Westward to Kibuye (and other assorted pictures)

Since we've gotten our stuff, life at the house has been pretty busy - unpacking, breaking down boxes, wearing capes. The usual. Ryder has made a special effort in the last month to understand gravity... and hard surfaces. At school, he opened up a nice gash on his left eyebrow by falling down on a brick path, then followed it up with another one just next to his eye. This time, a concrete step right in front of our door was the culprit. A Dad can only be so fast. Thankfully, he forgot about them both after 15 minutes and life rolled on. Time for coloring!

Oh, and he's learning how to use the potty. Sometimes breakfast becomes mobile...

...and so do clothes.







We also spruced up the driveway with a new plumeria tree (with flowers) and a guava tree sapling riding sidecar.

Then, just this past weekend, we made a break for the western border. Out west (about 80 miles - love this place), there's a great big lake, Lake Kivu. Right about at the midpoint of the lake (on the Rwanda side) sits Kibuye. It's a fairly small town, and with the mountains dropping dramatically into the lake, it's simply breathtaking all around. You can sit on the shore and look across to the Dem. Republic of the Congo and wonder what that's all about. On this trip, we didn't venture into the lake, but it's on the list for next time.

The drive to Kibuye was fun, in and of itself. Leaving the bustling streets of Kigali on a Friday afternoon, we marveled at the landscape. It's gorgeous. It's also simply incredible how nearly every single strip of land is used for agriculture. Hillside after hillside, pitched steeper than a 45 degree angle, all growing something, anything.

Ryder manned the maps and Ginger took the wheel as I sat shotgun and took in the views.

We even caught a wedding march in progress on the road (below - the bride is right about center, with the flower girls in front of her). We passed the whole wedding party on the road - they were making their way to the next town.

Eventually, the endless mountain curves give way to the lake vistas. Nice.









Some friends recommended a great place to stay, complete with its own little beach, which was a hit.









The views were fantastic!









The drive home wore out the navigator, but thankfully, the driver stayed awake. We'll be back, Kibuye!

Christmas in February

Gravity and physics.

These two things travel with you everywhere, no matter what you are. Unfortunately for the driver of the trailer below (with attached 20 foot canister holding the stuff we packed in SF back in August last year), these two things were working against him when our shipment arrived.

I really wish I'd gotten the photo of the cab of this trailer, as it lifted off the ground. Trying to back in a 20 foot container on a 40 foot trailer on a two lane street down an inclined driveway is no walk in the park. In fact, it's pretty much impossible. Just ask the shrubs that are no longer with us.

After an hour of maneuvering, trying to put rocks and wood under the wheels of the cab that was unable to get traction, and general physics hilarity, the movers had a great idea. Let's just unload this stuff here and walk it down the hill. Then, once the trailer weighs less, the cab can drive again. Thankfully, it worked.

"I can't believe it. It's here!"



Good thing there were no stowaways. Pretty tight.

Soon, our front living room went from this...

...to this!



Then, the unpacking again. It was Christmas in February...

...and Ryder could finally practice the drums.

My Friend Georges

Hello again, it's Ryder. I've been meaning to talk more about one of my new friends here in Kigali, Georges. He's a really nice man. He stays at our house as our guard during the day and we like to play together when I come home from school and after my nap. Here we are in the morning before school:

When I wake up, we look for stuff in the driveway...

...sometimes play on the ladder...

...if he can catch me, that is!



Sometimes, I show him how to rake the bushes...



...and he shows me how to draw on the gate.

Georges really likes to read and learn English. We gave him a book a few weeks ago with a red ribbon on it. He liked it so much, he wore the ribbon around his neck all day long. He is my friend (inshuti).

The Shipment

Good morning, campers! It's Groundhog Day!

I will let this Bill Murray classic serve as the backdrop for the post today (on a number of levels, this just works), for today has the potential to be a glorious day. This morning, I sit, literally, at the window, watching for a large truck to come down our street. This Friday will mark 6 months since we saw our apartment roll away on a truck, 5 large boxes sitting still in a row, upright and attentive like the first day of school.

We were told it would arrive before Thanksgiving. Then it was December 1. Then it was definitely by Christmas. Then it was the first week of January. And, well, today is Groundhog Day. Fitting, isn't it. Not exactly like we've been waking up again and again, re-living the same day, but you see where I'm coming from. (Disclaimer: I reserve the right to be a bit over-dramatic today in this post, so bear with me.)

We've been told that the truck with our container has left the customs station at the airport and is actually en route to our house. In one final kick in the teeth, however, the shipping agent informed Ginger this morning that although the shipment can be delivered to our driveway, there must be an official customs agent present with the shipment, so that they can 'cut the tape' and the containers can be opened.

Ah, bureaucracy. How you laugh at me and spit in my face.

If you haven't yet picked up on the touch of exasperation we have been feeling, then peel back the layers of sarcasm. There, you'll find us, waiting for our stuff. Someday, I'd love to go to the relocation company's files and see if I can piece together the route that our container took to get here. That'll be fun. I'll see it changing cargo boats 3 times, and I'll wonder what they really meant when they sent emails talking about the 'steamship' that is traveling with our container.

Yes, they said steamship:

I don't know about you, but I have this image of Mark Twain and Abe Lincoln shooting the breeze as they pilot some gargantuan barge down the mighty Mississip'. Steamship? Really? In 2012?

I don't want you to think that all of this waiting has been without its benefits. Far from it. We have, as you'd imagine, adopted a certain 'less is more' approach to our living situation, which has been really liberating. If you've ever opened a Dwell magazine and seen impeccably clean homes with designer furniture and bright colors, all tidy and perfectly placed, with an occasional inhabitant of such home wandering through the shot, then you have some idea of our place (minus the designer anything, that is).

I always wonder where all the actual living material and people stuff gets shoved when the Dwell people compose their pictures. But I digress...

So. Here we wait. At last. Or, at least, with less than a week to go. As it goes with many things here - believe it when you see it.

(Pictures to follow, if anything really shows up.)

Let's take a drive, shall we?

As part of my ongoing series entitled "Kigali, what's that look like?", I wanted to take you all on a drive.

First, I need to cover the disclaimers. I'll say something important: don't try this at home. I am a professional, so driving and filming should not be taken lightly.

Second, as you watch, remember this - the camera's eyes are not my eyes. My eyes are on the road. The technological advancement of the handheld camcorder allows one to have 2 points of view. One is the drivers, one is the cameras. Not the same thing. (I can feel all the moms cringing already.)

Third, enjoy seeing this unique view of riding (kind of) shotgun around Kigali on a Friday morning. You'll see and hear what we see everyday - lots of walkers, moto-taxis, questionable driving practices (mine included), people moving goods via their heads, and hopefully, you can make out the beautiful hilly landscape.

,

Gardening and "Kiglai? What's that look like?"

Well, gang, it's been quite a while since the last post, and I know some of you are (ahem) dying to see more. (Maybe we should've come to San Diego?) Anyway, 6 weeks back in the States did us well and there is about a hundred or so pictures on the way from the journey, beginning more or less at Thanksgiving in Texas. Those pics are loaded and will be arriving at a screen near you shortly.

For now, though, GARDENING!

When we last left our heroes, they'd planted a number of seeds in the ground and spent the time abroad anxiously contemplating how the harvest would be coming along upon their return. Thankfully, all went well with some careful watering from Georges (the day guard). When we got back, all we had to do was do some transplanting and keep that water coming! As you can see, the watering part is no problem for my associate:

Ryder on water duty.

Wildflowers are blooming well...

...and Georges even planted an avocado seed, which started thriving quickly. We'll transplant it soon, before the sapling gets too big - pretty cool to see the see half out of the ground. It looks like the "Little Shop of Horrors" plant, burping a sapling (to me, anyway).

The basil...

...the summer squash...

...cilantro...

...spinach...

...Romaine lettuce...

...jalepenos... (yes, there is a trend to plant all Mexican-food-related crops)

...and a view from the Swiss Chard down the row.

"Kigali? What's That Look Like?"

Yes, we've come to that crucial junction in our broadcast where we show you a few pictures of the scenes around here, at least those that can be captured from a car (for now). Hopefully, you'll be able to tell that the terrain is quite hilly (hence the "land of 1000 hills" moniker) and that there is no shortage of motorcycles. Below, you can see a row of "moto-taxis," which offer a slightly more expensive ride than the matatu buses (very crowded, but used by most). What they do offer is more of a thrill ride that has a much higher possibility for road rash. The moto-taxi will zip you to and fro around Kigali as you hold on to the rear handle bar, or just practice your core strength and sit upright. (Holding onto the moto driver is a no-no, or just very uncommon.)

(below) The northern route from our neighborhood to the town center.

The view from town back towards where we live - due east, more or less. I'd love
to say that it's where that rainbow is ending, but that's a bit too far.

A view of the town center (with the tall buildings) from the north...

...and a common street view as we head into town on the main road.

(Gigantic post coming soon with US trip pictures!)