RWANDA part two

First of all, there is nothing easy about traveling to the other side of the world even when everything goes well, as it did on this trip, it still takes a real toll on your body and mind. I arrived at my hotel in Kigali 24 hours after I left my hotel in Chicago (by the way, if you find your self needing to stay overnight in Chicago near the airport stay at the Hilton Airport…the NICEST staff I have ever encountered in a hotel).

Once through passport control and luggage in hand, Yolande, the Rwandan woman I have been emailing to set up this trip, met me at the airport and made sure I got checked into my hotel. It is such a blessing to have a friendly face on the other end of a trip like this to help you get settled. It was 10:30PM (Kigali time) and despite being deliriously tired, I couldn’t fall asleep…I’ll admit that thoughts of fear and a realization of just what a big adventure I had set out on began to creep in. My cell phone service was not working. I felt very disconnected from anything familiar (which is exactly what I hoped for in planning this trip). However, in my exhausted state in the middle of the night it was seeming that maybe I had pushed beyond my own level of gumption, as Joy would call it. A few prayers, a wi-fi chat with my mom, an expensive phone call to my dad and 3 episodes of Mad Men on my iPod and sleep finally came. When I awoke after 8 hours…SUNSHINE and a reassurance that I was right where I needed to be.

Now to set about the practical things, getting my phone to work, exchanging money, and finding food. Overnight the battery on my phone had completely died so when I plugged it in the reboot that occurred fixed the cell service problem; from across the room I heard that lovely text message sound. Yay!!!! It was simple enough to exchange a small amount of money in the hotel lobby and there’s a great little French bakery there too….food! I stepped outside to sit at a table in the beautifully landscaped area and no sooner had I taken one bite and a VERY large bird swooped in and tried to pick up the rest of my sandwich. Talk about shock! I looked around and one of the women on the hotel staff who had seen it happen smiled at me and gestured to a table under the overhang. Hahahahahaha! Welcome to Rwanda!

At dinner there was a businessman from Holland, Claude, having his meal at the table next to mine. We struck up a conversation and I learned that he came to Rwanda to volunteer for four months a year ago and he fell so in love with Rwanda and the possibilities here that he is now working with a company and living in Kigali. He was very helpful in giving me some insights and suggestions. Now I have two friends in Kigali! Day 1 complete.

- Beth Crookham (Guest Editor)