I am staying with a Muslim family in an apartment somewhere in the midst of the maze that is Stonetown. I have a 'self-contained' apartment on the top floor (there is not technically what I would consider a real door seperating me from the family but I don't think they go to the upstairs part). There are two bedrooms, a massive living room, great kitchen space (a fridge!) and a flush toilet. Cold water showers only but it's 25 degrees with 100% humidity. Who needs hot water! I have been covered in sweat since arriving but I really don't care. It feels good, familiar. $100 per month.
Sleeping peacefully in the mornings is presenting itself a challenge and I usually find myself with my head wrapped up in my sweatshirt to try and block out the noises for just a few more minutes of peace. The first call to prayer begins at about 5am. I love the haunted, eery sound of it. I try and sleep a few more hours but people start walking past my window and the noise gradually increases to a maddening choas of voices and customary greetings as people pass each other and start their days. A motorbike screetches to a stop narrowly missing an older woman as she shuffles through the streets and two men compete (every morning) to win the title of 'loudest bicycle bell'. Men and boys of every age sit together looking bored, contemplating life. Children scream and laugh and chase each other through the streets and I give up and drag myself into the shower. First thought.. coffee.
I walk down the two flights of stairs to the street (wearing a scarf to cover my shoulders) and rip it off and stick it in my bag the second I get out of the house. I'm already sweating and I know I should keep it on but ug..the heat. I wind my way through the narrow cobblestone streets greeting the artists and shop keepers who are trying to convince me to come in to their shop. I love you, please will you be my friendy, where are you from. You are never anonymous in Africa.
Sitting in Livingstones (sipping on coffee) and the place is literally deserted..it is the rainy season so tourism is low. I feel like (if I was a writer) this would be the place I would haunt. Insufferable humidity made (only the slightest bit) easier by rickety cieling fans. Dramatic skies threatening thundershowers, a view of the ocean and the cargo ships unloading potato sack after potoato sack (how can this tiny island possible need this many potatoes?). A fifty (plus) woman does her best to hide her age behind sunglasses that practically cover her entire head, wearing touristy clothes that are just a bit too young and (intentionally) too tight. She swings to the music while paying the bill. The twenty-five year old beach boy accompanying her does his best to look amused and treats her like she is the most beautiful woman in the world (bored to tears when she's not looking). The life of a beach boy, made easier by a European woman twice his age on a two week holiday with cash to burn. Can't really blame him.
Mardia tells me I look 'cleaner' than last time I was here. I'm not sure what that means exactly (Mardia is known for speaking her mind) but I do assume it's a good thing. I do have the same daily shower thing that I did last time I was here (even sometimes twice - I swear! In fact, Denise was the one who loved to revel in her own filth for days and brag about how long she'd gone without a dribble of water to clean herself - hahah!!). It must be the clean fingernails and manicured toes that are throwing her off.
We are spending today at the 'sandbank'. Literally, it is a mile long stetch of sand that is only visible during low tide. There is nothing on it.. only birds. It's a twenty minute boat ride from the town and we are the only people there. Snorkeling and suntanning. Tough life this is..
5.15.2008
1.07.2008
Footloose
If you've spent (perhaps) too much time with me (usually at Crego) you will eventually realize that I think Footloose is the best song EVER. Like ever ever.
Here's why (only the funniest episode of Will and Grace to exist):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pi4U1u4LSdY
I still think it kicks butt as a Kings option ...
Here's why (only the funniest episode of Will and Grace to exist):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pi4U1u4LSdY
I still think it kicks butt as a Kings option ...
10.17.2007
Conclusions
I am at the computer in the den of my sisters new townhouse wearing Jess's clothes, eating a bowl of homemade chili (by request of course) and I'm uploading pictures, doing laundry, shopping on line to buy a new laptop, organizing 'stuff', airing out my backpack, drinking coffee (instant just for the memories of Africafe) and haven't showered since Zanzibar (again, for the memories of being a former dirty backpacker). I keep talking to the dogs in Kiswahili by mistake.
We arrived last night at about 10pm after 22 hours of flying. It was the most luxurious traveling on the entire trip. People complained we smelled (I suspect this is what happened) and we had two seats each for all three flights. I watched 8 movies, ate 12 meals (including all the desserts), slept like a baby and made a stop in Boots to stock up on favorite products followed by a stint of slathering myself with the most expensive eye cream / face cream / anti-wrinkle / anti-aging / uplifting / tightening and toning free samples I could find. I am now 3.2 years younger.
We left Dar at 5.30am and the horizon was a bright red-orange glow as the sun started to rise so that it literally looked like the sky was on fire. Just as we flew over Kili (the same time that the crazies who are climbing it would get to the top) a bright neon pink sun appeared (and we giggled knowing how terrible the people who are watching the same sunrise, but are at the top of Kili, are feeling because they are cold, starving and have altitude sickness. Maybe they even had to take a poop on the top in front of many strangers - it happens). In any case, we had our noses glued to the window so we could take it all in because the view was absolutely breathtaking and a fantastic final image of Africa.
Denise and I were top form delirious for the entire time we weren't asleep (possibly cause of all the desserts) and therefore giggling like kids and doing dumb things like talking with sock puppet hands. "Look!! AN!! British people!" as we boarded our BA flight in Nairobi - yup, just the 'two of us' could not hear the announcement; "Anyone who is currently already using their headphones please refrain from doing so until after takeoff" due to the simple fact that we had our blinkers on our eyes. If you're confused you are supposed to be (I admit I am also).. let's move on.
Flying in to Heathrow in London was completely bizarre because after spending 10 months in the chaos of infrastructure that is the third world the picture perfect Thomas the Tank engine villages and winding roads with colourful cars looked... fake and impossible. I'd never really noticed before. However, and despite appearances, my world suddenly felt really hectic and fast paced and I was kind of overwhelmed by the people who push by in a hurry and then run over Denise with their suitcase, don't take a second to apologize and avoid eye contact cause you might have some sort of communicable disease (actually Denise does have a disease but it doesn't really count).
There are a million things I know now that I didn't know before. About myself, the world, different cultures. For example, I realize that I look really terrible in most shades of green and that the majority of food items begin with the letter "P". (I can almost guarantee that nobody else - but D and I - have laid in our middle of nowhere guest house and named all the foods we can think of going through each and every letter of the alphabet. If you're ever bored try it.. see if you can actually get to P. That's more the challenge right there my friends..). I know that bananas are the most versatile food in the entire world and I now consider myself kind of a connoisseur (the red ones and/or Moshie bananas are the bestest). Here is a list of all the things (I can think of and ate on the trip) that involve banana: banana milk shake, banana pancake/crepe, fried bananas, banana soup, banana split, banana&avocado sandwich, banana fritter with chocolate, banana smoothie, banana pizza, roasted banana, banana with muesli&yogurt, banana chips, banana in coconut sauce. I think that is it. I also know things like high altitudes make people very gas-o-liscious, there is someone in every country that looks like Morgan Freeman, chocolate tastes best first thing in the morning while you are still in bed, sunsets are better in Africa (especially if they involve a beer and a hammock and a box of Pringles) and climbing mountains is dumb. Seriously though, I really am taking a lot with me from this trip (but I will charge for my knowledge - by the hour). My memories right now are a bit foggy due to experience overload and I expect I will keep learning from my trip for a long time to come. It's definitely helped to shape my perspective on the world, including what I want for my life and I saw things that made me smile that I will never forgot and of course things I wish I didn't because they make you sad and you start realizing the world can be terribly cruel.
One of my best memories is sitting on a bus in India with a little girl (she couldn't have been more than four and she was what they would consider an 'untouchable', which basically means she is of the lowest class in Indian society and likely won't have the opportunity to amount to very much). She was sitting behind me with her parents and baby brother, wearing only a t-shirt. She probably hadn't bathed in a week because she was filthy. I decided to share my iPod headphones with her and we rocked out to Western music for a good hour until they got off of the bus. I won't forget her smile or the fact that the family waved goodbye with big grins until I couldn't see them anymore. I do have a million and a half memories like that.. but for some reason that one has always stood out the most in my memory.
Finally, I couldn't have asked for a better travel compadre (as we said many times, our friendship is a low risk business agreement and therefore there was no pressure). I would definitely do it all again in a heartbeat, maybe even the Kili part. We had a hell of a lot of fun, we should have wrote down more of the ridiculous things we giggled about (cause there were so many) and we should have ate more (kidding!). I doubt that is even possible! It was pretty friggin fantastic though, wasn't it ;)
We arrived last night at about 10pm after 22 hours of flying. It was the most luxurious traveling on the entire trip. People complained we smelled (I suspect this is what happened) and we had two seats each for all three flights. I watched 8 movies, ate 12 meals (including all the desserts), slept like a baby and made a stop in Boots to stock up on favorite products followed by a stint of slathering myself with the most expensive eye cream / face cream / anti-wrinkle / anti-aging / uplifting / tightening and toning free samples I could find. I am now 3.2 years younger.
We left Dar at 5.30am and the horizon was a bright red-orange glow as the sun started to rise so that it literally looked like the sky was on fire. Just as we flew over Kili (the same time that the crazies who are climbing it would get to the top) a bright neon pink sun appeared (and we giggled knowing how terrible the people who are watching the same sunrise, but are at the top of Kili, are feeling because they are cold, starving and have altitude sickness. Maybe they even had to take a poop on the top in front of many strangers - it happens). In any case, we had our noses glued to the window so we could take it all in because the view was absolutely breathtaking and a fantastic final image of Africa.
Denise and I were top form delirious for the entire time we weren't asleep (possibly cause of all the desserts) and therefore giggling like kids and doing dumb things like talking with sock puppet hands. "Look!! AN!! British people!" as we boarded our BA flight in Nairobi - yup, just the 'two of us' could not hear the announcement; "Anyone who is currently already using their headphones please refrain from doing so until after takeoff" due to the simple fact that we had our blinkers on our eyes. If you're confused you are supposed to be (I admit I am also).. let's move on.
Flying in to Heathrow in London was completely bizarre because after spending 10 months in the chaos of infrastructure that is the third world the picture perfect Thomas the Tank engine villages and winding roads with colourful cars looked... fake and impossible. I'd never really noticed before. However, and despite appearances, my world suddenly felt really hectic and fast paced and I was kind of overwhelmed by the people who push by in a hurry and then run over Denise with their suitcase, don't take a second to apologize and avoid eye contact cause you might have some sort of communicable disease (actually Denise does have a disease but it doesn't really count).
There are a million things I know now that I didn't know before. About myself, the world, different cultures. For example, I realize that I look really terrible in most shades of green and that the majority of food items begin with the letter "P". (I can almost guarantee that nobody else - but D and I - have laid in our middle of nowhere guest house and named all the foods we can think of going through each and every letter of the alphabet. If you're ever bored try it.. see if you can actually get to P. That's more the challenge right there my friends..). I know that bananas are the most versatile food in the entire world and I now consider myself kind of a connoisseur (the red ones and/or Moshie bananas are the bestest). Here is a list of all the things (I can think of and ate on the trip) that involve banana: banana milk shake, banana pancake/crepe, fried bananas, banana soup, banana split, banana&avocado sandwich, banana fritter with chocolate, banana smoothie, banana pizza, roasted banana, banana with muesli&yogurt, banana chips, banana in coconut sauce. I think that is it. I also know things like high altitudes make people very gas-o-liscious, there is someone in every country that looks like Morgan Freeman, chocolate tastes best first thing in the morning while you are still in bed, sunsets are better in Africa (especially if they involve a beer and a hammock and a box of Pringles) and climbing mountains is dumb. Seriously though, I really am taking a lot with me from this trip (but I will charge for my knowledge - by the hour). My memories right now are a bit foggy due to experience overload and I expect I will keep learning from my trip for a long time to come. It's definitely helped to shape my perspective on the world, including what I want for my life and I saw things that made me smile that I will never forgot and of course things I wish I didn't because they make you sad and you start realizing the world can be terribly cruel.
One of my best memories is sitting on a bus in India with a little girl (she couldn't have been more than four and she was what they would consider an 'untouchable', which basically means she is of the lowest class in Indian society and likely won't have the opportunity to amount to very much). She was sitting behind me with her parents and baby brother, wearing only a t-shirt. She probably hadn't bathed in a week because she was filthy. I decided to share my iPod headphones with her and we rocked out to Western music for a good hour until they got off of the bus. I won't forget her smile or the fact that the family waved goodbye with big grins until I couldn't see them anymore. I do have a million and a half memories like that.. but for some reason that one has always stood out the most in my memory.
Finally, I couldn't have asked for a better travel compadre (as we said many times, our friendship is a low risk business agreement and therefore there was no pressure). I would definitely do it all again in a heartbeat, maybe even the Kili part. We had a hell of a lot of fun, we should have wrote down more of the ridiculous things we giggled about (cause there were so many) and we should have ate more (kidding!). I doubt that is even possible! It was pretty friggin fantastic though, wasn't it ;)
Tomorrow Lost
'Tomorrow Lost' is the memorial that is dedicated to the children
that died during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The name is eerily
fitting and the memorial itself is tastefully put together and
extremely informative but being there and seeing it first hand doesn't
change that it is impossible to swallow (or believe) what happened in
this country just over a decade ago.
The photos are life size and hang tastefully on the wall. Immediately
the spirit of the children in the photographs jump out at you - they
remind me of all of the children I've met in Africa. Big smiles,
happy, playful, mischievous eyes and mismatched grubby clothes.
Innocent as hell. Beside each picture is a small description which
details the child's name, age, favorite food and a characteristic that
would best describe their personality. The last detail is the method
in which they were killed. Shot, bludgeoned to death, stabbed in the
eye. However it was, it was brutal and cruel and disgusting. It
goes without saying - none of it should have happened and you can't
help but walk out of there with the sickest feeling in your stomach.
I think most people (are now) aware of what happened in Rwanda, thanks
to movies like 'Hotel Rwanda' and Romeo Dallaire's novel detailing his
personal experience during the crisis. (And if you still don't know
just keep an eye on E! Now because Paris Hilton, is like, visiting
there, for like charity stuff, like, this month! Wicked!).
Anyway, to give a Cole's note semi accurate history lesson tensions
built during colonial rule when the Belgians pitted the more dominant
Tutsis against the Hutus in order to have a political advantage. They
switched 'sides' when people began to push for Independence and
basically all hell broke loose after that. Originally Germany was
'awarded' rule of Rwanda during the late 1800's when the Europeans
decided to divide Africa - it was then 'won' by Belgium as a result
of WWI. (Don't assume that Africa was even aware of it being divided
let alone having a say in what was happening).
We spent some time in a really sleepy village in Rwanda, very close to
the Congolese border. It was your typical African town with a small
market selling not much more than designer jeans, tomatoes, cocoa
butter and colourful kangas. There were no tourists, no restaurants.
There weren't even street vendors or cars let alone bicycles. "Rush
Hour" was a line of people walking home from work, or whatever it was
they were doing. On April 1994, 11,400 people were massacred in this
town. In one day.
There wasn't much to do there. We spent most of our time detoxing,
trail running and exploring mountain villages. We realized that a lot
of people 'hung out' at the gas station. So we did to. We sat on the
bench in front of the small shop that sold cool drink and did what
they did. It was actually pretty entertaining as far as people
watching goes. We met a little boy who was three years old. He
didn't speak English, French or Swahili so the lines of communication
were hugs and smiles. We couldn't figure out if he 'belonged' to
anyone because he was just always there hanging out wearing snowpants
and a ripped t-shirt that had seen better days. A man gave him some
money, and he immediately went to buy muffins because he was clearly
starving. He sat down on the bench with us, and in typical African
fashion he offered us his food before he even took any. This lil guy,
who is half starving..with 'nothing' in the world, except really
impressive manners.
Looking at Rwanda now you see a relatively more affluent society than
what we have seen in other African countries (sort of). The roads are
paved, the people are better educated and there is a lot of
positivity. It seems like there are a lot of opportunities and that
people are moving forward. The international community has pumped a
lot of aid because of the guilt from ignoring the genocide and perhaps
that is the only positive thing you can take from the experience. It
doesn't make it better that 1 million people had to die but it's
comforting to know that nothing like that will happen to these people
again.
that died during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The name is eerily
fitting and the memorial itself is tastefully put together and
extremely informative but being there and seeing it first hand doesn't
change that it is impossible to swallow (or believe) what happened in
this country just over a decade ago.
The photos are life size and hang tastefully on the wall. Immediately
the spirit of the children in the photographs jump out at you - they
remind me of all of the children I've met in Africa. Big smiles,
happy, playful, mischievous eyes and mismatched grubby clothes.
Innocent as hell. Beside each picture is a small description which
details the child's name, age, favorite food and a characteristic that
would best describe their personality. The last detail is the method
in which they were killed. Shot, bludgeoned to death, stabbed in the
eye. However it was, it was brutal and cruel and disgusting. It
goes without saying - none of it should have happened and you can't
help but walk out of there with the sickest feeling in your stomach.
I think most people (are now) aware of what happened in Rwanda, thanks
to movies like 'Hotel Rwanda' and Romeo Dallaire's novel detailing his
personal experience during the crisis. (And if you still don't know
just keep an eye on E! Now because Paris Hilton, is like, visiting
there, for like charity stuff, like, this month! Wicked!).
Anyway, to give a Cole's note semi accurate history lesson tensions
built during colonial rule when the Belgians pitted the more dominant
Tutsis against the Hutus in order to have a political advantage. They
switched 'sides' when people began to push for Independence and
basically all hell broke loose after that. Originally Germany was
'awarded' rule of Rwanda during the late 1800's when the Europeans
decided to divide Africa - it was then 'won' by Belgium as a result
of WWI. (Don't assume that Africa was even aware of it being divided
let alone having a say in what was happening).
We spent some time in a really sleepy village in Rwanda, very close to
the Congolese border. It was your typical African town with a small
market selling not much more than designer jeans, tomatoes, cocoa
butter and colourful kangas. There were no tourists, no restaurants.
There weren't even street vendors or cars let alone bicycles. "Rush
Hour" was a line of people walking home from work, or whatever it was
they were doing. On April 1994, 11,400 people were massacred in this
town. In one day.
There wasn't much to do there. We spent most of our time detoxing,
trail running and exploring mountain villages. We realized that a lot
of people 'hung out' at the gas station. So we did to. We sat on the
bench in front of the small shop that sold cool drink and did what
they did. It was actually pretty entertaining as far as people
watching goes. We met a little boy who was three years old. He
didn't speak English, French or Swahili so the lines of communication
were hugs and smiles. We couldn't figure out if he 'belonged' to
anyone because he was just always there hanging out wearing snowpants
and a ripped t-shirt that had seen better days. A man gave him some
money, and he immediately went to buy muffins because he was clearly
starving. He sat down on the bench with us, and in typical African
fashion he offered us his food before he even took any. This lil guy,
who is half starving..with 'nothing' in the world, except really
impressive manners.
Looking at Rwanda now you see a relatively more affluent society than
what we have seen in other African countries (sort of). The roads are
paved, the people are better educated and there is a lot of
positivity. It seems like there are a lot of opportunities and that
people are moving forward. The international community has pumped a
lot of aid because of the guilt from ignoring the genocide and perhaps
that is the only positive thing you can take from the experience. It
doesn't make it better that 1 million people had to die but it's
comforting to know that nothing like that will happen to these people
again.
9.01.2007
Rwanda
The Boda Boda {1} drivers wear helmets but that's not the most shocking part. They actually require you to wear one as well! The intersections have traffic lights, they work and they are obeyed in an orderly fashion. Traffic (including the matatu's {2}) will actually stop if they see you trying to cross the road and wave you across safely. This includes the times that you aren't standing at one of the numerous 'designated cross walks'. The sewers have grates over them so you don't have panicky thoughts about losing focus and falling three feet head first into an oozy, bubbling, grayish mess of unidentifiable refuse while innocently strolling the streets. Nobody calls out 'mazungu' {3} and when we got off the Matatu from the Uganda border at the bus station not a single person paid attention to us. Nobody wanted to sell us faux watches or stolen sunglasses from their portable shop on a piece of cardboard, nobody tried to convince me I needed a set of encyclopedias for only 10,000 shillings - nobody even tried to pickpocket me!! Even the boda drivers didn't rush us and try and put our bags on their boda first. We had to approach them! Bizarre really. Doesn't sound like Africa does it? Obviously you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Kigali (pronounced Chigali) in Rwanda then.
It's a country where you can ask a question in Swahili and they might surprise you and answer in French (or vice versa). My limited knowledge of both these languages means I can get by quite nicely with this method and it makes things fun because speaking english fluently and without confusion is rather boring (really).
We sat and had dinner last night in the food court at a mall (a mall!!!!) and not one person took notice of us. Nobody stared. Nobody asked me for my email address. Nobody pointed and giggled. In fact, we were the ones gaping and looking rather ridiculous in our grubby backpacker clothes while everyone else was decked out in funky fashion with cool hairstyles (a mix of western, African and Erykah Badu). Might I add that the majority of people here are all over six feet. The men and women here are so tall, Denise actually looks short!
So the first thing you notice when you cross the border from Uganda is the stunning scenery. It's manicured, the roads are paved and there are brick wall things {4} that line the roads (every time we passed a brick wall thing Denise would point, mouth agape like a small child, in absolute amazement). Then there are the people. They are fantastically friendly and go out of there way to help you if you appear even the slightest bit lost or have a question. And the rest.. well, I wrote about it already.
Of course, in many ways Rwanda still has it's challenges like everywhere else we have travelled. We are at the end of the trip so money is getting tight and we are trying to stick to a very small budget (which we know we will blow in Zanzibar at the end..) so we are going a bit cheap on food. Dinner last night (mall food court) was a bun and a smoked sausage from the supermarket. It set us back pennies and was yummers. Today we decided to go with the same scrumptious plan, because it was all we could think about all day. Splurge 0.20cents on an avocado and 0.50cents on a slice of Havarti (!!!!Havarti cheese!!!!) and a jar of English Spicy Mustard and it becomes a gourmet meal that Eric and Berenice would have trouble competing with.
Anyway, we get back to the guest house, order a beer ($1), set up shop at the bar with a plate and a knife and sadly realize that, unlike yesterday, the sausages are raw. Not a problem. We ask the extremely friendly bartender if she can arrange for them to be cooked for us; we'll pay. She nods and disappears with the sausages only to return with the sausages 20 minutes later. Still raw and bone cold. She smiles, places the sausages in front of us and walks away. Who knows what happened to it during the in between but.. we didn't eat it. Cheese and avo it was. And that is when you look at one another and say: "TIA".{5}
So just to keep you up to date, we left Kampala (and the amazing food and drink fest that was Eric and Berenice!!!) and had to go to a place called Lake Bunyoni for 5 days to recover. It is at 2000ft in the mountains, quiet, super cheap, the air is clean and the scenery is priceless. We spent our time swimming (in a freezing cold mountain lake free of belharzia and crocs!) and doing trail runs. We detoxed and I read 4 books because they had a fantastic free library.
Footnotes (not sure this is the correct term):
*First, ignore my inability to reference things properly like a school book or book that feels they are oh so special to do so and felt the need to invent a method to do it formally in a manner that all others should follow. I will not.. besides, I can't figure out the french keyboard to save my life. I decided to reference slangy words cause otherwise my sentences turn into long rambles and I forget what I'm talking about missing the point altogether and then.. well, I just thought this would be easier and more fun.
1. Boda Boda: Motorbikes that you hire to take you (preferably) short distances around town and (preferably) on relatively nicely paved roads. It can be scary at most times.. if not absolutely terrifying. Genuine concern for my knees has never been higher as you whiz through traffic, cut across sidewalks and go the wrong way in traffic all the while balancing both backpacks and praying for a safe journey. It gets you there fast and cheap.
2. Matatu: (known as a dala dala in Tanzania) is a mini bus that fits 12 comfortably but you normally squeeze in 20+ and luggage, chickens, babies on laps, giant bags of maize and a conductor who is in charge of making you pull in your tummy, shove your butt and make more room. You can take them far (if you dare) or on short trips around town and they are the cheapest mode of transport. You sweat profusely for the first hour you wait to leave because they require you to wait inside in the midday heat while ten people stand around, scratch their heads and strategically try and figure out how to get in more stuff and people. Generally you can't move once you get in one but that's okay. It somehow makes the bumps more tolerable. Oh and, as a pedestrian you always (Rwanda as the exception) get the f out of the way and fast.
3. Mazungu: translates from Swahili as European tourist, or white person or foreigner. You basically hear it everywhere you go.. locals (especially children) call you from everywhere waving, running and screaming. It's bizarre but I like it. You feel like a celebrity or royalty (as we all should at some time in our life).
4. Brick Wall Things: are just what they sound like. I'm not sure of there purpose, but they are esthetically pleasing so if that is purely the reason for there existence then I applaud the person who built them. Of course, I am sure there is a practical reason for them that some smart person (or Gabe) will notify me of.
5. TIA - Stands for This is Africa. Made famous by Leonardo in Blood Diamond. It pretty much sums up or solves any really frustrating moment you have here.. you say it, shrug your shoulders, smile and move on with it.
xx
It's a country where you can ask a question in Swahili and they might surprise you and answer in French (or vice versa). My limited knowledge of both these languages means I can get by quite nicely with this method and it makes things fun because speaking english fluently and without confusion is rather boring (really).
We sat and had dinner last night in the food court at a mall (a mall!!!!) and not one person took notice of us. Nobody stared. Nobody asked me for my email address. Nobody pointed and giggled. In fact, we were the ones gaping and looking rather ridiculous in our grubby backpacker clothes while everyone else was decked out in funky fashion with cool hairstyles (a mix of western, African and Erykah Badu). Might I add that the majority of people here are all over six feet. The men and women here are so tall, Denise actually looks short!
So the first thing you notice when you cross the border from Uganda is the stunning scenery. It's manicured, the roads are paved and there are brick wall things {4} that line the roads (every time we passed a brick wall thing Denise would point, mouth agape like a small child, in absolute amazement). Then there are the people. They are fantastically friendly and go out of there way to help you if you appear even the slightest bit lost or have a question. And the rest.. well, I wrote about it already.
Of course, in many ways Rwanda still has it's challenges like everywhere else we have travelled. We are at the end of the trip so money is getting tight and we are trying to stick to a very small budget (which we know we will blow in Zanzibar at the end..) so we are going a bit cheap on food. Dinner last night (mall food court) was a bun and a smoked sausage from the supermarket. It set us back pennies and was yummers. Today we decided to go with the same scrumptious plan, because it was all we could think about all day. Splurge 0.20cents on an avocado and 0.50cents on a slice of Havarti (!!!!Havarti cheese!!!!) and a jar of English Spicy Mustard and it becomes a gourmet meal that Eric and Berenice would have trouble competing with.
Anyway, we get back to the guest house, order a beer ($1), set up shop at the bar with a plate and a knife and sadly realize that, unlike yesterday, the sausages are raw. Not a problem. We ask the extremely friendly bartender if she can arrange for them to be cooked for us; we'll pay. She nods and disappears with the sausages only to return with the sausages 20 minutes later. Still raw and bone cold. She smiles, places the sausages in front of us and walks away. Who knows what happened to it during the in between but.. we didn't eat it. Cheese and avo it was. And that is when you look at one another and say: "TIA".{5}
So just to keep you up to date, we left Kampala (and the amazing food and drink fest that was Eric and Berenice!!!) and had to go to a place called Lake Bunyoni for 5 days to recover. It is at 2000ft in the mountains, quiet, super cheap, the air is clean and the scenery is priceless. We spent our time swimming (in a freezing cold mountain lake free of belharzia and crocs!) and doing trail runs. We detoxed and I read 4 books because they had a fantastic free library.
Footnotes (not sure this is the correct term):
*First, ignore my inability to reference things properly like a school book or book that feels they are oh so special to do so and felt the need to invent a method to do it formally in a manner that all others should follow. I will not.. besides, I can't figure out the french keyboard to save my life. I decided to reference slangy words cause otherwise my sentences turn into long rambles and I forget what I'm talking about missing the point altogether and then.. well, I just thought this would be easier and more fun.
1. Boda Boda: Motorbikes that you hire to take you (preferably) short distances around town and (preferably) on relatively nicely paved roads. It can be scary at most times.. if not absolutely terrifying. Genuine concern for my knees has never been higher as you whiz through traffic, cut across sidewalks and go the wrong way in traffic all the while balancing both backpacks and praying for a safe journey. It gets you there fast and cheap.
2. Matatu: (known as a dala dala in Tanzania) is a mini bus that fits 12 comfortably but you normally squeeze in 20+ and luggage, chickens, babies on laps, giant bags of maize and a conductor who is in charge of making you pull in your tummy, shove your butt and make more room. You can take them far (if you dare) or on short trips around town and they are the cheapest mode of transport. You sweat profusely for the first hour you wait to leave because they require you to wait inside in the midday heat while ten people stand around, scratch their heads and strategically try and figure out how to get in more stuff and people. Generally you can't move once you get in one but that's okay. It somehow makes the bumps more tolerable. Oh and, as a pedestrian you always (Rwanda as the exception) get the f out of the way and fast.
3. Mazungu: translates from Swahili as European tourist, or white person or foreigner. You basically hear it everywhere you go.. locals (especially children) call you from everywhere waving, running and screaming. It's bizarre but I like it. You feel like a celebrity or royalty (as we all should at some time in our life).
4. Brick Wall Things: are just what they sound like. I'm not sure of there purpose, but they are esthetically pleasing so if that is purely the reason for there existence then I applaud the person who built them. Of course, I am sure there is a practical reason for them that some smart person (or Gabe) will notify me of.
5. TIA - Stands for This is Africa. Made famous by Leonardo in Blood Diamond. It pretty much sums up or solves any really frustrating moment you have here.. you say it, shrug your shoulders, smile and move on with it.
xx
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