Ok I decided to go along to climb the mountain Muhungwe. The 3 girls I was going to hike with I saw them getting waisted in Inzu Lodge. ‘The Eat, Pray, Love place’ I think I called yesterday in my blog ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ Funny! The first thing I said: u guys can drink ! We all laughed and the tone was set for the beginning of a great adventure. Amanda, Liz and Brooke are their names. Liz and Brooke are from Texas! I couldn’t believe it. I immediately began talking about how I was recruited by Lamar University in Beaumont on a track scholarship and my 2 high school years in League City, Texas. Liz was from Palestine, an area which I know and Brooke was from near Dallas. They both had gone to Texas A&M. I got flashbacks from the many cross country meetings at Texas A&M. Even though they went to the same college, due to the size they didn’t know each other. Brooke and Liz met each other in Colorado. Brooke works for a coffee trading firm in Kigali. Liz had come to visit her friend in Kigali and ended up staying. She loved the place so much; I don’t blame her. Rwanda is an easy place to love. Liz got a fantastic job out here. She works for a program that helps Rwandans and other Africans into college in America. They have send students to Ivy League’s in the USA. I was impressed and asked her a million questions on the way.
Amanda was from Georgia but had studied at Boulder, Colorado. She worked for an organization Streetboyz. A completely privately funded organization that helps street boys. I was impressed again. These three women were clever and it was a joy trekking with them.
We had porters, local guides helping us up the mountains. Innocent had brought us all lunch packs and extra water. The lunch was great. He proudly told me I have the chicken sandwich lunch. It felt beyond amazing to climb a hill and eat lunch in a random place in the bush. We were the third tourist to ever climb this mountain. The villagers ran behind us, welcoming us in their village. We said Muraho, hello every time we passed someone. They screamed back good morning. They were very happy to see muzungu’s on their mountain. At one point we had passed the village and for 3 hours we didn’t see anyone. We got passed the first peak after 5 hours of climbing and then we saw cows grazing and people again. The sight was beautiful, the vegetation in the mountains is exactly like European mountain vegetation. At one point I thought are we in Scotland, are we in Holland or in the Belgian Ardennes. All of a sudden I realised maybe it’s time I do a trail trek in the Belgian Ardennes.
We climbed and Brooke had hurt herself. Aha I get to use my medical items that I have been carrying with me everywhere! The girls were shocked that I had everything with me including baby wipes. Liz asked for a nail clipper on the peak and yes I had that with me too. We took a picture of her clipping her nails on the mountain top. :)
The hike down was hard too, you have to watch every step you take. It was a hard 7 hours but another day that goes into the top 5 days of my life. I had never hiked before and made it. I am ready to climb Bisoke mountain now.
At the bottom of the mountain, I said goodbye to Liz, Amanda and Brooke as they headed back to Kigali. Amanda’s hangover had been cured by the mountain air.
After the trek, I went to a fancy hotel. While sitting on the terrace the largest lightening I have ever seen broke out. Fire in the sky! The electricity in the hotel got hit. Lights out and a full thunder storm. The waitress went hiding on her knees behind the bar. I got scared and ran inside. The head of UNHCR was also having a drink and tried to calm me down. I eventually ran to the car and went to the Lake Kivu Serena hotel. A five star hotel in Gisenyi. The UN man told that they have lightening blocking equipment. We would be safe there. My Centre D'Acceuille Francois Xavier wouldn’t be safe. I found out that my hotel is actually from the Church right behind it. This explains why every waiter here is a priest. I am actually in some sort of covenant. The head priest asked me to join his choir. I said if I join your choir, you will have no more church members.
Serena Hotel is nice. I haven’t been in luxury since I left Chez Lando 9 days ago. I enjoyed the food and waited for the storm to pass. I got to enjoy good wifi for the first time in Rwanda. I ended the day at the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. p>
Tomorrow I am back at work fighting for the poor tea farmers. If Numerien finds out I didn’t rest. I will be in trouble ….
Night night
P.S: Muhungwe is the highest non volcanic mountain in Rwanda. I will hike for life from now on !