Population Control
Rwanda is planning to limit the number of children to be born in each family to three. This could make it the only country in Africa to restrict the number of births as a measure for economic growth. A 2002 census estimated Rwanda's population at 8.2 million people, most of whom are subsistence farmers and it was expected to reach to 9.3 million by 2007. At current fertility rates of between 5.8 and 6.1, Rwanda's population will double by 2030.
Since the 1994 Genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 people died, the tiny central African state's population has seen a very sharp rise, with the population growing at an average 3.3 percent per year. A Rwandan woman on average gives birth to up to six children, one of Africa's highest, which makes this tiny central African and former Belgian colony the most densely populated country on the African continent at 343 people per square kilometre. Currently, only 10 per cent of Rwanda's population uses family planning measures, but the government wants this to increase to 70 per cent within five years.
Business Center Closed Due to Improper Sewage Disposal
Kigali City Council on Tuesday evening closed Kigali Business Centre (KBC), a popular business building near Kimihurura roundabout, following findings that the building has been dangerously disposing of its sewage to the neighbourhood. A source in KCC told The New Times yesterday that KBC management had for many years ignored a directive to build a sewage system with a capacity to recycle and treat the sewage internally. KBC houses a host of business entities - including Business Communication Solutions (BCS), Baba's Restaurant, Planet Club, Electrogaz (power and water utility) branch office, Mutara Enterprises office, SMS Media and an art and crafts shop.
According to one of the affected businesspersons, Baba, the proprietor of Baba's Restaurant, the development will cause a lot of losses to various business units at the building. However, some KBC tenants accused city authorities of handling the sewage issue selectively. They alleged that most buildings in Kigali, including hotels, operate without proper drainage or sewage systems. The closure comes barely weeks after KCC closed Alpha Palace Hotel over similar reasons. The hotel was reopened shortly afterwards after promising to fix the problem.
Sex-Workers Appeal to Government for Support
WESTERN PROVINCE : RUSIZI - Over 40 sex-workers who were on March 11 rounded up from Kamembe Town in Rusizi District, are asking the Government for financial support to start up income-generating activities. The sex-workers were rounded up from entertainment places of Ten to Ten Paradise Hotel, Isimbi Lodge, Kukabasazi and Kuryakane by a police patrol unit at midnight. The illicit traders, most of who are in their late twenties are currently detained at Kamembe police post in Kamembe Sector. Talking to The New Times, the group said they need to get alternatives in order to leave the "street business" which they do to earn a living.
When contacted for comment, the District Police Commander, Superintendent Francis Muheto said that they (police) arrested the culprits for causing chaos and insecurity in the area especially at night. "We were forced to apprehend them because they normally cause chaos and insecurity in the area during the night. Some men even fight each other over these prostitutes," Muheto said.
Man Shot Dead By LDU
NORTHERN PROVINCE: MUSANZE - A local defence unit personnel (LDU) in Busogo Sector of Musanze District survived an irate mob after shooting dead an area resident. Emanuel Habirora, 23, a local defence personnel in the district last Saturday shot and seriously injured a resident identified as Jean Paul Serugendo, 43, a driver.
Eye witnesses told the New Times that the shocking incident happened at around 6 p.m. in Byangabo trading centre. The victim (Serugendo) was rushed to Ruhengeri Hospital in critical condition, where he later died the same day at around 9 p.m. The killer (Habirora) was rescued by police from angry residents and is being detained at Muhoza Sector Police station. Police at the district confirmed the incident, but said the motive of the shooting was yet to be established and investigations have been launched. The District Police Commander, Superintendent Elias Mwesige said the killer was attached to Mutobo demobilisation centre guarding the recently released prisoners.
"Yes, our LDU guard shot and injured a resident in Byangabo. We arrested him and he is being held pending investigations. We have heard the victim later died from the hospital, but we haven't established the motive of the incident," he said.
This is the second death occurring from what is widely viewed as misuse of fire arms by LDU since the beginning of the year, according to Police sources. The first one happened on February 27 in Nyange Sector. One LDU man only identified as Rukoreki now incarcerated at Ruhengeri central prison, shot and killed his wife Shelly Dusabira after accusing her of eloping with his brother. Mwesige disclosed that as a preventive measure, all rifles were due to be withdrawn from the local defence personnel and plans were underway for refresher courses for all LDU personnel, after which they will be screened to get rid of those deemed undisciplined. "Police has been instructed not to release guns to LDU except under special circumstances which can be supervised by a police constable," Mwesige disclosed.
[Note: In an early posting to this blog entitled, “Sunday Stroll and an Incident”, the LDU mentioned in this article is the same group I reference in that posting.]
These articles were copied from local news sources and have been edited by me for length only.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Lost in Translation
This past Saturday, as I often do, I sent one of the company drivers to the open market to get food for the dogs. Since the open market is one of the many places in Kigali that does not provide paper bags for groceries, I always send my big red plastic bag with the driver. He brought the food to the house without incident and returned to the job site. Shortly after I received the food Ken called to tell me the same driver was returning to the house to pick up a soccer uniform Ken wore last weekend to the company game (but that’s another story).
I was about to sit down and attempt to tame my eternally unruly hair. Rather than have to interrupt such unparalleled joy when the driver arrived, I gave the soccer uniform to Celestine, the guard with instructions to give it to Yusefu the driver when he arrived. I assembled all of my hair accoutrements turned on the TV and got started. Admittedly, I thought for just a second that handing the uniform off to the guard was not going to work but I ignored it. Okay, so now I’m ten minutes into my hair when I hear a knock at the door – it’s Celestine. At this point, my hair is looking like a cross between Frederick Douglass and Chaka Khan but I poke my head out the door anyway to see what he wants. He looks quite flustered and the conversation goes something like this:
Me: Yes?
Celestine: Um, the driver…
Me: Yes? Is he here?
Celestine: Um, he needs to talk to you
I put my shoes on and head up the driveway to find out what Yusfu needs.
Yusufu: I need the empty grocery bag.
Me: What?
Yusufu: Mr. Ken told me to pick up the red grocery bag.
Me: No, what you need is the soccer uniform. Celestine, did you give him the uniform?
Celestine: Huh?
Me: You know, the white plastic bag with the green suit in it? Did you give it to him?
(Celestine scratches his head; clearly in a quandary.)
Me: Yusufu, did he give you the soccer uniform?
Some dialogue transpires between the two men in Kinyarwanda and they both laugh.
Me: Okay, where’s the soccer uniform in the white plastic bag Celestine?
Celestine goes into the guard shack and emerges looking victorious carrying the soccer uniform in the white plastic bag. I give the bag to Yusufu and tell him, this is what you need.
Yusufu: No, I need the empty grocery bag. That’s what you husband told me to get.
By now I feel like I’m in the middle of the Rwandese version of the old “Who’s on First” routine. I understand that Yusufu never understood his original instructions to come to the house and get the soccer uniform. He’s now looking distressed and probably thinking Ken is going to be upset with him for not following instructions. Again he says to me that he needs the grocery bag and I tell him no, you do not. He pulls out his cell phone and says I will call your husband. I tell him, no put your phone away. But, he says your husband wants the grocery bag. Now I’m getting hot in the sun and this is beginning to irritate me and I say to him with a serious face, “Tell my husband I said he can’t have the grocery bag” and I turn and walk back down the driveway.
Of course I called Ken at work and we had a great laugh about the whole thing. Later that evening I asked him what happened when Yusufu got back to the office. He said Yusufu stopped by his office and asked him if he needed the grocery bag. Ken just smiled and said no.
In a shorter story, we had two Kenyan guys (Samuel and George) over for dinner one night. I served tacos, beans and rice, which turned out to be a real treat for them. Anyway, we all sat down to eat and I placed a bowl of grated cheese on the table. Samuel looks at the cheese and what Ken and I both hear him say is “Does this come from cow?” Ken and I give one another a quizzical glance, I smile and say sure it comes from a cow, its cheese. Samuel and George pass the same look to one another and we all begin assembling our tacos. Samuel takes a forkful of cheese into his mouth and says, “Oh it is cheese.” I’m thinking, of course it’s cheese. Samuel explains that his original question was, “Is this carrots,” because he had never seen grated cheese.
I was about to sit down and attempt to tame my eternally unruly hair. Rather than have to interrupt such unparalleled joy when the driver arrived, I gave the soccer uniform to Celestine, the guard with instructions to give it to Yusefu the driver when he arrived. I assembled all of my hair accoutrements turned on the TV and got started. Admittedly, I thought for just a second that handing the uniform off to the guard was not going to work but I ignored it. Okay, so now I’m ten minutes into my hair when I hear a knock at the door – it’s Celestine. At this point, my hair is looking like a cross between Frederick Douglass and Chaka Khan but I poke my head out the door anyway to see what he wants. He looks quite flustered and the conversation goes something like this:
Me: Yes?
Celestine: Um, the driver…
Me: Yes? Is he here?
Celestine: Um, he needs to talk to you
I put my shoes on and head up the driveway to find out what Yusfu needs.
Yusufu: I need the empty grocery bag.
Me: What?
Yusufu: Mr. Ken told me to pick up the red grocery bag.
Me: No, what you need is the soccer uniform. Celestine, did you give him the uniform?
Celestine: Huh?
Me: You know, the white plastic bag with the green suit in it? Did you give it to him?
(Celestine scratches his head; clearly in a quandary.)
Me: Yusufu, did he give you the soccer uniform?
Some dialogue transpires between the two men in Kinyarwanda and they both laugh.
Me: Okay, where’s the soccer uniform in the white plastic bag Celestine?
Celestine goes into the guard shack and emerges looking victorious carrying the soccer uniform in the white plastic bag. I give the bag to Yusufu and tell him, this is what you need.
Yusufu: No, I need the empty grocery bag. That’s what you husband told me to get.
By now I feel like I’m in the middle of the Rwandese version of the old “Who’s on First” routine. I understand that Yusufu never understood his original instructions to come to the house and get the soccer uniform. He’s now looking distressed and probably thinking Ken is going to be upset with him for not following instructions. Again he says to me that he needs the grocery bag and I tell him no, you do not. He pulls out his cell phone and says I will call your husband. I tell him, no put your phone away. But, he says your husband wants the grocery bag. Now I’m getting hot in the sun and this is beginning to irritate me and I say to him with a serious face, “Tell my husband I said he can’t have the grocery bag” and I turn and walk back down the driveway.
Of course I called Ken at work and we had a great laugh about the whole thing. Later that evening I asked him what happened when Yusufu got back to the office. He said Yusufu stopped by his office and asked him if he needed the grocery bag. Ken just smiled and said no.
In a shorter story, we had two Kenyan guys (Samuel and George) over for dinner one night. I served tacos, beans and rice, which turned out to be a real treat for them. Anyway, we all sat down to eat and I placed a bowl of grated cheese on the table. Samuel looks at the cheese and what Ken and I both hear him say is “Does this come from cow?” Ken and I give one another a quizzical glance, I smile and say sure it comes from a cow, its cheese. Samuel and George pass the same look to one another and we all begin assembling our tacos. Samuel takes a forkful of cheese into his mouth and says, “Oh it is cheese.” I’m thinking, of course it’s cheese. Samuel explains that his original question was, “Is this carrots,” because he had never seen grated cheese.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
News From Across the Continent
RWANDA - Sixty-two prisoners were last week released from Gisenyi Prison in Rubavu District. Twenty-two of them are charged with Genocide crimes while others are convicts of ordinary crimes. In an interview, the prison director, Roger Gahaya, said the inmates were thoroughly screened before their release to avoid errors. He said that many of them hail from Ngororero, Nyabihu and Rubavu districts. Those released were immediately taken to Mutobo camp to attend a month-long solidarity course to help them easily integrate into their respective communities. Gisenyi prison accommodates a total of 4,456 prisoners.
Those released are part of about 9000 prisoners who walked out of the cells last week, with over 90 percent of them suspected to have played part in the 1994 Genocide that claimed at least one million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Genocide convicts were released under a January 2003 Presidential Decree, while convicts of other crimes were granted parole after meeting various conditions.
MONROVIA, Liberia -- Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf accepted the resignation of her chief of staff, Willie Knuckles, after he was photographed having sex with two women, tarnishing a government campaign for moral probity.
Johnson-Sirleaf, a longtime campaigner for women's rights, said Knuckles had not broken the law but the scandal threatened to derail efforts to combat sexual abuse and raise standards in Liberia's public life after a brutal 1989-2003 civil war.
Knuckles, who is also minister of state for presidential affairs and is married with children, has accused opposition lawmakers of trying to use the photographs to blackmail him.
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali authorities have arrested six suspects in the hijacking of a U.N.-chartered cargo ship delivering food aid, officials said Tuesday. The MV Rozen, however, remained under the control of four pirates who were aboard with 12 crew members as hostages, said the U.N's food agency.
The ship had been contracted to deliver aid to Somalia, where around 1 million people are suffering from a drought that hit the region last year, and had just delivered 1,800 metric tons (about 1,900 short tons) of food when it was seized.
KINSHASA - On 26 February 2007, the Kalamu Peace Court in the city of Boma, in Bas-Congo province sentenced Popol Ntula Vita, a reporter with the Kinshasa-based weekly "La Cite Africaine", to three months in prison without parole and a fine of US$6,450 in damages.
The journalist was prosecuted for "defamation and damaging allegations" against Thomas Ndombasi, the local head of the public tax office and three of his colleagues. In a 6 January 2007 article entitled "Alert at the Boma Tax Centre", the journalist accused Ndombasi and his three colleagues of misappropriating funds from the issuing of vehicle licence plates. The journalist contended, among other things, that the licence plates were over-priced and the price difference was pocketed by the above-mentioned individuals.
DARFUR - The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor today named a Sudanese minister and a militia commander as the first suspects he wants tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region. The Security Council referred the Darfur issue, along with the names of 51 suspected perpetrators, to the ICC in March 2005, after a UN inquiry into whether genocide occurred in Darfur found the Government responsible for crimes under international law and strongly recommended referring the dossier to the Court.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented evidence showing that Ahmad Muhammad Harun, former Sudanese Minister of State for the Interior, and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kushayb, "jointly committed crimes against the civilian population in Darfur," according to an ICC press release.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for an urgent international aid to avert massive suffering and death in the Central African Republic (CAR).
The Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Esther Guluma added that denying that a humanitarian crisis existed would result in the deaths of many children in the next few months. "If we are to avert suffering and death on a massive scale in these areas, UNICEF has to accelerate its activities, along with the government, our UN partners and the few non-governmental organisations on the ground," said Ms Guluma.
She emphasised that there was a need to act immediately on the situation in CAR, since there were already thousands of refugees who had fled across the country's western border with Chad. In the accelerated emergency phase now underway, relief supplies have started arriving in Bangui, the capital. "Some one million people are affected by the conflict in CAR, the sixth least developed country in the world, with indicators for maternal and child mortality, already very poor, now on a continuing decline,"
Those released are part of about 9000 prisoners who walked out of the cells last week, with over 90 percent of them suspected to have played part in the 1994 Genocide that claimed at least one million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Genocide convicts were released under a January 2003 Presidential Decree, while convicts of other crimes were granted parole after meeting various conditions.
MONROVIA, Liberia -- Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf accepted the resignation of her chief of staff, Willie Knuckles, after he was photographed having sex with two women, tarnishing a government campaign for moral probity.
Johnson-Sirleaf, a longtime campaigner for women's rights, said Knuckles had not broken the law but the scandal threatened to derail efforts to combat sexual abuse and raise standards in Liberia's public life after a brutal 1989-2003 civil war.
Knuckles, who is also minister of state for presidential affairs and is married with children, has accused opposition lawmakers of trying to use the photographs to blackmail him.
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali authorities have arrested six suspects in the hijacking of a U.N.-chartered cargo ship delivering food aid, officials said Tuesday. The MV Rozen, however, remained under the control of four pirates who were aboard with 12 crew members as hostages, said the U.N's food agency.
The ship had been contracted to deliver aid to Somalia, where around 1 million people are suffering from a drought that hit the region last year, and had just delivered 1,800 metric tons (about 1,900 short tons) of food when it was seized.
KINSHASA - On 26 February 2007, the Kalamu Peace Court in the city of Boma, in Bas-Congo province sentenced Popol Ntula Vita, a reporter with the Kinshasa-based weekly "La Cite Africaine", to three months in prison without parole and a fine of US$6,450 in damages.
The journalist was prosecuted for "defamation and damaging allegations" against Thomas Ndombasi, the local head of the public tax office and three of his colleagues. In a 6 January 2007 article entitled "Alert at the Boma Tax Centre", the journalist accused Ndombasi and his three colleagues of misappropriating funds from the issuing of vehicle licence plates. The journalist contended, among other things, that the licence plates were over-priced and the price difference was pocketed by the above-mentioned individuals.
DARFUR - The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor today named a Sudanese minister and a militia commander as the first suspects he wants tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region. The Security Council referred the Darfur issue, along with the names of 51 suspected perpetrators, to the ICC in March 2005, after a UN inquiry into whether genocide occurred in Darfur found the Government responsible for crimes under international law and strongly recommended referring the dossier to the Court.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented evidence showing that Ahmad Muhammad Harun, former Sudanese Minister of State for the Interior, and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kushayb, "jointly committed crimes against the civilian population in Darfur," according to an ICC press release.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for an urgent international aid to avert massive suffering and death in the Central African Republic (CAR).
The Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Esther Guluma added that denying that a humanitarian crisis existed would result in the deaths of many children in the next few months. "If we are to avert suffering and death on a massive scale in these areas, UNICEF has to accelerate its activities, along with the government, our UN partners and the few non-governmental organisations on the ground," said Ms Guluma.
She emphasised that there was a need to act immediately on the situation in CAR, since there were already thousands of refugees who had fled across the country's western border with Chad. In the accelerated emergency phase now underway, relief supplies have started arriving in Bangui, the capital. "Some one million people are affected by the conflict in CAR, the sixth least developed country in the world, with indicators for maternal and child mortality, already very poor, now on a continuing decline,"
Friday, February 16, 2007
South Africa Vacation
You're Probably Wondering Where I've Been
The online service I use for blogging changed their software and I had a terrible time trying to figure it out. They advertised that the switch from "old" to "new" would be a snap. NOT!! At first my password did not work, then once the password decided to work I could not make postings. I left the whole thing alone for awhile and on a whim tried it again today. Voila! Back in business. Anyway, the last time I posted was late last year and we were planning a trip to South Africa. So, picking up where I left off...
Sunday Outing in Kigali
One Sunday we took a day trip to Akagera National Game Park located about two hours east of Kigali near the Tanzania border. We left at six in the morning and were back home before three. Unlike a zoo, this park houses animals in their natural habitats. Visitors drive thru the park along with a guide and view the animals from their vehicles. Fortunately we have a Rwandese park guide who spoke English fluently and shared interesting information about the animals and birds in the park.
Some of the animals we saw were giraffes, water buck, velvet monkey, buffalo, antelope, hippos and baboons. The park is also home to elephants, lions and leopards although we did not see any. Several hundred species of birds call Akagera home including eagles, doves, weaver birds and many more. Our guide, James explained the fascinating behavior of one species of bird – I don’t remember its name. Anyway, if a piece of red fabric or paper finds its way to this birds nest it thinks the material is fire. In trying to extinguish what it thinks is fire, this bird will fly back and forth from its nest to the nearest water source until it dies from exhaustion. It was a nice outing and we took lots of pictures which I will attempt to post here or at Kodak gallery.
Trip to South Africa
We took our winter vacation to South Africa. We were supposed to fly from Kigali to Johannesburg and then on to George. In true African form, the first flight left Kigali late thus arriving late in Johannesburg. At Johannesburg airport we discovered the airlines had lost our luggage. Of course the first thing the airline employee at the South Africa Airways counter said was that it was not their fault and that they would not put us up at a hotel. Refusing to take our word that the plane had indeed left Kigali late, he had to call someone and confirm the time the plane landed. It really was late, he discovered. Anyway, they did pay for our hotel and meals on the first night and got us on a morning flight the next day. All was not lost because it was quite a nice hotel with outstanding food. My luggage arrived the day after we arrived and Ken’s came the following day.
The next day we made it to George where we rented a car and drove to Mossel Bay. We stayed at The Point Hotel which is steps away from the Indian Ocean with its incredible views. We chose The Point based on a Travel Show we saw on television. We learned a valuable lesson. A five-star hotel in Africa does not equal five stars in the States. The hotel really is right on the ocean and our room had a private balcony with a view of the water. Other than that, I would say everything else about the hotel was just adequate – nothing special. Breakfast buffet was included in the cost of the room so we ate there every morning. It was decent enough and saved us the cost and trouble of going out looking for food every morning. They also served a dinner buffet but it looked pretty bad.
Side note – I called room service and ordered a margarita and they sent me a screwdriver. Perhaps the bartender just made a mistake but I suspect he didn’t know how to make a margarita and so just made the drink he was familiar with.
Mossel Bay is a seaside town located on the southern Cape coast.We spent the days doing what tourists do - browsing shops, eating out, walking at the sea and driving around. The rental car made the trip much more pleasant. Without a car in Mossel Bay, you're pretty much confined to an area that you can cover in one day with some time to spare. The food was pretty ordinary until we discovered an "African Inspired" restaurant called Jazzbury's within walking distance of our hotel. Their signature dish is Ostritch and I had the barbequed wings - outstanding. We also had a traditional dish called Boboti. Read more about Mossel Bay at www.visitmosselbay.co.za.
Our hotel was right on the sea and very close to that was a campground where locals go camping. I would have taken pictures but it probably would have been rude. The campers come in RVs and bring tents. Seems pretty normal, right? Well the campground is really a huge parking lot so the whole thing looks like an enormous tailgate party. Campers are surrounded by a chainlink fence and the space between one family and the next is no more than a few feet. I guess this is how South Africans do camping.
Birds of Eden Bird Sancuary
We visited the Birds of Eden Bird Sanctuary located in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. It was about an hour drive from the hotel. It is the largest single free flight Aviary in the world and took 4 and a half years to construct. There are approximately 1,800 birds comprising over 100 different species. The birds were beautiful and many had color combinations we'd never seen before. Many of them would allow us to get very close and seemed not to even notice us. You can find more information about the aviary at www.birdsofeden.co.za.
We also visited a monkey sanctuary. They rescue monkies from the wild and provide safe haven for them.
House Update
Remember the gardener who was doing such a good job? That's right, he's history - we let him go yesterday. He was just not getting the job done and was always taking days off. He had to go to the hospital, his sister had to go to the hospital, he had "man" problems, he had to go and pray, there was too much rain...you name it! So now we are without a gardener. We might be better off doing the thing ourselves. Ken has a lead on a person who purports to be a gardener and is supposed to meet with him sometime soon. Frankly, I would not put the smart money on it.
Surprisingly, we have not had a power outage in several weeks. I think someone made a mistake and did his job. Water shortages remain a problem and of course are worse when there is no rain. That toilet in the second bathroom still does not work and we have given up hope of getting it fixed since we do have another one. The roof still leaks and the Internet service is unreliable.
Lost in Translation
I was trying to explain to our driver what snow feels like. It seemed so simple at the start of the conversation but imagine searching for words to describe snow to a man who has never left Central Africa. He has seen pictures of snow but all I could come up with is wet and cold. Cold to him is when the temperature drops to abouy 65 degrees. He wanted to know if we have to wear coats in the house and I told him we have heaters. Again, I tried to explain that heat warms the house but I got the distinct impression that he was imagining a bon fire in the middle of the house. In the end we both laughed and left one another alone to private thoughts about one another's cultures.
Good Reads
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow we Will be Killed With Our Families, by Philip Gourevitch
Mandela The Authorised Biography, by Anthony Sampson
Tribute to Excellence (South African magazine), www.tributemag.co.za
The online service I use for blogging changed their software and I had a terrible time trying to figure it out. They advertised that the switch from "old" to "new" would be a snap. NOT!! At first my password did not work, then once the password decided to work I could not make postings. I left the whole thing alone for awhile and on a whim tried it again today. Voila! Back in business. Anyway, the last time I posted was late last year and we were planning a trip to South Africa. So, picking up where I left off...
Sunday Outing in Kigali
One Sunday we took a day trip to Akagera National Game Park located about two hours east of Kigali near the Tanzania border. We left at six in the morning and were back home before three. Unlike a zoo, this park houses animals in their natural habitats. Visitors drive thru the park along with a guide and view the animals from their vehicles. Fortunately we have a Rwandese park guide who spoke English fluently and shared interesting information about the animals and birds in the park.
Some of the animals we saw were giraffes, water buck, velvet monkey, buffalo, antelope, hippos and baboons. The park is also home to elephants, lions and leopards although we did not see any. Several hundred species of birds call Akagera home including eagles, doves, weaver birds and many more. Our guide, James explained the fascinating behavior of one species of bird – I don’t remember its name. Anyway, if a piece of red fabric or paper finds its way to this birds nest it thinks the material is fire. In trying to extinguish what it thinks is fire, this bird will fly back and forth from its nest to the nearest water source until it dies from exhaustion. It was a nice outing and we took lots of pictures which I will attempt to post here or at Kodak gallery.
Trip to South Africa
We took our winter vacation to South Africa. We were supposed to fly from Kigali to Johannesburg and then on to George. In true African form, the first flight left Kigali late thus arriving late in Johannesburg. At Johannesburg airport we discovered the airlines had lost our luggage. Of course the first thing the airline employee at the South Africa Airways counter said was that it was not their fault and that they would not put us up at a hotel. Refusing to take our word that the plane had indeed left Kigali late, he had to call someone and confirm the time the plane landed. It really was late, he discovered. Anyway, they did pay for our hotel and meals on the first night and got us on a morning flight the next day. All was not lost because it was quite a nice hotel with outstanding food. My luggage arrived the day after we arrived and Ken’s came the following day.
The next day we made it to George where we rented a car and drove to Mossel Bay. We stayed at The Point Hotel which is steps away from the Indian Ocean with its incredible views. We chose The Point based on a Travel Show we saw on television. We learned a valuable lesson. A five-star hotel in Africa does not equal five stars in the States. The hotel really is right on the ocean and our room had a private balcony with a view of the water. Other than that, I would say everything else about the hotel was just adequate – nothing special. Breakfast buffet was included in the cost of the room so we ate there every morning. It was decent enough and saved us the cost and trouble of going out looking for food every morning. They also served a dinner buffet but it looked pretty bad.
Side note – I called room service and ordered a margarita and they sent me a screwdriver. Perhaps the bartender just made a mistake but I suspect he didn’t know how to make a margarita and so just made the drink he was familiar with.
Mossel Bay is a seaside town located on the southern Cape coast.We spent the days doing what tourists do - browsing shops, eating out, walking at the sea and driving around. The rental car made the trip much more pleasant. Without a car in Mossel Bay, you're pretty much confined to an area that you can cover in one day with some time to spare. The food was pretty ordinary until we discovered an "African Inspired" restaurant called Jazzbury's within walking distance of our hotel. Their signature dish is Ostritch and I had the barbequed wings - outstanding. We also had a traditional dish called Boboti. Read more about Mossel Bay at www.visitmosselbay.co.za.
Our hotel was right on the sea and very close to that was a campground where locals go camping. I would have taken pictures but it probably would have been rude. The campers come in RVs and bring tents. Seems pretty normal, right? Well the campground is really a huge parking lot so the whole thing looks like an enormous tailgate party. Campers are surrounded by a chainlink fence and the space between one family and the next is no more than a few feet. I guess this is how South Africans do camping.
Birds of Eden Bird Sancuary
We visited the Birds of Eden Bird Sanctuary located in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. It was about an hour drive from the hotel. It is the largest single free flight Aviary in the world and took 4 and a half years to construct. There are approximately 1,800 birds comprising over 100 different species. The birds were beautiful and many had color combinations we'd never seen before. Many of them would allow us to get very close and seemed not to even notice us. You can find more information about the aviary at www.birdsofeden.co.za.
We also visited a monkey sanctuary. They rescue monkies from the wild and provide safe haven for them.
House Update
Remember the gardener who was doing such a good job? That's right, he's history - we let him go yesterday. He was just not getting the job done and was always taking days off. He had to go to the hospital, his sister had to go to the hospital, he had "man" problems, he had to go and pray, there was too much rain...you name it! So now we are without a gardener. We might be better off doing the thing ourselves. Ken has a lead on a person who purports to be a gardener and is supposed to meet with him sometime soon. Frankly, I would not put the smart money on it.
Surprisingly, we have not had a power outage in several weeks. I think someone made a mistake and did his job. Water shortages remain a problem and of course are worse when there is no rain. That toilet in the second bathroom still does not work and we have given up hope of getting it fixed since we do have another one. The roof still leaks and the Internet service is unreliable.
Lost in Translation
I was trying to explain to our driver what snow feels like. It seemed so simple at the start of the conversation but imagine searching for words to describe snow to a man who has never left Central Africa. He has seen pictures of snow but all I could come up with is wet and cold. Cold to him is when the temperature drops to abouy 65 degrees. He wanted to know if we have to wear coats in the house and I told him we have heaters. Again, I tried to explain that heat warms the house but I got the distinct impression that he was imagining a bon fire in the middle of the house. In the end we both laughed and left one another alone to private thoughts about one another's cultures.
Good Reads
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow we Will be Killed With Our Families, by Philip Gourevitch
Mandela The Authorised Biography, by Anthony Sampson
Tribute to Excellence (South African magazine), www.tributemag.co.za
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