Busy and stressful 2 months.

You are aware I'm sure that I'm a person who doesn't usually get stressed, but April was really difficult.  The lease was due to end 31 May at the house in Nyarautarama, I couldn't afford to stay there so needed to find accommodation elsewhere.....fortunately, have become rather anxious I was offered a house share in a furnished abode, with staff to do everything except cook, lovely garden, big secure compound and across Kigali close to the Cathedral and All Saints Rebero which saves a lot on petrol.

The stress levels rose as I attempted to sell all the furniture, it is difficult selling stuff here and trying to get a decent price.  Several pastors are paying in installments!  Of course I have to send what is Marcie's to the US.  I'll send what's owed to her this week, and will collect what's due as and when the pastors have the money.....could take a while.
Meanwhile, I had to move the leftovers to my new house.  My good chum Theo found me a removal truck.

Apo at the old house kept changing her mind as to what she wanted to do after I left, this varied from staying put and working for yje owner to asking for 2 iron sheets to roof a house elsewhere, the latter grew like topsy to the expectation of me building her a house for £3000!!!!   I gave her the furniture I couldn't sell and a generous lump sum.

But there we are, such is life.  This house is lovely, good company here, there are 2 houses in the compound originally in '94 inhabited by an ambassador in one and the charge d'affairs in the other.  It has a huge verandah which is very pleasant, fibre wifi which is so good I can watch UK TV, and good hot water and is cheaper than the other house.

Lovely mature garden and Joseph the gardener picks a huge bouquet for us each week.

So what with moving  I haven't actually done much.  It being Kwibukah there are commemoration walks and services, I walked with Cathedral people round our area where several pastors and members of the cathedral were slaughtered in the genocide against Tutsis.  It was very moving, as was the service at which 2 young members of the cathedral spoke, 3 years old when orphaned.

A few weeks ago we had a special lunch at Rebero after the service with gifts for the departing clergy and to welcome Josiah and me.

The lady in blue is the head of laity 

We often have visitors from around the world who come to preach, which is great.   A couple of weeks ago we had a pastor from Canada, whom I had previously met at an Anglican Mission Conference in the US

A new museum was opened last December at the parliament building depicting the military offensive to free Rwanda from the genocidaires and government forces.  It is an excellent installation, as are all the museums here.  I went with my friend Katy and her husband,it took 2 hours to go round.  I wish I'd been aware of it when Wil was here.

In memory of all who perished

The parliament building still bears the wounds of attack.  The gun on the roof is a bronze of the one used during the defense.

Nakumatt, previously the major supermarket is under administration and has closed at City Tower, the branch at Union Trade Centre has hardly any stock and runs with 50% lighting.  The cabinets are empty, it's very sad.

We have quite a lot of visitors at this house, mostly involved with the university, so it's quite interesting, and we have a number of dinners with good conversation.

Tomorrow we have the enthronement of the new archbishop, have to be at the venue for 7.30 although the service doesn't begin until 9 and I guess it will last several hours.

On the 19th I'm flying to Portugal via London for a week or so, I have to renew my driving licence and see to a few things, then July 1st to Gatwick, July 2nd to Malaga, hopefully with Rhonwen for a week at Los Olivos Retreat, so a busy couple of weeks ahead.

Up to date.  Back soon.

Lions, eles and a leopard Part 2

Sarah and Wil returned by bus from Gisenyi on the Wednesday of Holy Week in time to have an enjoyable evening with Katy, they're talking of climbing Kilimanjaro next year and Katy's husband has a lodge there.

As you'd expect the next few days were mainly involved with church, also dealing with a flooded house.  The rains here have been dreadful with over 200 killed.  Our roof leaked quite badly so I'm glad I'm out of there now.
I did have some Easter things to put in the house so it looked quite joyful. 

Sarah cooked a delicious roast chicken dinner, it was so very good!  And enough succulent meat for sandwiches the next day when we headed for QE Park in Uganda with Peter Safari.

So another early start in the dark, I wondered where we were going as on the way out of Kigali I couldn't recognize anything!  Turned out instead of driving to Musanze and crossing the border north of there, we took a more direct road north and crossed at Gatuna.  Interesting to see the tea bushes run by local co-operatives, sadly looking rather poor compared to the big tea plantations.  We drove by the largest company's plantations which stretch for miles, and they use electric sheers to cut the leaves...I'll stick with Sorwathe who pick the best leaves from each bush.

We arrived in good time at Bush Lodge, a staff turnover since I was last there, really helpful and friendly staff who showed us a hippo who'd taken up residence at the lodge.

He was fast asleep thankfully!  Apparently he was the dominant male in the local pod, but

now injured and has been turfed out.

One of the staff took us for a wander to a hippo pool, lots of hippos enjoying themselves

Frankolin eggs, quite large for a small bird. Laid in open sandy rocky ground for camouflage.

So we settled into our tents then enjoyed some wine and crispy snacks on my verandah before dinner and watched the sunset.

 It was raining intermittently so dinner inside the dining tent, then to bed with wildlife noises during the night....hyena, bush pig, hippos, lion,cape buffalo.

 The following day, Easter Tuesday we left early with Peter driving and an excellent local guide called Iris, and once again saw eles  and then quite a few lions, both on the ground and in the trees.

An antelope skeleton I think

Locals carry very wide things on bikes

After the early morning exertions we were taken to a village for some tat shopping, African tea and rolex...these are chapattis with an omelette containing onion, tomato and pepper in. Omelette rolled inside chapatti.  Wil and I asked for one, Sarah stoutly declaring she didn't want one!  A third was brought, she was still saying she didn't want one.... but scoffed it faster than the speed of light!

Rolex maker

After dropping Iris back at the office we drove down to the start of the channel at Lake Edward, parked up and went to talk with the fishermen.  Hundreds of birds gathered along the shore snacking on the guts etc from the overnight catch.

Then back to Bush Lodge, a packed lunch and a quiet time before collecting Iris once again and heading back to the plains.  Iris was looking unsuccessfully for leopard, so we gave up and looked for lions.....plenty!  And we happened on a hunt between 5 lions and some buffalo. It looked as though the lions turfed the buffalo out of a wallow, but the buffalo turned on the lions and chased them, then the lions stopped and faced off the buffalo.  They all looked at each other for several minutes before calling it a day for the time being.  We watched them for ages.

Back to Bush Lodge encountering a number of elephants on the way.

We retired to the tents for the night, I was conscious of a chomping sound right at my tent, being alone I didn't venture forth, but when the chomping moved to the Wilcox tent Sarah and Wil went outside and found the hippo munching away.  He was so busy grazing that he paid no attention to them even when they took pics and the flash went off

The following morning we had a more leisurely start.

A drive to the Equator , naturally.

Then to a place where the Queen and Prince Philip toured some years ago, it was tipping it down which was a pity as we couldn't see the craters too well on this crater drive, but saw lots of eles in the distance.

Lunch at nice resort then boat trip down the channel.  Thankfully weather ok now, in fact hot and sunny. 

The boat kept going in close to pod of hippos and we felt distressed them.  This mum and baby took to the shore.  We weren't happy about the tactic.  Of course a number of tourists were cheering etc.

There were a lot of crocs on the bank, mouths open to cool themselves.  We also say several monitor lizards.

Fishing boats ready to sail in the evening.  Brown Ibis....noisy birds

Open Beaked Stork, yes that's it's name 

At last dinner outside, very pleasant evening.  The channel in the background.  It's natural not a man made canal.

Next day it was back to Kigali, and on Friday some final tat shopping for Sarah and Wil at Abraham Konga, one of my favourite shops.

Saturday was the first day of Kibuka, the memorial period for the Genocide against Tutsis.  We went south to a fish farm and delicious tilapia lunch.  It's a very interesting place to visit, learning how they harvest the eggs, fertilize and grown them on.

Sunday church as per usual, then after coffee at the Marriott to show Sarah and Wil the house I'm moving to.

Sarah and Wil left late the next evening.  So back to normal!