Only four weeks to go next Tuesday, hard to believe.
The bus from Kigali was very rapid. Even though we had to stop at Remera bus station, in the outskirts of Kigali, and change buses we did the journey to Kabarore in record time about 1 hour 50 minutes. The driver drove like the wind, bat out of hell, …
I was less than pleased to find that the food I had left for breakfast on Friday was now gone. The spare mattress was in the bedroom off the lounge and my après razage moisturiser and athlete’s food powder were on a chair alongside the mattress. I made a mental note that I needed to lay down some ground rules on Tuesday with the domestique.
So given the speed of the bus driver and lack of breakfast materials, I was back home in time to drop off my luggage and still get to the weekly briefing in Kinyarwanda by 7.40. The meeting had only just begun. I remembered to take my notebook so that I could plan my next few days.
Unfortunately, I could not sit by anyone who could translate for me so I concentrated for now on my planning.
Denis, who works in Kibungo had called and texted me to finalise his visit to Kabarore. He had decided to stay with me which I welcomed as a chance to have decent conversation in English. He wanted to come and see what I have been doing in Gatsibo which is quite different from his work in Kibungo. He was coming with his Kinyarwanda mentor, Theo a young Rwandan, who would also be visiting relatives in the area.
At work I had ploughed on with the production of a spreadsheet to record the Fiche Individuelle of teachers. This is the record that tracks their changes in status and salary. It existed in a huge, now non-standard, size that was too large to photocopy. I volunteered to create an Excel version which has gone down very well.
I also had a request from another EMA (Education Management Adviser) for a register in electronic format. I didn’t have one but offered to create one. This now exists and she suggests should be part of the EMA toolkit.
On Thursday Denis arrived in the late afternoon. He was very dusty, but I had some hot water ready for him in a flask I’d prepared in the morning, it seemed very welcome.
On Friday he came into the office and talked with me and the DEO. He was very impressed with my DEO’s knowledge of proposals such as extending the 9YBE to 12YBE over the next three years.
I shared what I had been doing and we went off for lunch. Theo did not arrive back from his uncle’s in time to join us, but we walked down into the town and met him there. We looked around the Friday market, me buying provisions, and then they caught a mutate back to Kayonza where they would change.
I spent a quiet weekend catching up on chores and getting some rest. On Sunday I walked around the town and took a few photos, so that I might be able to offer them up to Google maps on return.
Rwanda
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Gorilla Trek
On Saturday Lynne, Darryl and I made our way to Ruhengeri. The lady we had seen the previous day to book our trip later in the month to Akagera said it was 200 to the hotel from the bus drop-off point. We assumed she meant 200m. However, having found out by asking which direction to go in, we walked much further and had still not reached the hotel. So we retraced out tracks back towards the town centre so that we could flag down three motos. They wanted to charge the Muzungus 300RwF to get to the hotel, it was at that point that we realised that it was 200RwF and not metres. I haggled the price down as usual.
The hotel was delightful, see www.HotelMuhabura.com. The reception was manned by a really helpful man who was keen to ensure everything was how we wanted it. Knowing we had to leave early we asked what time breakfast was served. He told us that it was from 5 a.m. but that 5.45 would be easily early enough. He later agreed to organise packed lunches for our trek.
I telephoned the 4x4 company to ensure that all was still OK and they confirmed is was and that they would collect us at 6.15 next morning.
We each had an apartment in the grounds that overlooked the volcanoes. We unpacked and then made our way to the patio in front of the hotel for a drink. After we had chatted we decided to go and make use of the HOT showers and then have dinner. I decided to have steak in a mushroom sauce as a real treat. I was not asked how I’d like it cooking so feared the worse. It was fine if not quite as succulent as I’d like.
As we were leaving for dinner, in the fading light, something moving caught my eye and there were three large birds walking along the margin of the hotel gardens.
The hotel gardens looked very pleasant in the early morning light and I decided to go around the back of my apartment block to see the volcanoes. They looked very impressive in the gloom.
We all made breakfast for 5.45 and it was really delightful. It consisted of coffee or tea, omelette, toast, Blue Band margarine, jam and a plate of fruit each. The fruit consisted of two passion fruit, a tree tomato, banana and ¼ of a fresh pineapple. They delivered our packed lunches and we paid for them as we had paid for the rooms on arrival.
Our driver collected us on time and we set of for the meeting point at Kinigi. The roads were lined with hundreds of people walking to church, whilst we ploughed a rapid route down the middle of the road. Drivers here rarely keep to one side of the road unless there is another vehicle in sight!
At Kinigi our driver asked what we wanted to see and how far we were prepared to walk. He would do the negotiation on our behalf, whilst we had a mug of tea or coffee. We said we would like to see a family with recent young gorillas and that were happy to walk a reasonable distance – not the 6 hours that it takes to the Sousa family group!He came back saying we were to go to see the Amahoro family group. (Amahoro = Peace).
Only 8 can visit a group, so we were joined by five others, a Rwandan couple, a Ugandan man his Tanzanian girlfriend and her mother. Everyone piled into our 4x4 as it was the largest and the Rwandans did not want to take their car. We soon realised why. The road to the starting point of the trek was more like a dried up rocky river bed than a road.
It took almost an hour to get to our starting point. We were all offered a carved walking staff, I had my poles so declined, and then we set off across the fields. These were mainly growing Irish potatoes (as they call them) but on the top of the rows of earthed up potatoes a small daisy like flower was growing. Our guide asked is anyone knew what they were. No one did. He then told us they were pyrethrum and was used to produce the chemical permethrin to use as an insect killer on mosquito nets, etc.
Eventually we reach the boundary of the National Park with a wall outside a deep ditch, to keep the wild buffaloes in!We were given our instructions by the guide and set off through the undergrowth, bamboo forest and across fern covered slopes. At time we were walking on plants like matting suspended well above the slope. Several feet of poles often disappeared as we tried to keep our balance on the green stems.
Our trek took about 2 hours and we climbed steadily up to about 2700m where we came across a lake in a valley close to where the trackers had located the family. En route the views back across the park made you feel you were in a very special place, the views looked almost primeval. They used a walkie-talkie to communicate with the guide. We had to leave our poles and bags with a tracker and the two porters that had been employed by Lynne & Darryl and made our way towards the family.
Just as we set off a dark mass rolled past the three of us just inches on the other side of some saplings. It was a black-back male who really set our hearts racing.
The family were in amongst a lot of ferns and at first whilst we could just see the silver-back lazing with a female it was not too inspiring. That soon changed. We saw many of the 18 gorillas in the group. Young chasing each other and play-fighting, mothers with their young, the black-back males mainly by themselves, they get punished by the silver-back if they misbehave. The silver-back was enormous about 210 kg and a very impressive presence. At times you did feel that they were thinking that the guides had brought some more humans for them to watch! What an honour to be able to see these majestic great apes from so close.
I mainly took video, but some pictures are shown below. A female watching the humans, young gorillas playing chase, a black-back male resting and a family get together.
On our way back the cloud finally cleared from the top of the volcano and we could see the crater.
We got back to Ruhengeri at about 3.30 and managed to book a place on the 4.30 bus for Kigali. We spend the time in a bar where we each had two fantas. Cannot believe how many sugary drinks I am having here. The only ones available are fantas and cokes.
On our way back we had a text saying that it was Bert's birthday ans that he would be at the Tangren Chinese restaurant with some friends. I decided so I could go too, and to stay and catch an early bus on Monday morning. I did the 5.25 to Kabarore and beyond!
The hotel was delightful, see www.HotelMuhabura.com. The reception was manned by a really helpful man who was keen to ensure everything was how we wanted it. Knowing we had to leave early we asked what time breakfast was served. He told us that it was from 5 a.m. but that 5.45 would be easily early enough. He later agreed to organise packed lunches for our trek.
I telephoned the 4x4 company to ensure that all was still OK and they confirmed is was and that they would collect us at 6.15 next morning.
We each had an apartment in the grounds that overlooked the volcanoes. We unpacked and then made our way to the patio in front of the hotel for a drink. After we had chatted we decided to go and make use of the HOT showers and then have dinner. I decided to have steak in a mushroom sauce as a real treat. I was not asked how I’d like it cooking so feared the worse. It was fine if not quite as succulent as I’d like.
As we were leaving for dinner, in the fading light, something moving caught my eye and there were three large birds walking along the margin of the hotel gardens.
The hotel gardens looked very pleasant in the early morning light and I decided to go around the back of my apartment block to see the volcanoes. They looked very impressive in the gloom.
We all made breakfast for 5.45 and it was really delightful. It consisted of coffee or tea, omelette, toast, Blue Band margarine, jam and a plate of fruit each. The fruit consisted of two passion fruit, a tree tomato, banana and ¼ of a fresh pineapple. They delivered our packed lunches and we paid for them as we had paid for the rooms on arrival.
Our driver collected us on time and we set of for the meeting point at Kinigi. The roads were lined with hundreds of people walking to church, whilst we ploughed a rapid route down the middle of the road. Drivers here rarely keep to one side of the road unless there is another vehicle in sight!
At Kinigi our driver asked what we wanted to see and how far we were prepared to walk. He would do the negotiation on our behalf, whilst we had a mug of tea or coffee. We said we would like to see a family with recent young gorillas and that were happy to walk a reasonable distance – not the 6 hours that it takes to the Sousa family group!He came back saying we were to go to see the Amahoro family group. (Amahoro = Peace).
Only 8 can visit a group, so we were joined by five others, a Rwandan couple, a Ugandan man his Tanzanian girlfriend and her mother. Everyone piled into our 4x4 as it was the largest and the Rwandans did not want to take their car. We soon realised why. The road to the starting point of the trek was more like a dried up rocky river bed than a road.
It took almost an hour to get to our starting point. We were all offered a carved walking staff, I had my poles so declined, and then we set off across the fields. These were mainly growing Irish potatoes (as they call them) but on the top of the rows of earthed up potatoes a small daisy like flower was growing. Our guide asked is anyone knew what they were. No one did. He then told us they were pyrethrum and was used to produce the chemical permethrin to use as an insect killer on mosquito nets, etc.
Eventually we reach the boundary of the National Park with a wall outside a deep ditch, to keep the wild buffaloes in!We were given our instructions by the guide and set off through the undergrowth, bamboo forest and across fern covered slopes. At time we were walking on plants like matting suspended well above the slope. Several feet of poles often disappeared as we tried to keep our balance on the green stems.
Our trek took about 2 hours and we climbed steadily up to about 2700m where we came across a lake in a valley close to where the trackers had located the family. En route the views back across the park made you feel you were in a very special place, the views looked almost primeval. They used a walkie-talkie to communicate with the guide. We had to leave our poles and bags with a tracker and the two porters that had been employed by Lynne & Darryl and made our way towards the family.
Just as we set off a dark mass rolled past the three of us just inches on the other side of some saplings. It was a black-back male who really set our hearts racing.
The family were in amongst a lot of ferns and at first whilst we could just see the silver-back lazing with a female it was not too inspiring. That soon changed. We saw many of the 18 gorillas in the group. Young chasing each other and play-fighting, mothers with their young, the black-back males mainly by themselves, they get punished by the silver-back if they misbehave. The silver-back was enormous about 210 kg and a very impressive presence. At times you did feel that they were thinking that the guides had brought some more humans for them to watch! What an honour to be able to see these majestic great apes from so close.
I mainly took video, but some pictures are shown below. A female watching the humans, young gorillas playing chase, a black-back male resting and a family get together.
On our way back the cloud finally cleared from the top of the volcano and we could see the crater.
We got back to Ruhengeri at about 3.30 and managed to book a place on the 4.30 bus for Kigali. We spend the time in a bar where we each had two fantas. Cannot believe how many sugary drinks I am having here. The only ones available are fantas and cokes.
On our way back we had a text saying that it was Bert's birthday ans that he would be at the Tangren Chinese restaurant with some friends. I decided so I could go too, and to stay and catch an early bus on Monday morning. I did the 5.25 to Kabarore and beyond!
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Week 8 (part 1)
Well it is difficult to believe that I am already more than half way through my placement here in Rwanda. It is a very special country with a really friendly people. You are made to feel welcome wherever you are.
Before I report on Gorilla Trekking, I have some more observations about Rwandan behaviours.
Personal space is not at all considered, it may be a function of living in the most densely populated country in Africa, perhaps it’s just that you get used to travelling in a "mutato" (minibus) with people sitting tightly together four on a double seat plus fold down aisle seat, with children as extra!
However, it is quite usual for friends to walk along holding hands. These can be same sex, same age, different age and / or different sex. It is quite usual to see two men holding hands they could be friends or possibly father and son.
Another feature that is quite surprising at first is that it is quite normal and acceptable to spit in the street, to scratch yourself, pick your nose in company, etc.
If you are invited by a Rwandan to join them for a drink or a meal you are not expected to pay. It would be considered rude to offer to do so. However, if you invite someone then you will be paying! So the best way of balancing things out is to offer as often as you are invited.
What has become less obvious to me now is that people walk around with brown envelopes. A postal service does not exist as we know it in the UK. Here it is almost non-existent. If you want something to be delivered you are likely to be taking it personally in a manila envelope!
Headteachers are often out of their schools to deliver documents to the sector or district level. There has been a campaign for a $100 laptop per pupil (gradually rolling out) but one per teacher or certainly one per headteacher would not go amiss. An email address for all and training in basic ICT for teachers and heads would be a real benefit to this country.
On Thursday the DEO was working with two headteachers on the production of a very important document. This required quite complex formatting including adding a front sheet before the contents table (difficult if not even one line has been left above it on the first page!), inserting pictures, setting up tables from which bar charts were to be drawn, etc. Tried to get across that the use of page breaks is best and not the use of many blank lines to alter where pages were split. It is a nightmare that no one uses page breaks. This means that every time they want to insert text, table or two, a picture or a chart they have to edit the start / finish of nearly every page.
Anyway we had done so well that the DEO invited us for lunch (see earlier)!
Before I report on Gorilla Trekking, I have some more observations about Rwandan behaviours.
Personal space is not at all considered, it may be a function of living in the most densely populated country in Africa, perhaps it’s just that you get used to travelling in a "mutato" (minibus) with people sitting tightly together four on a double seat plus fold down aisle seat, with children as extra!
However, it is quite usual for friends to walk along holding hands. These can be same sex, same age, different age and / or different sex. It is quite usual to see two men holding hands they could be friends or possibly father and son.
Another feature that is quite surprising at first is that it is quite normal and acceptable to spit in the street, to scratch yourself, pick your nose in company, etc.
If you are invited by a Rwandan to join them for a drink or a meal you are not expected to pay. It would be considered rude to offer to do so. However, if you invite someone then you will be paying! So the best way of balancing things out is to offer as often as you are invited.
What has become less obvious to me now is that people walk around with brown envelopes. A postal service does not exist as we know it in the UK. Here it is almost non-existent. If you want something to be delivered you are likely to be taking it personally in a manila envelope!
Headteachers are often out of their schools to deliver documents to the sector or district level. There has been a campaign for a $100 laptop per pupil (gradually rolling out) but one per teacher or certainly one per headteacher would not go amiss. An email address for all and training in basic ICT for teachers and heads would be a real benefit to this country.
On Thursday the DEO was working with two headteachers on the production of a very important document. This required quite complex formatting including adding a front sheet before the contents table (difficult if not even one line has been left above it on the first page!), inserting pictures, setting up tables from which bar charts were to be drawn, etc. Tried to get across that the use of page breaks is best and not the use of many blank lines to alter where pages were split. It is a nightmare that no one uses page breaks. This means that every time they want to insert text, table or two, a picture or a chart they have to edit the start / finish of nearly every page.
Anyway we had done so well that the DEO invited us for lunch (see earlier)!
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Week 7
Well back to the Amani Guest House for the VSO Rwanda Conference on “Quality in Education”. I guess it will be my last stay there. The food variety now feels much greater than I first thought! The welcome from the staff was excellent, they even remembered my name.
Whilst all the days were good in their own way, I was particularly impressed by some of the examples of good practice that were shared. Some of the best demo lessons I have seen. It is no surprise that VSO is making an impact here.
Whilst I remember I ought to share some observations about Rwandan society. It is based on deference to those older. For example they have a respectful way of shaking hands or giving things out. In each case the left hand grips the right forearm when shaking the hand of someone older, or giving them something such as water, the bill, etc. However they also have other forms of greeting. If you have been met before by someone they may well keep hold of your hand and continue shaking it whilst having a conversation, sometimes for a minute or more. If you meet someone you are friendly with they may give you a “shoulder hug”, this is where you grip and are gripped lightly by the shoulder whilst saying hello. However, if really good friends meet they touch foreheads several times in greeting.
Another interesting trait is that regardless of whose fault anything is they always apologise. So for example if I was to drop a fork a Rwandan would probably say, “Sorry, sorry, sorry”,
Rwandan men like long shoes. Not quite fitting for a circus show, but they like them over long, and ideally decorative. It is very good to say man’s shoes look good. I did this unknowingly to a VSO colleague early in April and was immediately liked! See picture!
After the end of the conference on Friday I stayed with Lynne and Darryl in their new Kigali home. After a few weeks they are beginning to seem very much at home. In the evening about 12 or more went to the Great Wall Chinese restaurant to celebrate Cathy’s birthday on the next day. We went on and listened to the Black Muzungus play live music, including some very passable Jim my Hendrix!
On Saturday we went into “mu muji” to buy some provisions and have lunch at the Blue Café by the UTC building. Darryl had a very nice tomato soup whilst Lynne and I eventually settled for a Greek style salad.
Lynne also wanted to use the café’s Wi-Fi to download books and newspaper to her Kindle, it proved less than easy!
After lunch we went to the Tourist Office to finally find out when gorilla trekking permits were available – no response to emails! It was a good job we did. D&L are down in the SW for the week and so they do not get back to Kigali until Friday evening. So they preferred to consider the Sunday. Well there were only permits left for Saturday and Sunday. After that it is mid to late September before there are any available. They were hoping to go in August when they have visitors, but that is no longer possible. We got the last three permits for Sunday next weekend so it was lucky we stopped off at the Tourist Office.
I have since booked our Saturday night accommodation (www.HotelMuhabura.com) and the 4x4 that delivers us to the rendezvous point at 7 a.m. in Kinigi and then takes us to the car park closest to the start of the trek to the gorilla group we are visiting. They have a number of groups and trails so as to keep visits to a minimum. We are also delivered back to Musanze (Ruhengeri) at about 2 p.m. by 4x4.
We watched the champions League final with quite a few VSO vols. who had either stayed on after the conference or live in Kigali. Shame about the result, but Barca did play the best.
On Sunday morning Darryl and I walked over to the all-weather pitch at Kicukiro and joined Mark, Dennis and Bert at the Inyange Kicukiro FC. Unfortunately Darryl is injured but the rest of us had an enjoyable game. I certainly know that I have played 90 minutes as my thigh muscles have seized up. No doubt it will get easier with walking to and from the District Office.
On my way to get something to eat one evening this week I was reminded by the stunning night sky that I had not shared that here, close to the equator, the moon‘s phases do not go from side to side but the crescent moon is either like a bowl or a cap! Very strange when you first see it.
Hope to have some good gorilla shots to put up next week!
Whilst all the days were good in their own way, I was particularly impressed by some of the examples of good practice that were shared. Some of the best demo lessons I have seen. It is no surprise that VSO is making an impact here.
Whilst I remember I ought to share some observations about Rwandan society. It is based on deference to those older. For example they have a respectful way of shaking hands or giving things out. In each case the left hand grips the right forearm when shaking the hand of someone older, or giving them something such as water, the bill, etc. However they also have other forms of greeting. If you have been met before by someone they may well keep hold of your hand and continue shaking it whilst having a conversation, sometimes for a minute or more. If you meet someone you are friendly with they may give you a “shoulder hug”, this is where you grip and are gripped lightly by the shoulder whilst saying hello. However, if really good friends meet they touch foreheads several times in greeting.
Another interesting trait is that regardless of whose fault anything is they always apologise. So for example if I was to drop a fork a Rwandan would probably say, “Sorry, sorry, sorry”,
Rwandan men like long shoes. Not quite fitting for a circus show, but they like them over long, and ideally decorative. It is very good to say man’s shoes look good. I did this unknowingly to a VSO colleague early in April and was immediately liked! See picture!
After the end of the conference on Friday I stayed with Lynne and Darryl in their new Kigali home. After a few weeks they are beginning to seem very much at home. In the evening about 12 or more went to the Great Wall Chinese restaurant to celebrate Cathy’s birthday on the next day. We went on and listened to the Black Muzungus play live music, including some very passable Jim my Hendrix!
On Saturday we went into “mu muji” to buy some provisions and have lunch at the Blue Café by the UTC building. Darryl had a very nice tomato soup whilst Lynne and I eventually settled for a Greek style salad.
Lynne also wanted to use the café’s Wi-Fi to download books and newspaper to her Kindle, it proved less than easy!
After lunch we went to the Tourist Office to finally find out when gorilla trekking permits were available – no response to emails! It was a good job we did. D&L are down in the SW for the week and so they do not get back to Kigali until Friday evening. So they preferred to consider the Sunday. Well there were only permits left for Saturday and Sunday. After that it is mid to late September before there are any available. They were hoping to go in August when they have visitors, but that is no longer possible. We got the last three permits for Sunday next weekend so it was lucky we stopped off at the Tourist Office.
I have since booked our Saturday night accommodation (www.HotelMuhabura.com) and the 4x4 that delivers us to the rendezvous point at 7 a.m. in Kinigi and then takes us to the car park closest to the start of the trek to the gorilla group we are visiting. They have a number of groups and trails so as to keep visits to a minimum. We are also delivered back to Musanze (Ruhengeri) at about 2 p.m. by 4x4.
We watched the champions League final with quite a few VSO vols. who had either stayed on after the conference or live in Kigali. Shame about the result, but Barca did play the best.
On Sunday morning Darryl and I walked over to the all-weather pitch at Kicukiro and joined Mark, Dennis and Bert at the Inyange Kicukiro FC. Unfortunately Darryl is injured but the rest of us had an enjoyable game. I certainly know that I have played 90 minutes as my thigh muscles have seized up. No doubt it will get easier with walking to and from the District Office.
On my way to get something to eat one evening this week I was reminded by the stunning night sky that I had not shared that here, close to the equator, the moon‘s phases do not go from side to side but the crescent moon is either like a bowl or a cap! Very strange when you first see it.
Hope to have some good gorilla shots to put up next week!
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