Last days in Kigali

Day Eight

Today is Saturday, so things are slowing down for the weekend.  After what I think is my final lesson in Kinyarwandan I am far from fluent. I can do the basics though and I know my numbers, so I can haggle over prices.  Spent much of the day at rest and missed lunch with a bad stomach!  The evening was meant to be a formal dinner, with traditional Rwandan dancers.  I gave the meal a miss, but watched the dancing, which I enjoyed, because each dance told a story that even I could interpret from the moves of the various dancers.  Having been resting in the afternoon, I got up late and rushed up to the dinner without my camera.  I have pictures though, from my phone!

Day Nine (Sunday)

Up very early to go bird spotting in a central Kigali park.  We got there relatively easily after negotiating the price of a ride on the back of motorbike taxis (known locally as motos).  The park consists of an artificial lake surrounded by a golf course on one side and walks in semi cultivated parkland on the other.  The display of wild birds in a city park watching was amazing.  From the many we saw the high lights were the crested eagles, weaver birds, kingfishers, bee eaters and best of all a bishop bird, hopefully pictured.  After 3 ½ hours of ambling through the park we moved on by moto to a market.  There was a huge variety of food for sale; five or six types of flour; even more types of beans and of course loads of different types of fruit and vegetables. There was also a lot of freshwater lake caught fish as well.  After a short stay we headed back to the guest house for a shower followed by lunch.  This should be my last day at the guest house, so I have to pack my bags ready to be taken to Kabarore with all the house equipment some time tomorrow.  It will almost certainly be my last proper shower for some time, but for the first time in Rwanda I had warm water. Luxury!

Day Ten (Monday)

Action!  At 9.00 a.m. we have a phone call.  We are being picked up and taken with all of our gear to Kabarore to meet the Director and to move into our house.  Looking back it was a very long day.  The journey out to Kabarore was on excellent roads, so we made good time.  Kabarore is clearly a growing town and hosts the Gatsibo District offices.  It has a new hospital and a fair number or newly built houses, one of which is ours!  Before we get to move in we drive off to meet the District Director of Education.  He is a very gracious host and takes us for lunch at a local restaurant.  After lunch he leaves us in the hands of a local headteacher and we walk to his school, where we have a quick look around and talk in more detail about him and his work.  We then walk back to our house to unpack.   It becomes clear that a lot of our equipment (pots, pans, bowls, cutlery, crockery, sheets, pillows etc.) has been left behind.  We will have to make do, but luckily we have had a good lunch, so we have a marmite sandwich for dinner!  Rwandan houses are very sparsely furnished.  We have two tables, two coffee tables, four comfy chairs and four dining chairs, two small cupboards and two bookcases for three people.  I have unpacked and thankfully everything has a place.  The house is very spacious. It has four bedrooms a large living area and a bathroom (the bathroom has no shower, bath or toilet) which is really just a wet room.  After hanging the mosquito nets we head into town to buy kerosene, bread and bananas.  We also come across avocado and then head home for a cup of tea and the promised marmite sandwich plus the unexpected avocado mmmm!  Tomorrow we will need to do a more comprehensive shop!

Day Eleven (Tuesday)

Today the Divisional Director invited me to a meeting with the headteachers I am going to be working with from the Kiramuruzi Sector.  He would not be there as he has business in Kigali and will be gone at least until Friday.  Unfortunately, my partnered Headteachers did not know they had been invited, so they did not turn up.  I spent time with the headteacher I met yesterday asking questions and listening.  The headteacher’s English is very good, and we make good progress.  Eventually, I left and went back to the Divisional Office, where I tried to find out more about my schools.  The DD’s secretary was extremely helpful, allowing me to copy some statistics into my notebook for me to consider at my leisure.  As expected photocopying is just not possible.

I walked back to the house just after midday.  This was a very positive move as I had left in the morning without any water, so needed a drink.  No food except bananas, but now I have a bit of time to get organised!