Butare, Kibungo & Kabarondo

Sorry, I've been out of action for a while - had a slight incident involving a cat (Sula), a cup of water, and my laptop ;o/ Thankfully the guy fixing it (Ali at USA Computers) salvaged the hard drive without incident but, as for the rest, he said 'I'll call you at 2pm tomorrow' - that was over a week ago. I tried to call him and he said 'I'll be in the office in half an hour and will call you back' - nadda. Such is trying to achieve any such thing in Kigali *sigh* Bahoro ba-extremely-feckin'-horo.

So, I'm without computer or internet until I know whether he can salvage the last one, or whether I need to get another.

Going to try and catch up in stages on my hectic social life.

Last weekend (31st January) I headed to Butare in the South with Cathryn, for Tiga's birthday. Loads of us went, including many of the new volunteers and loads of the old: Chris, Eric, Bruce, Ruairí, Nidhi, Steve etc. We all convened in the big supermarket-cum-café in town for food and then an amazingly decadent cake the size of a small house, coated in chocolate, pineapple and fireworks. Was most yummy.

I've had cake!

 

Got talking to an amazing guy who is a building contractor from South Africa, originally British. He runs his own company, but lost his hands in an accident when he tried to help some kids get a kite off what he thought was a telephone line. It was interesting listening to him talk about how his personality changed afterwards - for the better - and the things he's done in his life. He brought some Pyrite (Fool's Gold) from the mines they have for Tiga.

Sadly, Cathryn and I were lagging severely after food. Some went on to another bar and then a club, but we were just knackered so we went back to the guesthouse - Inayza - which is really lovely, and chilled out with a beer. We actually sat up talking for hours in the end, and got bitten to pieces by a swarm of mosquitoes. I was slightly worried I'd get malaria but, thankfully, nothing seems to have materialised.

The next day, we breakfasted with everyone then meandered to the buses, which were delayed by about an hour as it was Heroes’ Day (a national holiday). Got back, still pretty tired, and went our separate ways. I got home and collapsed in a heap, snoring my head off for a few hours.

It was a good weekend and I was glad to get out of Kigali. I've vowed to do it more often this year, as a form of relaxation, rather than holing myself up in the house when things are pants. I'm feeling extremely sociable since Christmas.

Last weekend was extremely good fun. My two American friends, Jeff and Addison, live in a big house in Kibungo, out East. I'd never been before. They had spare beds, so I decided to exchange them friends for food. I invited Martine, Cathryn, Ruairí and Eric along to say 'hi', also rounded up a couple of other volunteers: Tom, Tinks and Epiphanie, who live out that way, and some of Jeff and Addison's friends also came. It was an excellent night. Cathryn, Martine, Ruairí and I got the bus together and arrived in Kibungo around five. We dropped our stuff off at the house, then went up the road by moto to a lovely bar where Eric, Tom, Tinks and some other people joined us. Addison was still working, but we passed him on the way to the pub, he was skipping with a group of school kids down the high street ;)

Had a couple of drinks until it got dark, then headed back to the house, which has an amazing sort of igloo-shaped oven in the garden. Plenty of booze was consumed, including some very bizarre Mango Gin courtesy of Ruairí! Jeff and Addison had prepared the most outstanding pizza in the world ever. There was tons of it, followed by custard/biscuit desert. I was in some kind of heaven. It was made all the better by a pilates ball! Where did that come from? lol Bouncy-bouncy-bouncy...

Errr, anyway. We had bunk beds, but Addison, being a chronic insomniac, very kindly donated his huge bed to me, so I slept like a princess.

The next morning those of us who had stayed over: myself, Ruairí, Cathryn and Eric, were treated to a wonderful breakfast of omelet specialle, baked beans, apple juice and very good coffee.

After, I took a wander down the road with Eric. He lives the next town (village?) up and has a PO box in Kibungo, so we walked down to the Post Office, then carried on past and down the hill just chatting. It was really nice, and Kibungo has such a friendly atmosphere. Lots of smiles and waves but no 'Mzungu give me money!' Very relaxing, and soooo green, with big rolling valleys and lots of pretty birds and flowers.

We packed up shortly after breakfast and got on the bus back to Kigali. Myself and Cathryn opted to stop off in Kabarondo, where Eric lives, for a Fanta, and to nose around his pad as neither of us had been before. The offer of a bed for the night was still there. Between relaxing on the grass in the country and back to gloomy ol' Kigali, I accepted.

We went for a lovely walk, then had some food at a local bar. Cathryn headed off and Eric and I chilled out on the lawn, him playing the guitar and me picking flowers from the hedgerow - coulda started an ashram or summat.

We went for another drink at a different bar before walking back up the hill to his house, which is very nice but very bare in comparison to mine. I think volunteers in Kigali naturally collect more junk because it's easier to palm it off onto friends once you're done, and there are more purchasing opportunities I suppose. And I guess women are more messy than men generally - what with men being the hunters and women being the gatherers ;) We tend to line our nests with all sorts of useless junk: clothes on the floor, makeup across the bathroom, this, that, and the other. Men are also messy often, but with less stuff to be messy with...?

Random ramble.

Anyway, just behind the house is the most amazing football pitch I've ever seen. Well, not so much the pitch as the view! It's stunning. Moody grey clouds shot through with deep rose sunset and veiled mist between rolling black hills. It was breathtaking. You could see rain falling miles away.

Eric, on the other hand, was far more concerned with the football but that's boys for you, eh? ;)

Kabarondo

The kids hanging around the pitch were really sweet. I'm not usually much of a kid person, but they were extremely endearing and friendly.

After the match, we headed back to the house to try and muster our own version of Ready, Steady Cook with three potatoes, a slightly blackened carrot, half an onion, and a heap of spices I'd collected from the box of stuff li'le Amanda was giving away in the Programme Office.

We ended up with some sort of extremely spicy gloop - but it smelled good :o/

Then we walked down the hill - me blissfully happy in the concept of heading back to the pub. Only, it wasn't the pub. It was a room full of 40 young boys! Eeep! Children, run away!

We made a pit-stop at Sacca, a home for street kids, where Eric sometimes helps out. Initially feeling extremely uncomfortable at the rigid stand-up, 'My name is...' 40-times-over introductions, it soon deteriorated into a frenzy of finger games: can you make your index finger and little finger touch over your two middle fingers? Then arm wrestling! Absolutely wonderful kids. I really enjoyed myself, although I still find it extremely hard to answer questions like: "Do you have parents?" from children. It made me laugh at one point. I said I was an only child and they were all extremely sorry for me. The concept of being a 'spoiled' only child hasn't caught on here.

I also taught them a little bit of sign language, which they loved, and I'm now in negotiations with Eric's friend Eric (errr, Eric 2 to avoid confusion), who works at Sacca, to go back with some of my colleagues from the Deaf Association and do a full day with them.

So, Myself, Eric, Eric 2, and Vietol headed to the pub after. I was a tad wary as Eric suggested Vietol and I would make a good pair ;o/ Cheers, like I need dating advice mister!

It was a good night. Eric 2 and Vietol (a name I can never spell!) are lovely guys and easy to hang out with.

Didn't crash too late, and refused to take Eric's offer of giving up his bed having already deprived Addison of his the night before. Doesn't do a girl good to accept too many gentlemanly acts - softens heart and hyde. Slept well, except for a mournful dog howling at the moon around 4am, and a few freaky night visions. Haven't had that for a while, but they were quite pleasant.

In the morning, Eric boiled me a bucket of hot water to wash in - total luxury! Breakfasted on bananas and coffee, then caught the bus back to Kigali around 10am.

Got back to Kigali with a glowing suntan from the Tanzanian-ish weather in the East, only to find it grey, cold, and P'ing it down, as it has been for the past couple of weeks non-stop :( Met up with Martine in the Blues Café for a wee bite to eat and a natter, but I was extremely tired and annoyed by the weather so headed home early, just as Paula and Sonya were arriving.

Ended up in Stella with Cathryn in the evening for a little sup and a natter. Things still not going great work-wise for her, but alcohol is always good medicine.