Sabbath #4

I was really tired when I got home Friday evening and was in bed asleep by 8:30. I awoke @ 3:30 a.m. and checked the Skype and found that Shaloy was online so we chatted for about an hour. She got to bed before 10 p.m. and I went back to sleep from 4 until 8 am.

A nice leisurely morning with a breakfast of toast on a plate while I grazed on the mulberries fresh from the tree. I meet the new Anesthesiologist. He arrived through Nairobi yesterday and Ike is leaving today. His bag hasn’t arrived and he’s working to track it down. Now we’ve got two Terrys in the house, but this one has an Aussie accent and the original Terry has a New Jersey accent. Dr. Konn warns me that I might have a difficult time with a ride to church in that it’s community service day across the country. Everybody is strongly encouraged to work in their community making it a better place.

I walk the 1/4 mile to the corner and don’t encounter a single moto. The city is quiet and seems to be sleeping, , , where have all the people gone ? ? ? I don’t hear trucks, matatas, motos and only a few personal cars. I don’t see people everywhere, , , It’s almost 9:30 on a Saturday morning I’ve not seen the streets this empty ever. The quiet is so peaceful. I guess they take the once per month community service day seriously. I take a seat at the pull-out where people wait for the city buses. A single moto goes by after 5 minutes and I wave indicating I want a ride. He wants 4,000 FRw ($8.00)to take me to Kimironko and I still would have to walk the last mile to the church. I decide to wait for the matata which will only cost 170 FRw ($0.35). So I wait , , , and wait , , , Three little boys go by with a home made soccer ball and cross the main thoroughfare half way and then stop and have a consultation in the middle of the road. I’m more interesting than whatever they were planning so they come back to where I’m sitting and touch me to see if the white will come off. William, Dick and Anan speak varying levels of English but are quite happy to sit next to me and occasionally utter different words. I enjoy their company even though none of them is over 8 years old. Gradually more and more people are on the streets and many are carrying machetes. In a country where a lot of people were hacked to death with these huge knives their presence is a bit un-nerving. I soon see that they are using the machetes to cut the grass along the side of the road. A couple of teenagers come by and although I ask several times concerning the eventual presence of a matata, I can't seem to comprehend whether there will or won't be a bus. After waiting about 40 minutes another empty moto comes by and for just 1,000 FRw he'll take me to Kimironko. Each time I mention Kibagabaga the price doubles so I'll just walk the last mile.

Sabbath School is almost over when I arrive and I can see that there is a baptismal tank set up for use outside today. A couple of songs for church and we go outside to watch 8 people get baptised. We sing constantly between baptisms and then go back in for the rest of the service. After church I walk back to the matata station @ Kimironko but I've got a friend. A little boy about 8 - 9 years old wants to walk with me. I'm quite concerned about where his family is and won't they want to know where he is. Later in our walk up the hill, I pass an Adventist teenager and I ask him to enquire about the boy and he assures me that all will be well. A half block before the matata station the boy waives goodbye and heads down a side street. I head for the guest house. The city has woken up and seems to be back to normal.

I enjoyed a quiet afternoon of music and visiting. Terry, the new anesthesiologist, is a musician who plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. He has not seen an autoharp and is fascinated with it and it's sound. When I put it down he picks it up and almost immediately makes beautiful sounds come out of it. So I get my whistles and recorders. We spent the afternoon under the cabana. He's traveled quite a bit and it's very nice to have a deep conversation in English. I miss Shaloy, Ted Porter, Nee Barnor, Jennifer Stephenson, Mark Layne, Sharon Vaughn and so many others who I can talk with about concepts, theories, current events and such. The language barrier is probably the most tiring aspect of the trip. Terry has a lost bag and I'm glad to be able to lend him some clothes. After Sabbath we walked to a nice restaurant that I've wanted to try. The food @ "Afribite" was delicious, plus filling in a casual and super atmosphere. The service was spectacular and the food was a great, tasty and traditional. Two of us ate for less than half of what it cost at the Indian restaurant.

During the day there was a football match between Rwanda & Mauritania. The House staff were watching on the television and would come out to tell us each time Rwanda scored. We did not need for them to do it because the game was being watched around the neighborhood. There was a yell that seemed to echo across Kigali everytime Rwanda scored. Happy mood when Rwanda won 3 zip.

I've used the last of two of my favorite things. I am out of Dr. Bronner's pure peppermint castille soap. In past times I've only used it camping but I've been enjoying using it as a body wash here in Kigali. I have no hope of finding it locally. I've eaten the last of my horehound candy. :-( On a positive note I found Rhubarb in the market. Philbert has never seen it before and doesn't know how to cook it. I don't make pie crusts, but can make a dynamite rhubarb pie filling which I've enjoyed for the last three days. Philbert approves. HMM GOOD!

KHI - Student Lectures 4 & Test

It’s been years, but today I’m administering a paper test as I write the blog. I’ll post and add pictures once I get home. Fifty seven questions covering the twelve presentations and 25 hours of lecture from this week. I created a 2 page sheet of stuff to study and then another study sheet with 66 of the more important power point slides. We made copies and distributed them last evening. I’ve also brought almost all of the books that were donated and the students are referencing them throughout the day.

I’ve tried to take the basic questions and especially concepts that I had covered repeatedly. I also took out any questions that used subtle English language variations. Still I’m finding that there are some words/terms they don’t know. They don’t know the term stretcher (So I tried the word guerney, still blank stares then bed, continued stares and finally table , , , Yes they know table). I should have known not to use ETOH abuse. I was surprised that in regards to menstrual cramping they didn’t know the term cramping. And, although I’d used the term a couple of times the word onset had to be explained as well.

The books, , , it reminds me of when I first picked up my kitten Ariel from the side of the road. She was very, very hungry and scrawny. Food, , she eats, , she walks away, 3 minutes later , , ,Ohhh , , , more food and she eats more, , then walk into another room , , , , Ohhhh!! And here’s some more food let’s eat some more. It seems the same with the radiographers, physicians and students, , , Books , , Lets grab them and read, , , Got a break, , , here is a book, let’s read, , , the students want to grab them and read as fast as they are produced. It is as though they are ravenous for material that they can read at their pace. Their English comprehension is much better when read rather than heard. They don’t have to deal with my accent. I felt like a heel asking them to leave the books when they finished .today.

This building is very noisy. Every car on the nearby street, every person on the three balconies
who is talking penetrates into the room. The windows are open to provide ventilation and even if we closed them there are gaps and they are only single pane. After the test I stay to grade them right away. I won’t see some of these students again and I want them to get their grades and to be able to review the test. After grading them all I decide to throw out 6 questions which the majority of the class missed. Many of these are the questions with misunderstood words. The grades make a nice bell shaped curve with one 100%, most in the 80's or 70's and 2 below 70%. I’m happy that they’ve had a thorough introduction. The top five scores received rewards (three shirts donated by SVU & two ball caps I've brought).

Today, since it was my last day, I decided that perhaps we could enjoy tea together. If I take tea in the faculty tent it costs me $200 FRw max. I’m told that the students take theirs elsewhere because it is cheaper. So I figure, , , no problem , , , It’ll be a bit since there are 30 of us but, let’s see if we can take tea together. I ask Benard if it can be done and he assures me yes. He’ll take care of it. And good as gold at the break I’m told they are expecting us but at KIST Canteen. Not the teacher’s tent or the student’s area. Okay, , , we walk over and there is a room they have prepared for 30.... Tea is wonderful, , we talk about examples the students have thought up to describe motion that occurs because of Pressure gradients that exceed the sources of resistance and the subsequent motion that occurs from high to low. All while sipping the African milk tea and eating Chapats and Sambas. So delightful, , , I send the students back to the classroom and search out the person to pay. I’m sure that I’ve misunderstood because the man says 30....Hmm now that is a great price!!! only 30 FRw for each person Wow!! Now 30 x 30 FRw is 900 FRw, , which would be great but he meant 30,000 FRw. How can this be!! And he writes it down, 1,000 FRw for each person x 30 persons is $30,000 FRw (sixty U.S. dollars). There is no arguing at this point because I didn’t make the arrangements and never asked the price, , , the room was provided and the tea and food have been consumed. Later it’s explained that tea in the faculty tent is subsidized and tea for the students is subsidized and that I’ve only been charged the normal full price... $400 FRw for the tea and $200 each for the 30 Chapats, 30 Samboas, and 30 Taquito type things. When I consider it’s just $2.00 each and it was a delightful time I’m still glad we did it. Nobody was increasing the price because I’m white, , , In my ignorance I just didn’t play the system right. . . . Knowledge is Power!

KHI Days 2 and 3

Two Great Days,

We’ve had water since Monday and with plenty of pressure. This is Ike’s last week with us. Saturday he’s on his way back to St. Louis. His replacement is supposed to arrive tomorrow and we’ll add an Australian accent to the mix. I used to make cracks about Ike eating fish each evening but I think he’s on to something. I can get a Kilo of fresh fish fillets @ the market for $3600 FRw. There’s nothing to clean and there is no waste. Plus, , I get at least 4 meals from that amount , , , and it’s not tough!

The ride situation has been a bit sketchy. It’s not consistent or dependable. I know I’ll eventually get picked up, but the exact time is a guess. So if I’m on a schedule (like teaching class) where I’m expected to be there at a specific time, it ads a lot of stress. Tuesday I’d made arrangements to be picked up @ 7:20 so when there was no driver @ 7:20 I walked down the street and took the moto. It’s awfully hard to insist that students be on time if I’m not. On the way home, it's not such a big deal to be a bit vague on the pickup time.

The students were on time and back on time today after each break and stayed for the entire day. The classes go quite a bit slower than they would back home because of the language. But we managed to have some fun and cover most of what I’d intended. I switched gears a bit. These students are not expected to pass board exams and most of them will be performing Radiographic examinations, not ultrasounds. So I slowed down with a lot of the detail that is necessary for registry and added more pictures and more interactive questions with the audience response system. Today we talked about attenuation and decibels. I don’t know why but what normally takes over an hour too explain with comprehension only took about 20 minutes. They definitely have an advantage when converting from various units of the metric system (which is always a challenge for my American students)

I've enjoyed the 10:00 - 10:30 tea break each day this week. This also runs on it's own time schedule though. I've released my students for break @ 10:00 and then walked to the tea tent and they are just barely ready. I noticed something today that may be very telling. I've yet to find a clock on the wall, either in a classroom or in an office. This week the look of the faculty canteen has gotten upgraded. Yesterday there were lit candles on many of the table, the food area was decorated quite sharply with cloth and fresh cuttings of branches with leaves. There was a man who I'd not seen before who was dressed in black and white with a vest who appeared to be in charge of keeping it looking good. It felt more like a nice restaurant than a cafeteria.

I felt like I needed to do something to connect with the students better, so today I took my autoharp to class. I was casual about bringing it in and I don’t think any of them saw what it was. During the first break I quietly got it out and started playing. It worked. I’ve made found some fellow musicians and music lovers in the students. I’m trying to learn they’re names and I’m starting to see some of their personalities coming through as they get more used to me and start to understand my accent.

I've gotten e-mails from most of my Coosa Valley students this week. They each expressed their desire for my return which makes me feel guilty for leaving them. Most of them talked about how wonderful their clinical experience has been but a couple are struggling and I'm too far away to effectively help them. The blend between student needs/expectations and clinical site needs/expectations is a delicate balance. Sometimes the issues need thorough exploring from many perspectives before a conclusion is reached as to whether a student is in the right clinical setting. Many times the student is best helped by being encouraged to "hang in there" but you can't tell about the nuances of the situation from the other side of the world. I mentioned my American students to Ezekiel today and said that they were anxious to have me back. He was quick to tell me that he and his classmates are my students as well and that they also need a teacher. I'm torn again because he's right. But I know before I've really begun that this will end.

Tomorrow is my last day with the students lecturing. I've been asked to create and administer a test for them, covering the materials we've reviewed. The class captains come to me and ask If I'll give them a copy each of the notes. They'll then dsitribute to the class members.

I mentioned that Benard had had his clothes stolen off the line during the night. They’ve been returned!! Wet, but he got them back. The night guard had taken them for some unknown reason and then had held on to them for a day and a half. There is a language barrier so neither Patrick nor Benard have been able to figure out why the boy took them, what he did with them during the brief hostage situation or what prompted the return. They report that there’s been some other shady actions on his part so he was they’re prime suspect from the beginning. However the explanation works out, he’s glad to have them back!

Radiography Students - New Challenges

Today I started four days of lectures with the 10 Senior G3 and 19 Junior G2 Radiography students. I miss my classroom. I've gotten very spoiled and familiar with the technology @ Coosa Valley Technical College. Benard is here early today to help me get the classroom set up before the students arrive. The students seem anxious to learn and are attentive. There is definitely a language barrier. English is not the first language for any of these students and I have an accent that is different from the English they've heard spoken before. They also speak very quietly, which is a challenge because of my hearing loss (too many years of loud Rock and Roll with Headphones turned up too loud).

My standard jokes get a blank stare because humor has a lot to do with nuances of shared culture. By the end of the day I'm totally skipping them. We have three class sessions 8 - 10 then a 30 minute break for tea. 10:30 - 12:30 with a 1.5 hour break for lunch and the final session is 2 - 5 p.m. That gives me 7 hours x 4 days - 28 hours. My main issue isn't that I have enough but that I have too much. The classroom has more chairs than are needed. The chairs are not stackable so they pile them along one side of the room. The students are used to moving the chairs that are being used are moved into whatever order the they want which ends up being no rows. but random clusters most as close to the back wall as possible.

That 30 minute mid-morning tea break could be really addicting. I've got to talk with my Dean Frank Pharr and see if that could be worked into our day @ CVTC. There is a tent set up outside and tea (Hot with milk) is provided for the faculty. For an additional $100FRw ($0.40) you can have a warm flat bread with our without a filling. The 1.5 hours for lunch drives me nuts though . At lunch time we have to take down and lock up the laptop and projector. After lunch we set it up again. I found out at lunch that Benard had his clothes stolen off the clothes line during the night. He is trying to be pleasant about it, but many of the things taken were his favorites (kind of like losing old friends).

The American students are leaving this evening and the Rwandan students want to go say good bye at the airport. After lunch, we negotiate an early departure today @ 4:30 with a class time extension tomorrow to catch up. I lectured until 3:00 and gave them a 10 minute break. At this point more than 1/2 the class decided they needed to transact business with the accounting department. 25 minutes later I've only got about 7 students who have returned. So after consulting with Benard I disconnect my stuff and close class for the day. My time is being wasted by waiting for whatever is happening in accounting. I call Abdullah to see if I can get a ride to the guest house and I'm told 15 minutes. 35 minutes later I call again and he tells me he's right here - now. 20 minutes later another driver asks if I can be taken by him to the guest house Abdullah is somehow indisposed. During the wait for Abdullah I visit with Nick and a couple of the other American students who had a bit of free time before their flight and are hanging @ KHI. Many of the Rwandan students come and appologize for the mass absence.

By the time I get home I'm about as cranky as I get. I spend the entire evening (until 1 a.m.) trying to pare down and spice up the lectures to get them to a more appropriate introductory level. Tommorrow is another day and my bed is calling loudly.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day in America - The day to remember those who have fallen in service to our country. The traditional beginning of the summer season.

Skype doesn’t work this morning even though Shaloy & I try repeatedly. I hear Ike talking about getting a shower this morning but the water was off 15 minutes later when I got to the bathroom.

Today is a preparation day for four days of radiography student lectures. I’d hoped to say good bye to the American students but I’ve got too many things to do and don’t make it there. One of those things is going to the post office to see if my package from Shaloy has arrived. It has not but we did a test run with the projector and it worked okay so I’ll cross my fingers for tomorrow. These lectures are not high stress because I have the material already done. The hard part is knowing how much to delete. I plan to use the audience response system clickers, which has the interest of the KHI instructors.

I also need to stock up on groceries as I’m getting low. I get my bags and head to Kimironko for shopping. At some point I decide that this is fun and start smiling more and laughing a bit whenever I think something is absurd or funny, which completely changes my attitude and seems to change the attitude of the folks I’m bartering with. I took my camera fully intending to add pictures of the market but having read so many warnings about pictures and Rwandans, I’m hesitant to get it out. I have two images of Rwandans smiling, even though they smile frequently and laugh quite a bit. But the moment a camera shows appears it’s serious business.

I’ve spent way too much time getting caught up on the blog from the weekend, So that’s it for today.

Parc National Nyungwe Forrest - Full Post

After leaving Gikongoro I’m approached by a moto driver and I agree to a ride to the top of the hill. At this point I just want to get away as quickly as possible. I forget that Athanas had told me that I must go back to the matata place. After a couple of them go by totally full I realize he was right, but there are no motos or bicycle taxis now so I walk back through the town. When I get there they are anxious for me to get in the van-bus. I’d have liked to get on one of the big buses but none are in sight so I squeeze in. I ask how much and they want to know how much I want to pay. I protest quickly and loudly that bartering is for taxis and motos not buses on routes, , , they should tell me what the price is & I’ll pay it. Athanas had warned me it might be considerably more than the $400 FRw I’d paid to get this far. After a huddle they decide I should pay $2500 FRw. I protest again loudly, $2500 is more than the fare from Butare to Cyangugu and I’ve already traveled a considerable part of the route and I’m getting off 65 Km shy of Cyangugu! "Well how much will you pay??" I complain again about fairness and set prices. They drop it to $1500 FRw and if I won’t pay that amount I must get off for they want to leave. I give them the money and pout. Later that night I’m embarrassed that I fussed over two U.S. dollars when I really did need a ride of about 50 miles. I decide I was hungry, disturbed, hot and just plain cranky, , , regardless, I’m now embarrassed.

It’s not far and we enter Nyungwe Forest. For only the second time since I’ve arrived in Rwanda, I look at country side and do not see a house (or for that matter any cultivation). We stop a couple of times to drop people off and pick up as many as we drop off. The next day the ranger tells me that sometimes they come to wait for a bus and are never able to board and end up walking back home after spending an entire day waiting. After a bit, the porter dude begins a conversation and I realize that though the bartering bothered me greatly they were over it and wanted to be friends. We see many military men carrying automatic weapons and patrolling the roads on foot.

The ranger station - Entry place is called Uwinka. I’m happy to get out of the bus because I was sitting with my feet crammed against the engine cover and my feet were as hot as I could have possibly stood. A short walk and up some steep stairs & I’m here!! The rangers seem surprised to see a visitor @ 3:30 p.m.. They direct me to registration.

Isaiah is a tall, handsome man who speaks English very well with a really cool accent. He says Yes we have camping, You have no tent , , , No problem , , , we can rent you a tent and even a sleeping bag. God is good!! I’m so relieved to not have to go elsewhere to find a place. The fees for foreign visitors are quite a bit higher than for foreign residents which are quite a bit higher than for Rwandans. Once we’ve added park Entry fees, hiking fees, tent rental, and guided Chimp tour it’s an even crisp $100 bill (in US currency). The guide book had warned me about the price and the US currency so came prepared. One hundred U.S. is a lot of cash and if I’m willing to forego the Chimp tour I can knock it down to $50. But I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see chimps in the wild and I’m here so... Suck it up and plunk it down and stop brooding cause I’ve worked hard to get here!

The tent is a quite nice modern two person tent. I get to choose between any of the four camping spots, as I’m their only guest. The rangers insist on setting the tent up (which happens quickly once I’ve decided which site). In no time flat I’m settled and eating my lunch. Then out for a walk down the trails which are immediately adjacent to the camp sites. There is a mountain monkey visiting nearby. The rangers had warned me /asked me not to feed it and to keep my food stuffs out of sight.

The trails are steep and very shaded. There is a profusion of flowers and I feel like my friend Eric Tanner as I take close up picture after close up picture of the various flowers. I can not seem to capture the steepness on pictures. The effect evades me. I do not see very many butterflies or any bees (though I’m told that chimps enjoy eating honey using sticks). I’m cognizant of the time and try to stay relatively close to camp taking care to remember that all of these easy steep down hills are going to be accompanied by an equally difficult steep uphill return.

I get back in time to have a relaxing supper before dark and to play my recorder for a while. The rangers offer to setup and start a campfire for me but I decline. I’m supposed to be in my boots ready to go @ 6:00 am for the chimp trekking. I spend about 30 minutes after dark reading the guide book again with my headlamp before heading to bed. I’m getting ready when I receive two phone calls. One from Diogene (from King Faisal) checking on me and the other was the promised call from Athanas making sure I wasn’t stranded. I felt all warm & fuzzy that someone was concerned for my safety. Sleep was good with a perfect temperature. It rained several times in the night but I was dry and warm and snug as a bug in a rug.

My phone alarm went off @ 5:00 am. So I arranged my stuff, ate my breakfast and was in my boots ready to hike @ 6:00 am. I think that they sent two guides because if they needed to haul that fat muzungu out, , , they’d have more help to do it. But they said that Antoine was accompanying Isaiah to learn to be a guide (he’s been a ranger now for two months). I’m given a walking stick which I try to refuse but am politely insisted to take. We walked very quickly down the road I’d driven up on the bus the day previous, past two of the bus stops. The whole time Isaiah was on the radio with the trackers (who kept urging us to hurry lest we miss the chimps)

The trackers live in the woods with the chimps. They carry charts where they log activity, interactions, food consumption and movements. I’m told that they move when the chimps move and once the chimps go to sleep they make camp and then must be up following them at dawn. I’m also told that they love their work and they have an additional function of habituating the chimps to human contact. We hustle about 6 Km down the trails to the first tracker and chimps. Shhh please no sudden movements ,, ,shh please your camera, , , shhh no flash please, there about 200 yards away is a chimp in a tree eating the flowers. With the camera zooming as much as I can the chimp is a black spot in the middle of a fuzzy tree. I use the walking stick to help the camera motion and I do get a few pictures where you can tell that the primate does not have a tail and thus is a chimp. More talking on the radio and we walk quietly down the trail to a location where a blue monkey and a mountain monkey are both in a tree also eating flowers. They are about 120 yards distant. A bit bigger black spots in camera lens.

A bit further down the trail we meet a different tracker who starts us down the hillside. I’m happy for the stick now because this is really steep. Soon we stop and about 50 yards straight out is a chimp 150 + feet up a tree eating flowers. Although the chimp is quite high in the tree we are almost the same height just 50 yards away. We stay here for about 45 minutes and then the chimp decides to search elsewhere for flowers. During that time we hear the rest of the group hooting in the distance. Isaiah says they are too far to walk to. As we prepare to leave a blue monkey takes the place in the tree of the chimp and we stay another 20 minutes observing him moving around eating flowers. I have a 4:00 pm ticket from Butare to Kigali so we need to start back. It will take longer to get the 12 Km back than it did to get here because it’s almost all uphill.

Pictures with the trackers and they are off to spend the rest of the day with the chimps and up the hill we go. Many times during this chimp trek I’m reminded of climbing a hill/mountain with my brother Matt in the Seattle area a couple of years ago. The reminder comes from my sweating and hard breathing compared to the guides who I never saw sweat. . . at all... not a drop... Isaiah is kind and periodically stops to tell me about flora, fauna, traditions, cultures, medicines and then we continue until he perceives I need a break and then he finds something else we need to stop and have discussed. We do see some monkeys in trees and more flowers that need photographing. Back on the road we meet more of the military guys and some folks hoping to get a spot on a passing bus. (Which is what I’ll be hoping for in about an hour). Antoine has been very quiet mentions that I am walking just fine, , Isaiah explains that they didn’t expect me to be able to hike as well as I have. My knee is talking to me and reminding me that it’s down there. I probably should have taken some Ibuprofen prophylactilly. Overall I’m feeling great and we see a few more monkeys along the road.

Back at the ranger station they get warm water for me and take it to the shower house. The water is too hot and Isaiah says there is a container of cold water for mixing. I didn’t understand that the container was outside so I used the containers in the shower which turned out to be paint thinner. So I just showered with the cold water which isn’t any different than I’d have had at the house in Kigali. I get my stuff and I’m out on the road by noon. Once there I eat my lunch and await the ride. Two other men are also waiting and then two rangers join us. They are all concerned about my ride situation. The buses coming from Cyangugu will not leave until they are full so my hope is that someone wanted off so that there is a spot for me to get on. The rangers are quite amused and a bit astonished when I tell them that God helped me get here and He’ll help me get back.

About 12:30 a petrol Tanker truck comes by with only a driver and stops. The ranger had flagged him without my noticing. We ran to the truck and after a moment the ranger asked if I could "Help with gas money?" I hopped in quickly and down the hill we went to Butare. Brite is a Ugandan Truck Driver who travels between Kenya, Uganda & Congo delivering petrol. He seems happy with the company and speaks English very well. I’ve got a comfortable front seat near the window & I’m happy as a lark. He’s returning empty so we move right along. Now if only the pedestrians will stay off the road to not get hit and killed. Out of Nyungwe, through Gikngoro and on to Butare before 3:00.

I walk back through town and stop at the kind grocers store. They’ve got warm little pizzas for cheap and I get one. There is a eating area which I had not realized was a restaurant. I’ve already got my little pizza and a drink so I ask for chips (thinking French Fries). The waitress is quite surprised and shows me the menu and makes sure I want chips only.... Yep Chips!! So I get a plate of home made potato chips. Very nice thin and salted. Not French Fries. I laugh out loud at myself. I got what I ordered but not what I wanted.

Back to the Horizon bus station to catch the express. Neither of the two 3:30 buses will allow me an early departure. The one 4:00 pm bus leaves without being full. Did I mention that this bus is called the express?? Normally I’m concerned for the safety of the pedestrians, , this trip I’m concerned for my own!!! This guy should think about driving NASCAR. We’re back in town a little after 6 p.m.. I call Philbert...If there is no water I’ll eat out. I ask "Is there water??" I hear "Yes!". The city bus to Kimihuru wants me to board right away. Dummy me ,, that puts me in the back & I get off at one of the earlier stops which means 5 or 6 people will have to get out so I can get off. I'm berating myself for not being smarter and then mis-communicate where I want to get off and we’re already stopped and the 5 people have gotten off when I want to say NO!! Let me off at the next stop, , ,but I get off and start the walk up the hill. It starts to rain and I finally get to use the super duper rain jacket that Zack got for me. I decide to eat out anyway but after walking to the restaurant it’s closed.... I’m tired, hungry and my feet hurt when I get home and Philbert says no water. He hadn’t said Yes he said "Yesterday". Yesterday they had water - none today.

Then I start to think about the great adventure I’ve had and there is enough water to flush the toilet twice tonight and enough water to take a cold bath in the morning.

You can access all of them from this link.

Gikongoro - Murambi Genocide Memorial - Full Post

Sabbath morning there is no water, which makes me want to hang here @ the house even less. I was able to enjoy an extra long Skype visit with Shaloy (almost 1.5 hours). Then it was time to hurry to catch my buses.

I was the first of the passengers to arrive for the express to Butare and get the front passenger seat near the window. YEAH!! Definitely a favorite location for me. We’re not totally jam packed for the 7 am trip so there are actually a few empty seats. While we’re waiting I see a lady in a blue uniform. She is using what appears to be a home-made broom to sweep the entire street and both sidewalks. She is sweeping the trash, bits of paper, etc into little piles. I assume that either she or somebody else will come along later to collect the little piles.

The drive is pleasant and I recognize many of the houses, fields, and other sites. For the first half of this trip we follow the same road that I traveled a couple of weeks ago to Kibuye but once we hit the town of Gitarama, we turn south. Some of the trucks move so slow up the hills the the bicycle riders catch a ride by grabbing onto the back of the truck to get towed up the hill. It looks really dangerous to me. We arrive in Butare a bit after 9:00 am and the town is just waking up. The company I’ve ridden with does not proceed further on my trip. They suggest Atraco, the guy @ Atraco doesn’t speak English but tells me they don’t travel that way either. I walk to a hotel which I’ve read about in the Lonely Planet Guide and meet an American. He says that it’s about a two hour trip but he’s only done it by hired car. I’ve yet to see a road that doesn’t have matatas (local service taxi buses), so I’m relatively sure if I can find the right road I’ll be able to get a ride. I go to a supermarket and there’s an English speaking man who seems to be the proprietor. He tells that if I walk down the road there is a special bus stop where the buses will proceed to Gikongoro and Nyungwe once they fill up.

So down the road and I do eventually see an area with minibuses and buses waiting for passengers. But not before passing a large group of bicycle taxis. I ask for directions to the buses and three insist that they can take me to Gikongoro. I know it’s over 25 Km and I certainly don’t want to go that far on the back of a bike, so I walk on to the buses. I ask at the first bus which is big and old and parked under a tree for shade. Yes they’ll be going that way and only $400 FRw to Gikongoro This one will leave even before they fill up, as they will be picking up all along the way. A small child is fascinated by me and the parents let him stare and touch. I’ve brought my Tenor Recorder and quietly slip it out and start playing for the child. The kid still doesn’t do anything but contemplate my skin but the adults on the bus seem to like the music. After a couple of songs I put the Recorder away and a man invites me to come sit next to him.

Athanas is a dentist working with an NGO. He told me that he is working quite a bit with the pigmy population. I asked if I would recognize them by look or stature and he says that they simply look like all impoverished people. He is on his way home which is just a few miles outside of Nyungwe Forrest and before Cyangugu. We eventually get enough passengers or hit the right time and start to proceed down the road. We stop frequently picking up local people who pay differing amounts based on the distance they intend to travel. There is a man traveling along as a porter collecting monies and giving receipts. With the ebb and flow of people coming and going I’m amazed that he can keep track but he does. I think that the people are also honest about paying their fares.

Athanas is a bit concerned about where I’ll stay the night. I’ve read that there is camping @ the park but that you have to have your own tent and sleeping bag. However, on one web-site there was mention of a recent addition of a couple of rooms that might be rented if you’re otherwise prepared to camp (bringing food). If that doesn’t work out there is a ORTPN guest house some 18 Km down the road. If neither of those work out I can catch a ride on to Cyangugu or back to Gikongoro. My hope is to find some way to stay at the forest. I’ve got food and warm clothes for the night. This plan doesn’t sit well with Athanas and he promises he will call this evening to make sure I’m not stranded. We reach Gikongoro but Athanas wants me to stay until we’ve gone the last bit by bus. The road to the memorial is a couple of Kilometers on the other side of town and the bus will drop me there. We exchange phone numbers and he introduces me to a new fruit - Imbuhu - that they peddlers are selling to the bus passengers at the stop. It is small about the size of a walnut with a paper skin and when you feel it there is a fruit the size of a marble. It is sour and seedy and I get a quart bag for $400 FRw.

Almost as soon as we leave, we come to my stop. Immediately there are motos and bicycle taxis who want to take me the 2.5 Km to the memorial. I turn them away because I want to walk and contemplate the enormity of this place. I’m denied my solitude as one small group of youngsters after another run to walk a ways with the strange muzungu who is walking. But I can smell the fertile ground and the growing plants and the cooking fires. I’m content to walk. Finally the last 100 yards to the entrance all of the local people drop away and I can walk slowly through this place which at one time was a well known technical school. It is totally quiet except the crunching of my boots on the gravel. A huge dried out wreath and banner arch across the entrance. I know that in April there are remembrances and based on it’s state of decay, I’m pretty sure this is a left over from a month ago.

There are some tour buses so I’m sure it’s open, , , I quietly walk inside the former administration building and a group of Rwandans are just finishing a tour. I don’t know what is proper so I wait until they finish their talk and then they go outside to the burial site to sing hymns. Still no one comes and the signs are a bit confusing and as I start up a stair case the man who has been giving the talk comes and asks why I’m here. I try to explain that I’ve come to the memorial to see what is to be seen and he asks me to wait. After a bit he brings a lady to "Show me the bodies". We quietly walk outside and around the admin building and start walking toward a neat set of tan brick buildings with glass-less windows and open doors. The first is quite startling. A set of racks has been constructed about 2.5 feet high and these are covered with the bodies of victims.

The bodies are covered with lime to slow the decay process down. There are also mothballs in every room and on the some of the corpses. The smell is unique, deeply penetrating, and quite powerful. I have never smelled it before and will likely never forget it either. Sunday while uploading and titling the pictures I could vividly smell it again even though I know I had none of it on my clothes or materials. I have had a similar smell experience in Waveland, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. The smell of rotting food, vegetation and gulf muck is permanently imbedded in my brain as the smell of destruction and ruin. Now I have two of those references.

The silence was equally penetrating. The countryside around the site is peaceful and serene and you can scarcely believe that an atrocity of this magnitude could have occurred here, the report says fifty thousand died in a matter of a few days, but here are the bodies. As macabre as the sight seems I suppose that sometime in the future there will be people who will deny that genocide occurred and there must be places like Murambi to make us remember that it did occur. Equally disturbing are signs showing the location of the French flag and another indicating that French soldiers were playing as the massacre occurred.

The rooms go on and on. There are over 950 bodies preserved for viewing. There are more than 50,000 buried in mass graves. Some where shot, some died by grenade, some were bludgeoned and some were hacked by machete. It doesn’t take a forensic scientist to detail these methods through the wounds on the corpses. I walk from room to room silently filled with remorse for the families who were slaughtered together. It is so overwhelming that I can not cry but another group is walking through and one of their members is wailing and is having to be carried away. Later, I see that this must happen often enough that they have a room prepared in the administration building where she is recovering.

I’m told that many of the worst massacres occurred in churches and this school. The two institutions where I spend most of my time, in this country, 14 years ago, became places of murder. I can not fathom. As I’m walking back I come to a group of teenagers from a school in NE Rwanda who have come to see. As I pass them, one quietly asks me if I have an explanation for this. . . I do not. There is a place with a high water spigot and people are washing their hands, faces and heads.... It seems appropriate to try and wash the odor away but I do not see how it can be erased.

I sign the guest book, walk out the gate and back to the noise of Rwanda.

here is the link to all of the images.

King Faisal Day #5

The morning routine was pretty uneventful. The water pressure seemd a bit low so I filled some of the containers. You know, , just in case, ,

It was a very slow day @ the hospital. We had three patients today. Said was scheduled to be with me and Diogene came in on his day off (That's the 2nd time this has happened) Benard the student also was there for much of the day. We had basically the whole day for theory and practice/practical application, then more theory and practice/practical application, then more theory and practice/practical application.

There is a very pleasant German woman from Butare hospital who is in Kigali evaluating available services, fees and referral options. Her English is excellent and she joins us for one of the lesson sessions while she awaits for time with the Radiologist. She tells me there is a German cardiologist who does Echocardiograms in Butare and He's been trying to teach the other physicians how to scan abdomens. But he returns home in a month and they'll not have anyone to do the Echography. She seems very interested in having a sonographer @ the hospital. As intelligent and knowledgeable as she seems I'm getting a bit leery of other folks evaluations of usage patterns.

At his request, I spend about 30 minutes explaining and demonstrating renal artery scanning to the radiologist. I encourage him to consider the amount of scan time necessary to correctly perform renal exams. I think it finally struck him how meticulous one must be when I demonstrated the dramatic differences in reported velocities with just a 20 degree variation in angle correction.

At lunch time it was raining and we waited for the rain to stop so we could walk to lunch. Then one of the senior radiographers (Pascal) who has a car offered to drive us to the restaurant. It was back to "New Life" Restaurant by day tavern by night. A normal African lunch again but today I get brave and ask the proprietor if I can take some pictures. The food is tasty and filling and must be loaded with calories.

The afternoon is spent alternating between theory/practice and reviewing prior cases. We try to see the CT on the renal patient from yesterday but he hasn't had his CT yet. Financial issues I'm told. The CTs are pretty expensive for the average Rwandan. I may have to come back and correct the figure but I was told a while back it was around $150 US for the exam and interpretation.

I can't bear the thought of sitting around the house this weekend. Ike is taking off for Gisenyi, Dr. Konn, Patrick, Benard and the American students are in Kibuye and I've not made any friends @ the church, , , So I'm going to one of the genocide memorials and a park. Diogene went with me to Mumenge (town center) and after visiting three bus services I purchased a ticket leaving @ 7:00 am for Butare. Diogene has been a great friend and help today. We now go to find a small daypack for my weekend. The first place we find a pack that might work but it has basically no padding on the shoulder straps and the first two they get for me bust the zippers. They want $10,00 FRw which I think is okay for a pack that I consider disposable but we leave and look for better wares. We find another shop with a better pack. self healing zipper, thicker material, more padding. The guy wants $15,000FRw I offer him ten and he sticks to the fifteen. We leave but he comes to the street entrance and comes down to $12,000 ($24 U.S.) I'm happy and have a pack I think could take the place of my damaged carry-on.

Diogene walks me to the bus area and makes sure I get on the right bus to Kimihurura. He encourages me to take the bigger buses and I'm wondering why I didn't catch on to this one sooner. There is a single seat on the left near the window and a double seat on the right with room for only two. I grab a seat and don't even have to touch the other passenger. The bus slowly fills for about 5 minutes and I'm wondering if all these other people are going to stand. Then I see that what I thought was my right arm rest is a folded up "jump seat". Once the back of the bus fills these jump seat fold down to make a bench from one side to the other. Two people now join each row, making 5 across and we are full on touching both of the other passenger's sides from ankle to shoulder. I think I'm getting used to it in that I know that this is everyday for the folks I'm riding with.

Tomorrow I'll go to Butare and once there I'll get a local bus to take me to Murambi Memorial Site where some 50,000 Tutsi were killed in Gikongoro. Once I've visited the memorial I'll go on to Nyungwe park. The highlights of this mountainous rain forest park are 14 species of monkeys and chimpanzees, orchids and butterflys. It is between 5,600 and 9,700 feet elevation. I'll play it by ear about where to sleep but I'm taking food just in case I'm able to stay at the park.

When I get home , , , , the water is off. Supper is the fruit that's ripe and won't keep two more days, A large mango and three avocados. No updates until I'm back Sunday evening.