Safari Inzuri!

Still waters. Sans hippos.

So I took nothing short of like a bazillion picture on our safari. (Who knew that I could actually almost fill 8GB in two short weeks. But I did and you all will be spared the slide show and get the shortened "here are a few good ones" blog update. If, however, you're one of the suckers that invites us over to look at our adventure pictures when we return, well....be warned. (And, oh, I've been in Rwanda for a year and have like a gazillion pictures from there too...- and yes, in case you're wondering, a gazillion IS bigger than a bazillion. But I digress)

Safari was good and for me, not exactly being an animal lover (AWESOME about the lion eating the buffalo...zebra...giraffe would have been just as good), I did enjoy the four days chasing lions and leopards, hippos and girraffes. And did you know that a cheetah is a lazy, lazy cat? Or that an ostrich can run at 70 km/hr? I didn't but thanks to George (aka Georgie), I do now.

Day 1: Lake Manyara and camping in a village on the side of the road. Not too impressed with a stop to tour the village and look at a banana planation and then be asked for 1500 shillings as a tip, though. I politely declined saying that we should have been told about the tip BEFORE our little tour and also, if I wanted to look at mud huts and banana planations, I could for free on the back of a motorbike in Rwanda, thank you very much. But you know those tours.... Animals in the park were great but those hippos really just lay around, don't they?

Day 2 and 3: Serengeti. Camping on the Serengeti and yes, those ARE hyenas laughing just behind our tents but thankfully the cooks made us beef and not chicken (hyena's favourite, apparently). Playing games by the fire, under the starts and full moon, drinking a bottle of wine and listening to the animals in the distance...or not too distance as the hyenas were. Life is good. A bit dirty and dusty driving around looking for animals but good. Very good.

Day 4: Ngorogoro. We didn't see a rhino but Aimey was finally treated to hippos out of the water and we continued to be mesmerized by zebras, lions and wildebeast. Camping was a bit on a chilly side by nothing like almost 6000m of Kilimanjaro

Over all, a great experience and I would never having traded tenting it in the open air for a fancy safari lodge with hot water. Never in a million years. Only a few pictures here but remember....there are a bazillion ore where they came from. Or is it a gazillion?

We're now enjoying the heat and food in Mombasa before heading to Kenya's coast to soak up the sun and get clean in the Indian Ocean. I'm always amazed out different Rwanda feels to the rest of east Africa. The freedom of eating WHEREVER I WANT is great but the trade off, I suppose, is the ubiqitous garbage and plastic bags littering the ground. We bussed it here from Arusha (dirt roads are more comfortable on the back of a bike than in the heat of a lumbering bus through the middle of nowhere) and we'll leave in the comfort of the Kenyan Train line bound for Nairobi in a few days.

Lunch time on the Serengeti. Photos amazing. Smell, not so much!

5895 meters of FUN

So…Mount Kilimanjaro? What ev’. No problem….

After a rescheduling flight by Rwandair (a free day at a hotel WITH a pool) we made it to Moshi. The bad news: 8 hours late. The good news: the same flight as Christine who was coming to hike the mountain on the same day as us, but with another company. So we all arrived, visas granted and made our way to the hotel. The next day we met with our GAP person only to find out that hike was not through GAP but through Zara tours (Read: if considering GAP, don’t. Just go directly through Zara because it’s cheaper) and met the gang we’d be hiking with. There was us, a Canadian from Vancouver – Mike, an Irishman – Kevin, and the Schrader family from Pennsylvania – dad and four brothers. The next day we were off….slowly, slowly….

To be honest, I started the first two days keeping track of what we saw, what our campsites were like, what the weather was like…then I stopped. We became tired, exhausted and focused on reaching the summit only. Aimey misplaced one camera battery, I thought I didn’t charge my spare and because of the cold weather we took few pictures to conserve the battery power so we’d have a working camera on summit day.

The hiking itself was beautiful. At times our group was alone with no one but our guide, the rocks and the wind. At times Christine would be just behind or just ahead so we’d meet up and encourage each other. Our group was FANTASTIC. Most of them had hiking experience and everyone took the hike seriously. It’s a big mountain, and we knew it. We were encouraging, realistic and happy to be doing this together. Four days later….and we were at the Rooftop of Africa!

Here’s the scoop: we began at 1200m. Four days of hiking later and we were at 4800m and ready to ascent. We arrived at this last base camp at 5pm, dinner at 6pm and to rest. We were woken at 11pm and began hiking the 7 hour hike to the summit at 12:15 am in the black – pitch black. The moon was nearly full and all you could see was the reflection of the glacier in the moon light and a string of headlamps walking, pole, pole up at the dark. At some point, maybe 2am, maybe 3am our water began to freeze, we began to layer more and I began to feel the first affects of altitude. We were so quiet hiking, slowly, slowly. Aimey and I were checking in on each other frequently with a “You doing okay?” My breathing was laboured, I was cold, tired and exhausted. My head lamp was focused on Aimey’s shoes and my eyes never lifted except to sneak the occasional peak at the summit. Eventually the moon disappeared and it was dark. Very dark. But after hiking for what seems like ever and what seemed like five minutes all at the same time….the sun began to rise I knew we were close. I’ll be honest when I say that I would not have made it up without Aimey. At one point I said, “I can’t.” My breathing was heave. There was no oxygen getting in. My legs were done. But she pulled me up and we continued to the ridge, a short 45minute walk to the summit. The sun continued to rise and we began to see people returning from the summit with big smiles, a spring in their step and saying “You’re almost there!”

Okay…now here’s where I get all emotional on you…. My breathing became most difficult when I thought about what this all meant. I am leaving Africa and what a way to say goodbye. So, we reached the summit and…there were tears. All of us in the group admitted this later. It was absolutely taxing on our bodies and our minds.

Of course…we still had to get back down. 6.5 hours up (Aimey’s certificate says she arrived at 6:44am….mine says 6:45am!!! Okay…I know she had to drag me there but come on!) and it was 4.5 hours back down…then an hour nap, lunch and another 4 hours until the next camp. Add it up folks….2 hours of sleep, hiking beginning at midnight, 15 hours of hiking.....8 very tired hikers. But worth it. So worth it.

So, from the rooftop of Africa I began to say my good bye to this great land. Tomorrow we head out on a safari and then to explore the rest of what East Africa has to offer. (Here are a few pictures…yes, I know…picture-fest of us but whatev’. If you hiked Africa’s highest mountain, you’d be proud too….)

Day 1: Starting out. Clean clothes, clean hair, big smiles.

Da

Christine meet up with our group!

View from our second night. Mount Meru in the distance

We made it!!!!

The gang's all here...We started together and we finished together

Our guide who was a bit creepy McCreeperson but in the end helps us reach our goal.

Day 6... end of the trail. Dirty clothes, dirty hair, big smiles!

Our certificates...our guide thought it was funny to write that Aimey arrived a minute before me. I don't know that it was but I do know that she arrived first, dragging my sorry behind

July 12 to 15th

Monday and Tuesday we spent with Sarah and Ben from VSO UK in the media unit. They were coming to see the work that we've been doing in Ngoma. So, because we were with a professional photographer, I left my camera at home so he could do all the work! It was a great two days. We enjoyed working with them because they were interested and enthusiastic to learn about Rwanda and the people here.

But first....the boys who have our life in their hands - our drivers. Mutoni is Jeremy's driver, Patrick is mine, and Jaffette has been driving Aimey around. Big smiles, big speed and big fun!

Monday we had another Resource building workshop at Rukira Primary School.

Of course, Aimey was put to work also

Bosco, Ben and Sarah interviewing the wonderful head teacher, Angelique.

Aimey, once again, was put to work as Ben's lighting assistant. On Tuesday at Zaza TTC (no pictures) we had plenty of time to wait around and Ben gave me some great advice about taking photos on my safari. I've been frustrated with my filter here and a few other things. So....I'm excited to get to out to the Serengeti and try out the new tips.

Ride back from Rukira

Wednesday we headed to Kabilizi A Primary school to say goodbye to the teachers and to play some volleyball with the kids.

Typical ball the children make in Rwanda

And then we had to play ball so Jeremy held my camera and got some great shots!

Okay...so volleyball has never been my forte but, hey, at least I'm having fun!

I could never do this....I guess it's Aimey's sport.

Felix hitting but a "little" P6 student blocking!

The boys keeping our bikes nice and cool for us.

Muzungus draw spectators wherever we go!

Ladislas is the head teacher and a man committed to his teachers, his school and his community.

Staff of Kabilizi A. I will really miss this school and head teacher. They are the one's who gave me the name Kamaliza. They are truly special people.

After a year of waiting.....the NEW and IMPROVED Kibungo Market is now open!! Whoo hoo! (I'm whoo-hooing the fact that the temporary market was 5 minutes from my house. The new market is now 45 minutes from my house and I've been lucky that the delayed meant that shopping was quick and easy for me -- as quick and easy as shopping in a market in a foreign country can ever be.....)

No more stands made of sticks. No more tarps to keep out sun and rain. No more mud!

And to celebrate, Fanta Feista came to town.

Patrick was the organizer and spent some time in Montreal so we thrilled to meat Canadians and show us the "snow that he had imported from Canada" just keep the Fantas cold!

So, now we're off to Tanzania for another adventure!

Weekend in Kierhe

Saturday we headed to Kierhe to visit Christine who would hold a bar-b-que on Sunday. On the way we went to visit Nyarabuye Genocide Memorial. This time it was dry season so no flat tires or trees covering the road. After the memorial we enjoyed the ride back to Nyakarambi and took in the views.

To get to Christine's village from the road, we could walk...or we could take velos which go nearly has fast as motos but with no helmets. Okay...no they don't. But it makes us sound hard core.

Making supper while it's still light out.

The next day Msafari came on his motorbike with meat and we borrowed the kitchen from the bar behind Christine's house to cook the goat. Aimey was designated sous-chef. The food was amazing. Well done!

....and then the camera battery died so we have no pictures of us enjoying said food. Ah well. more time to enjoy the company!

July 9th in photos

Me and Julie my clothes-washing, house-cleaning saviour!

On our way to visit Elie's new house we have a kibazo! (I swear Patrick is so tired of me whipping out my camera each time we have a problem.....)

Ah! Here's the problem...nail on the road

Aimey stayed behind to help take off the tire

Patrick's bike decked out in a new maple leaf!

We arrived at Elie's for a .... Fanta! and amandazi and I think if I don't turn into a Fanta, I will turn into an amandazi before I leave here.

Elie is getting married in August (he's already had part 1 of his wedding) and so he bought this house 4 years ago. It was a mud house when he arrived but he's been making improvements since then to prepare for his family. He's showing us the back and the new latrines.

Elie showing Aimey his banana trees

If I don't turn into a Fanta or an amandazi after living here, I'm sure I'll actually become Anna Banana.....

House and new kitchen

A photo from Elie and Pacifique's first part of their wedding

In the afternoon we watched Dominic and the boys practice for an upcoming match.

Keeping score requires no fancy Coca-Cola sponsored score board.