I made it to Rwanda!

I have arrived! I should be resting, I know, but my body can’t decide whether it’s 2am (it is in Calgary), 10 am (it is in Kigali) or the middle of the afternoon (which is what it feels like outside). I will rest soon but for now, blog! I’ve decided it’s better to type in Word and save it so that I don’t forget anything and when I find an internet connection, I can post multiple blogs. So, here I sit in my room at the Amani guest house. Above me is my mosquito net which will come in handy tonight. I’m looking forward to it actually. Sort of like building a fort when you’re a kid. At least I hope it feels that way! My flights from Calgary were entirely uneventful and for that I’m very, very thankful! Before leaving London for Nairobi I met up with Christine who is another volunteer from Montreal. I recognized her from the picture she emailed me. The flight itself was long and my personal entertainment system didn’t work – not that it mattered, I’ve seen most of the movies offered at this point. So I tried to sleep but was terribly uncomfortable. I tried to read but you can only do that for so long. At one point I felt a tightening of my chest when I realized that I would be away from home for an ENTIRE YEAR. Logically I knew this but it really sank in. It’s a long time. What have I done? But I tried to focus my energy on my excitement rather than my fear. Then it happened. It was near 6 am and I looked eastward. There, over the Indian Ocean, the sun was starting to rise. It was slow at first. Just a thing orange line over the horizon. The line grew and the sky turned from black to blue and at once it seemed that God had only two colours on his pallet, one bright orange, the other royal blue. The sun was rising over Africa and I was witnessing it! I grabbed my small camera and tried (unsuccessfully) to capture it. One year is a long time, I thought, but to see sunrises like this might make it worth it. I was like a tourist in Banff, trying to get the perfect image. The silhouette of Mount Kenya appeared in the distance. It was beautiful. In Nairboi we met another volunteer from Florida named Portia. Together we headed outside to take the plane to Kigali. Over Lake Victoria we flew and arrived to the Land of A Thousand Hills. We cleared customs (Welcome to Rwanda!) and my passport received another stamp. My luggage made it! I didn’t bring much, though - my pack from Peru and a small suitcase, the kind small enough to bring as a carry on. After Portia realized her luggage was still in London, we went through to meet Ruth, Jean-Claude and Samir who were holding “VSO Rwanda” signs. They almost didn’t get though because today is dedicated to community work and no one is supposed to be out driving. On our way back we were stopped by the police again until they believed that our drivers were picking up volunteers. As a result of the community work day the streets were void of cars but full of people. First impressions of Kigali (now keep in mind I’m comparing it to Lima, La Paz etc.) is that it’s very clean and orderly. Rolling hills, green trees and very beautiful!

Stopped here for a rest.

Well, I slept for a bit and showered. I feel a bit better but did not want to oversleep. I’m afraid of not sleeping tonight. I woke and took a shower – a very cold shower. If you remember my story about Copacabana Bolivia, you’ll remember that I’m a) not good in cold showers and b) not coordinated when it comes to keeping water off the floor. But at least we’re not high in the Andes where it’s cold outside – we’re in hot Rwanda where the cold water, while made me just about lose my head, was manageable. So, clean and refreshed I hear voices outside my door and peek out to see a few old and new British and Irish volunteers had arrived – and just in time for lunch! This afternoon we’re going to an internet cafe so I can post this and send a few “I’m here and I’m okay” emails to everyone. We were each given 5000 Rwandan Francs to see us through today and tomorrow. It’s equivalent to about $15, from what I can tell. So here I sit, ready to start this adventure. I’m missing you all already but can’t wait to see what the next year will bring.