7/30/2018 0 Comments Enjoying Rwandan CultureLorna and Sophie's visit is flying by. We have certainly packed a lot into the two weeks they are here. After leaving Akagera we went to the Inzu Lodge in Rubavu and had a couple of days to relax in the stunning surroundings. We went for a sundowner and pizza at the Paradise malahide. The following day we travelled back home to Nyamasheke calling at Home St Jean in Karongi for lunch. On Wednesday we travelled for over two hours to reach Nyakabuye where one of my former students has set up a nursery school called St Kizita's (with lots of help from friends in the UK) Now the school is going to link with Archbishop Rowan William's school In Portskewett (Wales). ARW had sent pictures, letters and videos for us to share. We collected some pictures the children had drawn and also took lots of photos and videos to be taken back to Wales. As our car pulled up the children were all very excited and sang their welcome song. ![]() We joined in with the outdoor games - Mingle Mingle ![]() We were treated to some traditional Rwandan dancing. ![]() Then we visited both of the classes. ![]() And then it was time to say goodbye! After a long journey home we were back just in time to welcome some of my work clleagues who had come to say hello. The following day Sophie and Lorna came down to the office and met my team of national volunteers. On Friday we headed to Kamembe as to attend a wedding. But we squeezed in a visit to ECPS Tara Primary first thing. ![]() The nursery children look very smart in their new sports kit. P6 children had just finished their Maths exam. We had a great meeting with the Headteacher, Emmanuel, who told us the story of his school. The school bell rang for breaktime and it was time to us to leave as we had a wedding to go to.. The rainwater harvesting tank in the background had been bought using donated money from Welsh Water and the base was built using money from Hendredenny Primary in Caerphilly. The school doesn't have much spare land but what they do have they grow some coffee and bananas that they sell. Banana flowers are just the strangest looking thing! We checked into the wonderful Hotel Emeraude and then it was time to get dressed in the Rwandan traditional clothes. Fortunately one of the waitresses in the hotel was on hand to help. I tried to dress Lorna and when she saw my attempt she simply said - "you tried" - and then proceeded to redress her! The dowry ceremony was all delivered in Kinyarwanda so we weren't exactly sure what was going on - but we clapped in the right places (we think!). The choir and dancing was fantastic - the little baby on the back of one of the choir members slept through the whole thing! There were men who did very good impressions of a cow - not sure why! We weren't in the best place to get pictures but Patricie looked very beautiful and Dieudonne very happy! We had a selfie with the bridesmaids And then it was all over.
We had an hour's walk back to the hotel which cause a bit of a stir with the locals - not least because the wind had picked up and the skirts are not the easiest to control!
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7/29/2018 1 Comment Our first visitorsSix months in and we were very excited to have our daughter, Lorna, and her friend Sophie come and visit us for two weeks. We met them at the airport and travelled straight to the Akagera National park. We were staying at the beautiful Ruzizi Tented lodge. We had all afternoon to chill and watch the hippos in the lake. The evening meal by the fire was excellent. After a sunrise breakfast we headed out for a full day's game drive in Akagera ![]() Akagera is quite a small park compared with some in other African countries, but it's really beautiful and now proudly boasts the Big Five having introduced lions and rhinos in recent years. Last time we visited in 2014 there were no lions or rhinos. The lion population has increased from the 15 that were brought from S Africa in 2015 to 22 but in such a very large area you have to be lucky to find them. Guess we are lucky...... (yep there are two lions under the bush asleep - top marks for our guide, Zachary, for spotting them!) We had a great day driving right through the park - I will let the pictures speak for themselves! After a full day in the park it was time to head back to Kigali. The second puncture of the day (see wrecked tyre number one on the back of the jeep) meant that we were without a spare. ![]() Rwanda is full of helpful people and another jeep stopped and loaned us one of their spares so as Zachary put it 'we are saved'! We spent one night in Kigali staying at Five to Five and the following day we headed for Rubavu in western province for a couple of days' relaxation at the edge of Lake Kivu staying at one of our favourite places - the Inzu Lodge. We have done quite a lot in the first four days!
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December 2018
Preparing to go back to our second home
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