Well, I finally get to Kabarore, two weeks after getting here in Rwanda, as Bosco from the VSO programme office delivered me to the house. The journey was quite spectacular with rolling countryside with much of it given over to agriculture; I saw sugar cane, rice fields, maize, pineapples, …), as well as some patches of rain forest mainly on the tops of the mountains (c2000m). The route took us past Lake Muhazi which has 12 arms and even one of these seemed very expansive.
The house is quite large with four bedrooms, a room with a shower tray but no running water in the house. There is an open plan lounge / dining room with the dining room serving as the kitchen. The lounge has a coffee table and four chairs. In the kitchen I have two tables, one for preparation and the other has four dining chairs. I have a free-standing 2-ring hotplate run on electricity, a water filter and a kettle. It is amazing what can be done with these. My first task after making the bed was to set about cleaning the water filter “candles”, fitting a new one after boiling it for 15 minutes. I was left three jerry-cans, two filled with water provenance unknown. I boiled up the contents off one jerry-can in batches leaving one to cool overnight and then on Wednesday morning filtered this and another batch. I now have plenty of filtered water to complement the three 5 litre bottles I brought with me.
VSO had organised for the employment of a guard, called Bizmus, who is on-site from dusk to dawn. He keeps guard from the covered area at the front of the house and patrols every so often. When it rains or gets cold (<20C) he uses an outhouse in the garden to shelter. VSO organised for a domestic, Florence who I think is the guard’s daughter, to attend two days each week. I have these organised on the two market days so that she can buy food for me whilst I am at work. It has the benefit of also ensuring that the correct sum is paid and the “muzungu” is not ripped off! Flo came on Wednesday this week to clean the house of the dust that has accumulated whilst it has stood empty.
I have been setting up home by cleaning and sorting the various items left by my predecessors. Much of it is very useful. I now have an organised bedroom, though I need to find some arrangement to hang clothes. I have a floor-standing cupboard with a shelf that allows me to store small items of clothing. The bed is comfortable and has a newish mosquito net. I need some plugs and screws so that I can fit the hanging rack on the wall in this and the other bedroom that has another mattress though no bed frame!
I have now organised to keep a flask off water after I have boiled it for 15 minutes. This I use in the morning for washing, such bliss after using cold water! I use the remainder to wash up after breakfast.
There were only a few units of electricity left and these ended on Wednesday a.m. just after cooking my porridge. I did find two places in the village to buy electricity, but not for my provider “Cashpower”. So I need to go elsewhere to buy this, might try Rwamagana on Thursday. It should be possible to get one’s mobile phone set up to buy electricity 24/7 so I will explore that in Kigali on Friday p.m. Just about everywhere someone sells scratch cards with credit for your mobile phone this is then used to pay for the electricity. You enter the 11-digit account number which is shown on your meter, select purchase and you then receive an SMS with a code to enter on the meter to authorise it to receive your units.
Late Wednesday morning I found the District Education Office and met Frederic the DEO. We have agreed that we will meet up on Friday a.m. to plan the next week’s work programme.
We discovered that we were both watching the Shalke v Man U game in the New London Bar. Along one side there are three TV screens and there are rows of seat set up like a stand! You just cannot believe the response to the goals, has to be seen to be believed.
I went to Rwamagana and found an MTN centre where two very helpful young staff managed to get my phone registered for “MobileMoney”. This allows me to buy electricity by putting money on the phone. There is a MTN menu within the Services menu on my phone where you make a purchase. You then receive an SMS to enter into the meter and power is restored!
Rwanda
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Monday, 25 April 2011
End of Week 2 & other activities
Saturday in and around Kigali
After walking back down the mount, we caught a minibus back from Nyamirambo to “mu muji”. Once back in town we decided that as we were quite hungry we would seek out somewhere to eat close to the bus station. Bus stations are normally quite organised in the outskirts of town and are recognisable as such. However, for Kigali the term “bus station” is a misnomer. Here it consists of several streets strung with coaches and minibuses often two deep at the side of the road.
We each had an omelette; mine was called espagnole which did have potato, onion and tomato in it, with a small beer. The café had two seating areas, one was laid out for eating, whilst the other had ranks of plastic seats so that the Man U v Everton match could be watched with a drink! Bert left to go back home and the three of us sought out the Tourist Office only to find it had closed 30 minutes earlier at 2 p.m. We now know the opening hours!
From there we looked in a small parade of shops where I bought some porridge oats so that I can have something substantial for breakfast from time to time. We then went to the Nakumatt Supermarket to find an extension lead with surge protection for Lynne & Darryl as well as a few other items.
Once back at the house we all needed to chillax as the walk was more strenuous than we had realised. Bert had suggested we go to the Jambo Inn for dinner so that was agreed. Just before we left the power cut hit. This meant we had not left on the light for their guard Jean d’Amour – what a name!
We set off at about six p.m. and walked to the Jambo Inn which was also affected by the power cut, but there was enough other light to find our way up the stairs in the fading light to the flat roof were we were to eat. The waiter kindly moved a table out of one of the booths, which had walls too high to look out over, to an area with a balustrade so that we look out over that part of the city and face towards the airport. It sounds grand but it was quite basic with plastic seats and trestle table covered with a table cloth. As food was barbequed the lack of power was not a problem. We each ordered brochettes and chips, I chose both a goat and a fish brochette, but Bert did say to expect it to take at least an hour to arrive and he was right! Before long power returned and we did have enough light to eat by. The fish brochette was particularly good.
The rooftop was quite good for viewing the night sky. It does seem odd to see Orion horizontal, Sirius so high in the sky and the Plough upside-down!
Mount Kigali
On Saturday morning Bert, Lynne, Darryl and I set off to go for a walk to the top of Mount Kigali. We caught a minbus to Nyamirambo terminus, where the football stadium is located. From here we followed the cobbled road until it ran out and then walked up the dirt tracks working our way in what we thought was the right direction. It was!
It was quite tough going as it had rained heavily in the morning before we set off. This meant that whilst the dirt tracks had drained well there was a lot of humidity, the tracks were steep and we were at an altitude of about 1200m at this point. So we took it easy in terms of pace.
Once we left the main concentration of buildings behind we were joined by four young men of secondary school age, as well as a group of younger children who were collecting dried fallen twigs from the eucalyptus trees. They were very friendly and wanted to talk to us in English, two of them in particular, and we meandered through the forest until we reached the military camp at the top. Unfortunately we could go no further so exploration was curtailed.
However, the views were not very good at the top due to the forest so we turned back and retraced our steps.
One disappointment was that we saw several very beautiful butterflies, but I was unable to get a picture before they flew off!
Minibuses
I should say something about minibuses which are a cheap form of transport with most journeys costing about 190FRw (20p) around Kigali, but they often wait until they are at least 90% full. Whilst they are built for 11 passengers they have extra fold down seats in the aisle and squeeze four passengers into space for three. So they usually have 17 plus driver and conductor!
There are larger vehicles, small coaches that also run around Kigali but they only semm to run on certain routes. Some cost the same, other more, not sure why. These also squeeze in as amny as possible too.
So travel is a hot business, though Rwandese, as they call themselves, seem to have no problem about personal space. Using a few basic words of Kinyarwanda also causes great surprise and prompts conversation.
End of week 2
Well we finished ICT (In-Country Training) on Thursday evening and people began to depart for various parts of Rwanda. Much excitement on my part as I have received the keys to the house I will be living in. This was tempered by being told that I could not be collected until Monday morning by my colleagues from Gatsibo district.
By late Friday morning just two or three of us were left at the Amani Guest House.
I went into town with a colleague and had burger and salad at the Bourbon Café. Whilst the “melanje” at the Amani is highly rated by volunteers it was a welcome change. Afterwards I bought an iron as it was one of the items that Neal, a former volunteer in the house I will live in, has said is needed and so that I can look presentable at work in the District Education Office in Kabarore. I spent the afternoon trying to get some sense of order to my notes, particularly the Kinyarwanda, though more work is needed yet.
Lynne texted me and invited me to join her, Darryl and Bert for the weekend as I will be all alone in Amani after Saturday a.m. We plan to walk up Mount Kigali on Saturday morning. So I caught a minibus to Remera and then a mototaxi to Kimironko where they live.
After walking back down the mount, we caught a minibus back from Nyamirambo to “mu muji”. Once back in town we decided that as we were quite hungry we would seek out somewhere to eat close to the bus station. Bus stations are normally quite organised in the outskirts of town and are recognisable as such. However, for Kigali the term “bus station” is a misnomer. Here it consists of several streets strung with coaches and minibuses often two deep at the side of the road.
We each had an omelette; mine was called espagnole which did have potato, onion and tomato in it, with a small beer. The café had two seating areas, one was laid out for eating, whilst the other had ranks of plastic seats so that the Man U v Everton match could be watched with a drink! Bert left to go back home and the three of us sought out the Tourist Office only to find it had closed 30 minutes earlier at 2 p.m. We now know the opening hours!
From there we looked in a small parade of shops where I bought some porridge oats so that I can have something substantial for breakfast from time to time. We then went to the Nakumatt Supermarket to find an extension lead with surge protection for Lynne & Darryl as well as a few other items.
Once back at the house we all needed to chillax as the walk was more strenuous than we had realised. Bert had suggested we go to the Jambo Inn for dinner so that was agreed. Just before we left the power cut hit. This meant we had not left on the light for their guard Jean d’Amour – what a name!
We set off at about six p.m. and walked to the Jambo Inn which was also affected by the power cut, but there was enough other light to find our way up the stairs in the fading light to the flat roof were we were to eat. The waiter kindly moved a table out of one of the booths, which had walls too high to look out over, to an area with a balustrade so that we look out over that part of the city and face towards the airport. It sounds grand but it was quite basic with plastic seats and trestle table covered with a table cloth. As food was barbequed the lack of power was not a problem. We each ordered brochettes and chips, I chose both a goat and a fish brochette, but Bert did say to expect it to take at least an hour to arrive and he was right! Before long power returned and we did have enough light to eat by. The fish brochette was particularly good.
The rooftop was quite good for viewing the night sky. It does seem odd to see Orion horizontal, Sirius so high in the sky and the Plough upside-down!
Mount Kigali
On Saturday morning Bert, Lynne, Darryl and I set off to go for a walk to the top of Mount Kigali. We caught a minbus to Nyamirambo terminus, where the football stadium is located. From here we followed the cobbled road until it ran out and then walked up the dirt tracks working our way in what we thought was the right direction. It was!
It was quite tough going as it had rained heavily in the morning before we set off. This meant that whilst the dirt tracks had drained well there was a lot of humidity, the tracks were steep and we were at an altitude of about 1200m at this point. So we took it easy in terms of pace.
Once we left the main concentration of buildings behind we were joined by four young men of secondary school age, as well as a group of younger children who were collecting dried fallen twigs from the eucalyptus trees. They were very friendly and wanted to talk to us in English, two of them in particular, and we meandered through the forest until we reached the military camp at the top. Unfortunately we could go no further so exploration was curtailed.
However, the views were not very good at the top due to the forest so we turned back and retraced our steps.
One disappointment was that we saw several very beautiful butterflies, but I was unable to get a picture before they flew off!
Minibuses
I should say something about minibuses which are a cheap form of transport with most journeys costing about 190FRw (20p) around Kigali, but they often wait until they are at least 90% full. Whilst they are built for 11 passengers they have extra fold down seats in the aisle and squeeze four passengers into space for three. So they usually have 17 plus driver and conductor!
There are larger vehicles, small coaches that also run around Kigali but they only semm to run on certain routes. Some cost the same, other more, not sure why. These also squeeze in as amny as possible too.
So travel is a hot business, though Rwandese, as they call themselves, seem to have no problem about personal space. Using a few basic words of Kinyarwanda also causes great surprise and prompts conversation.
End of week 2
Well we finished ICT (In-Country Training) on Thursday evening and people began to depart for various parts of Rwanda. Much excitement on my part as I have received the keys to the house I will be living in. This was tempered by being told that I could not be collected until Monday morning by my colleagues from Gatsibo district.
By late Friday morning just two or three of us were left at the Amani Guest House.
I went into town with a colleague and had burger and salad at the Bourbon Café. Whilst the “melanje” at the Amani is highly rated by volunteers it was a welcome change. Afterwards I bought an iron as it was one of the items that Neal, a former volunteer in the house I will live in, has said is needed and so that I can look presentable at work in the District Education Office in Kabarore. I spent the afternoon trying to get some sense of order to my notes, particularly the Kinyarwanda, though more work is needed yet.
Lynne texted me and invited me to join her, Darryl and Bert for the weekend as I will be all alone in Amani after Saturday a.m. We plan to walk up Mount Kigali on Saturday morning. So I caught a minibus to Remera and then a mototaxi to Kimironko where they live.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
End of the first week!
The Kinyarwanda is going well though I am reaching my limit in the classroom. I need to use it out and about to consolidate the learning as I think I’ve reached full in my capacity to recall words.
Saturday was the last day of In-Country Training 1 (ICT1). It began with another session of Kinyarwanda and then we had a two hour break during which we walked around the local area. Our Guest house, Centre Amani, is in an area that is having its dirt roads upgraded. See picture.
In the afternoon we went to the Genocide Memorial Centre which was very necessary to understand the enormity of the tragedy and how much the country has done to recover. What was disturbing was the area devoted to genocides over time from 1905 in Armenia. The repetition of such events was very saddening.
One of the other volunteers, Mark, invited us to go for a pizza in the evening and we went to the Sol e Lune, most enjoyable and a nice change from the “melanje” we have been having each day.
Mark suggested we use the mototaxi to get to the restaurant so all five of us rode pillion in convoy to the area of town where the restaurant is located. The pizza were very authentic and a most enjoyable change.
On Sunday afternoon we are going to the Kimironko market which should be quite an experience as we understand it.
On Monday we are joined by about 20 volunteers who have been in country since January for the start of ICT2, this means more Kinyarwanda training, but I think we will all opt to be in the less-confident group!
Saturday was the last day of In-Country Training 1 (ICT1). It began with another session of Kinyarwanda and then we had a two hour break during which we walked around the local area. Our Guest house, Centre Amani, is in an area that is having its dirt roads upgraded. See picture.
In the afternoon we went to the Genocide Memorial Centre which was very necessary to understand the enormity of the tragedy and how much the country has done to recover. What was disturbing was the area devoted to genocides over time from 1905 in Armenia. The repetition of such events was very saddening.
One of the other volunteers, Mark, invited us to go for a pizza in the evening and we went to the Sol e Lune, most enjoyable and a nice change from the “melanje” we have been having each day.
Mark suggested we use the mototaxi to get to the restaurant so all five of us rode pillion in convoy to the area of town where the restaurant is located. The pizza were very authentic and a most enjoyable change.
On Sunday afternoon we are going to the Kimironko market which should be quite an experience as we understand it.
On Monday we are joined by about 20 volunteers who have been in country since January for the start of ICT2, this means more Kinyarwanda training, but I think we will all opt to be in the less-confident group!
Monday, 11 April 2011
Nearly there!
Hi everyone, just in case you were wondering what the helmet looked like a picture of the "racer" is shown!
All is packed, apart from a few bits for my hand luggage.
Next post is likely to be from Kigali.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
April Update
Hi, I am now in the final throws of getting ready. I have had my last jab (3rd rabies).
Recently, I received my motorcycle helmet - very flashy white with swirls all over looks as if I should be a racer!
I fly out from Heathrow next Tuesday morning at 0650 to Kigali via a transfer in Brussels and arrive in Rwanda at 1850 (BST + 1 hour).
My learning of Kinyarwanda (the local language) is coming on but some of the conversations I am to listen to sound far too fast! I will no doubt get used to them.
I have been told my accommodation will be basic
Recently, I received my motorcycle helmet - very flashy white with swirls all over looks as if I should be a racer!
I fly out from Heathrow next Tuesday morning at 0650 to Kigali via a transfer in Brussels and arrive in Rwanda at 1850 (BST + 1 hour).
My learning of Kinyarwanda (the local language) is coming on but some of the conversations I am to listen to sound far too fast! I will no doubt get used to them.
I have been told my accommodation will be basic
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)