooked basmati rice and little veg, I had a lovely glass  of Sauvignon blanc.  All delicious.

View from Bar / Restaurant at 5 Volcanoes.

Then of course it was time to return to Busasamana, a shame to end such a lovely day.  I have to say that Eric and I  get on really well and discuss all manner of things, and laugh a lot.  Probably because I am so happy to be talking English with someone who is fluent also. Eric said he felt we were more than friends, hence the title of this post.