Wonderful family and friends: This is a long overdue post. I'm writing you from Minneapolis, where I am once again a resident. Most of you know that I left Rwanda at the tail end of May after a wonderful school year. I decided to move back home to be near family and friends again, and teach here. I miss Rwanda like crazy already, but am also very glad to be back in Minnesota. I'm hoping to write a few more blogs in the next couple of weeks to update you on my last few months in Rwanda as well as my travels on the way back home.
So, let's rewind about two-three months. At the very end of March, I was thrilled to host Peter, Laura and Olivia for 11 days of Rwanda and Uganda-filled fun! We did so much and it was so fun to share my life of the past two years with them. We documented the trip well. Olivia rented some amazing camera lenses (did you know you can RENT camera lenses, like really good ones?!) It was such a privilege to use fancy schmancy ones. Photo credit goes to all of us, as we were constantly switching cameras and snapping shots. Here's a quick look into our adventures. Enjoy!
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| We had a party for my current and past students at KICS. Pete enjoyed playing basketball with them on the new court! It was built this year. |
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| A typical view on the road: log bridge, many people in the back of a truck. |
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| We visited my roommate Kelly's "boys": a group of former street boys who were orphaned in the genocide, who now have learned traditional dance. We were fortunate to attend a rehearsal and see their amazing dancing and drumming. |
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| A child playing with rocks at the dance rehearsal. |
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| We went to visit Hope for Life, a ministry for street boys. Two of my roommates work with this organization. This is one of the boys after a soccer game on a hot day! |
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| One of the neighbor boys near the home, sporting a Favre jersey! |
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| This is Chantal, who has sewn many clothes for me over the last two years. She has become a good friend with whom I can practice my French. She has a sewing station at the biggest market in town. I brought Pete, Laura and Olivia to the market a few different times, and Chantal made us some beautiful clothes. |
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Meat stall at the kimironko market. Beef anyone?
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| Perhaps the coolest part of their visit for me was introducing them to the kids at New Hope Homes. HEre is Laura with Rebecca and Arianne. They were all confused when Laura and I were standing next to each other.... confusing who was who! |
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| Here is Olivia and Gizelle. |
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| Pete as a human jungle gym. |
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| We went gorilla trekking after visiting the New Hope kids. And boy, was it muddy and rainy! This is at the beginning of the trek, too. By the end we were soaked and had mud up to our waists! |
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| The siblings and the gorilla. |
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| Here's a close up of the silverback in the group! |
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| Olivia, future national geographic photographer. |
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| Traditional dancers before the gorilla trek. |
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| Then we headed to Uganda to go on game drives at Queen Elizabeth national park. Here's Peter on the equator! |
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| Here we are at King Fisher lodge in Queen Elizabeth Park. Such an incredible view... from our rooms! |
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| Baboon and her baby. |
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| Some birds enjoying leftovers from our lunch. (They weren't shy!) |
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| Elephant behinds! |
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| Hungry, hungry hippo. |
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| Fishing village on the canal. |
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Elephants playing in the water. This was so incredible to see!
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| Me and my whole fish for dinner. (One of my favorite things to order.) Excuse the grainy phone picture. |
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| Kelsey, Laura and Olivia shopping in Uganda. |
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| Laura, Peter, Dennis (our driver and guide), Kelsey, and I on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda. |
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| An amazing shot of a bird on Bushara Island, Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda. |
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| Pete and Olivia rowing a dugout canoe on the lake. |
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| Olivia and the lake. |
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| Pete with the fancy lens. |
