The Long Overdue... Zac Post!

So, back in July, we had a most lovely time with our first summer visitor, Mr. Zac Willette.  A charming fellow and world traveler himself, he had never been to Rwanda, so we gave him the royal Jones and Baker tour.  It began with the requisite sign (below) for the airport arrival, fashioned by Ryder and Ginger (I added a little bit too).  For the next 2 weeks, we took him high and low, though lakes and valleys and across the jungle to show him this great place.  A good time was had by all, no doubt. 

 

 

 

Zac settles into his role as Ryder's horse, page, and design consultant.

 

 

 

 Ryder showed Zac how he like to unwind in his favorite red chair...

 

 

...and also the benefits of painting in his birthday suit.  Easy cleanup!

Ginger and Zac took in a gorilla trek up in Virunga National Park.  Before they met up, though, we drove Zac up to Musanze and got to know some of the locals.  Ryder met these two gents from the Twa tribe, known for their pygmy heights.  I just can't get enough of this picture - I think these guys are in their 40's.

Below, the guide for their gorilla trip shows them a little friend on the trail - a mixed-up chameleon.

Great shots, Zac!

 



No trip to Rwanda is complete without seeing the incredible Nyungwe Forest (and staying at the Lodge).  We had a great time on our roadtrip out west, which takes about 5 hours. 

 

 

Ryder Jones: tea farmer.

Once at the lodge, Ryder and Zac kicked off an intense game of Jenga while we checked in.

 

One thing that never disappoints in Nyungwe are the sunsets over the tea plantation.  This trip was certainly no exception.  

Inside the park, we had to do the Canopy Walk.  Ryder is a pro at this, and he showed Zac the ropes.  Literally.

Trust me!  I'm a professional!

Aspen was especially impressed with the accomodations.

 

Zac braved the chimpanzee trek alone, and had a rough go of it, as far as getting close to the animals.  However, on our drive home, we rounded a corner on the forest road and saw this chimpanzee taking a short cut.  Watching him scamper down the road made up for the difficult trek. 

Before we let him leave, I took Zac up to Lake Muhazi for some birding via canoe.  A great morning on the lake and plenty of feathered friends.

 Mariqua Sunbird

 

 Pied Kingfisher

 

 Malachite Kingfisher

 

 African Paradise Flycatcher

 

Zac, sorry this post took so long to get up!  We had a great time - thanks for making the trip!

 

 

 

Aspen's (not quite) Brown Chair - 8 months

Bali, Indonesia - Really a pretty fantastic place to turn 8 months!

 

And now, for a little dip in the pool.  Toodaloo!

Aspen Watches You From Her Highchair

 

 

Byangabo, Rwanda - Yesterday

This is the market in Byangabo, Rwanda, yesterday, around lunchtime. 

 

Byangabo is about 2 hours north of Kigali on the border of Congo, a small village in the shadow of Karisimbi, a dormant volcano home to mountain gorillas.

 

I'm sure many of you have been wondering what exactly Ginger has been working on.  Sometimes I ask myself the same question.  Well, the mVisa mobile phone payment system is up and running, and the big marketing push is happening right now throughout September.  For Ginger, this week has been one of the biggest payoff weeks since we moved here - getting their product out to the customers that are so far from most of civilization.  Here are many of them in the picture above.  These are the people that we basically moved here to serve. 

 

Hundreds upon hundreds showed up to the travelling acting show for mVisa, and then signed up during and after the show.  Below is another picture she got of the semi-truck that converts into an elevated stage, full of actors, comedians and MCs.  This is how marketing works in rural Rwanda, and in plenty of other places on the continent.  The truck pulls up, the service tents go up, and shortly after lunch in the market area (the best place to be sure lots of people will show up anyway), the show starts - they use actors role-playing how they sign up, how they use it and how they benefit from mVisa.  How would you write a script that shows people how to get this thing that becomes a bank account on their phone? 

 

Very happy faces around here, despite more hours on the road to get to some of these places.  We are so proud, Ginger!

Aspen's Brown Chair - 7 months

 

 

Critters

 

This picture was simply good enough to be a one-picture post.  I don't think I'll EVER get tired of looking at it and imagining what they could be saying or thinking.  Salespeople?  Shifty-eyed drifters?  Darling children?  You be the judge.