I love writing on my blog when I'm faced with writing as many words to describe my adventures without having the bloody internet time run out on me. Argh...the pain of dial-up connection in Uganda!
Nevertheless, dear reader, I trudge on, because I know that you
love reading about my (mis)adventures ;P
So...Part 2 commences (although without pictures and in point form due to time restrictions).
Kampala Highlights
1. Garden City shopping mall - can we say CIVILIZATION? It was great to be able to eat real Indian food, watch
King Kong at the cinema, buy groceries at Uchumi Supermarket (it reminded me of an overgrown version of Zellers though), and buy
Shake Hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire (because I left my copy at home) in preparation for visiting Rwanda.
2. Boda boda'ing and nearly losing my knees - dangerous but fun...Stu and I took a boda together (to save money) and nearly lost our limbs due to our driver's ability to weave between traffic (such as huge trucks and speeding
matatus or public taxis). But it's such a great way to see the city, so I'd do it again :)
3. Being mobbed at the Taxi Park - what an experience...if any of you have travelled overseas and been mobbed by people wanting you to buy/partake in their services, you'll know what this would be like. Made me really appreciate Western public transportation, where people don't grab at your arms to get your attention.
4. Awesome jewellery and artwork at Exposure Africa (Buganda Road) - I discovered
Stella Atal's beautiful renditions of the Karamajong people at the craft market called Exposure Africa and will hopefully visit her studio when in Kampala at the end of January. I also discovered awesome horn and bone jewellry for cheap!
4. Backpackers Hostel - good food at cheap prices, clean beds and hot water. There is not much more you can ask for after spending hours on a dusty bus, fighting your way through the taxi park and lugging your exhausted butt up the hill to the hostel. Ozzies really know how to pamper backpackers!
After a successful outdoor, candlelit Christmas dinner (no, I did not blow up the house and yes, there was electricity the ENTIRE day!!) of roast chicken, stuffing, potato latkes (courtesy of Stu), carrot cake, ginger cookies and a fresh, green salad (courtesy of Brian and Jessica Myerholm's garden)...it was time to hit the road.
Rwanda RoadTrip Highlights
1. Land of a thousand hills - lush, rolling hills and very picturesque villages...Rwanda is truly a feast for the eyes, especially the drive from Gitarama to Kibuye (on the shores of Lake Kivu). I really can't put too much in words becuase it really is a country worth visiting experiencing for yourself.
2. Lake Kivu - after four days of constantly being on the road, we were fortunate to be able to stay at the
Centre Bethanie on the shores of Lake Kivu. It is a spiritual retreat run by the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda, but also caters to travellers. A MUST-STAY place...I swam in Lake Kivu, dined on fresh tilapia, had BATH (in a super-clean bathroom) and slept soundly in a cozy and clean room. And it only cost me $10 USD to stay there (Rwanda is relatively expensive compared to Uganda).
3. French connection - French language spoken by most people; pate, fresh baguettes and good coffee...I hate to say it (because it's so un-PC), but I really did enjoy Rwanda's French connection. Coffee there ROCKS...
4. Genocide memorials - I had been reading about the Rwandan genocide that occured in April 1994, so it was good to be able to visit the Hotel de Milles Collines and the Nyamata and Kibuye memorials. We had many conversations in the car about the atrocities and how we are amazed at how the country and its people have rebounded from such a horrible past. The people we met were very gracious and the landscape has recovered from most of the scars. Rwanda truly is an amazing country.
My time at the internet cafe is running out...so happy new year again. I head to the village today so catch you at the end of January.
Ciao.
Les pays des milles collines (the land of a thousand hills)
Pigging out on pate and fresh bread on the way to Gitarama.
Ricky proudly displaying his tighty-whities at a guesthouse in Gitarama.
Nyungwe National Park in the southern Rwanda - the oldest montane rainforest in Africa. 
ACTS interns striking a Japanese tourist pose... 
Freddy or Eddy? Yep, I named the two chickens I bought for Christmas dinner. Here's Ricky (in a ridiculously short tie that we all ribbed him about) holding one of our fowl friends.
The beloved stove that roasted our Christmas dinner (Freddy or Eddy?). If you look closely, you'll see that 3/4 of the knobs are missing from it...I had to use pliers to turn on the oven and guesstimate the approximate temperature range to bake a carrot cake (see below).
