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.