Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Back to Uganda

It was still dark when we got up- the 5th morning in a row that we left camp before 5:30am and it is begining to take it's toll- my morning wake up calls are sounding less cheery and i think we are all just a little flat.

Last night we were in bed by 10pm and slowly our sleeping time is getting earlier and earlier soon we will be in bed by 930 and no doubt it will eventually get to sunset at the rate we are going.

Due to bad road conditions we have had to drive back to Uganda the way we came (which is the long way apparently)-- via Kambali. Which is both good and bad- good because the scenery is stunning but bad because we have another long truck... i am so thakful that i have Dave who makes the hours fly by.

As we make our way back to Uganda i am very content to lie under my sleeping bag (surprisngly Rwanda is very cold in the mornings...) with Dave and look out the window.

Rwanda is a special place with a rare etheral beaty- the hills here are so green and the lushiest i can remember and I want to saviour the memory of their beauty and make special mind photograps that i go back to later.

Rwanda is so different to the land i had imagined- i am still finding it hard to imagine the atrocities that occoured here as they are so incongerious with the land that surrounds me... to think that the mud rivers once ran red with blood, that the very roads we travel on were once littered with dead bodies and people trying desperatly to get to the boarder as refugees... some 2 million people were internally displaced in the genocide.

I have noticed that the people of Rwanda are more reserved that their Rwandian neighbours but still friendly and they still wave to us on the bus as we pass.

There is very little sign of wealth here, people are either dressed in rags with bare feet or some second hand western style suits that are a few sizes too big... ocassionaly there is a women in an african style frock and she usually looks amazing.

There are very few cars on the roads (aside from mini vans, buses and Land crusisers used by aid agencies)and the people carry most goods by hand balanced precariously on their heads... anything from a whole banaa tree to a sheet of corrigated iron.

As we pass through the grubby Ugandian boarder around lunch time i amsad to be leaving Rwanda... i was only there a second but it was a second i will cherish.

3 comments:

Joannie said...

Hi Kath,

Great that you've been able to keep the blog going. Will have more of a read through tonight, just wanted to touch base and say hi. I've been wondering where you are, how its going, and to remind you to keep safe. Its wonderful to be adventurous and all, but. All my questions will probably be answered once I've read through so will save it till then, just to let you know that you are in our thoughts. The drive sounds terrific, and whose Dave. Though like i said will probably find out later. Take the opportunity to buy any bits and pieces that take your fancy, a nice momento to look back at and great to buy directly from the local people.

take care and love, Joannie and fam XX

Joannie said...

Hi again, well I'm up to date and look forward to reading some more. I went out to tea and told the kids and Barry about some of your awesome adventures. I am hatching up some ideas for when i finish my studies, maybe a trip to the outback, or something, in autralia will be it this time, but am looking forward to something futher afield sometime in the future. Kathy, do you go back to London from Africa or are you on your way back to Australia? I seem to remember you saying that you were going to take six months on the way back. do you have a date in mind for reaching your homelands? Not that I am rushing you - go girl!

love, Joannie and fam XX

Joannie said...

Just something else I wanted to mention. I guess you have probably left Uganda by the time you are reading this, but if not, or if you are going back there and you might have some free time. Barry has some friends who live there. They are working with the Ausralian diplomatic mission and if you wanted we could put you in touch, whatdoyareckon? cheers, J