We are in Gisenyi, Rwanda which is located on the shores of Lake Kivu... we have been here for a couple days scouting out the place for Betty's group that arrives in just over 2 weeks.
It is very beautiful and reminds me a lot of Lake Malawi.
We have laid out what we think will be our schedule for the remainder of the trip.
We are leaving from here tomorrow to go back to Kigali for one day and one night. We will then head on from Kigali back through Uganda. We are planning to spend two nights in Jinga which is just east of Kampala. From there we are going to head back with Isaac and possibly Betty and Carla to visit Joyce and the girls in Isaacs village. The village has for sure been my favorite part of the trip and I know I will be sad if I don't get to see them all again. We are planning to stay in the village for 5 nights. Then it is on to Tanzania where we will stay in Arusha, Moshi near Mt. Kilimanjaro, and possibly meet up with Captain Simba and his huge boat. From there it is on to Malawi for a visit to the Peace Corps Couple Austin and Sarah and some time in Nkhata Bay!
Sounds like a good month to me!!
Two days ago we visited the Genocide Memorial/Museum in Kigali. As you all can imagine it was a very powerful and sad experience. The museum did a very good job of displaying the facts and history of the genocide as well as the emotional stories of the victims and survivors. It is something that all people should see so that we can work to prevent these kinds of problems in the future.
This keyboard sticks so I am gonna wrap up!
Stay safe from the weather!
Love, Jill
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Kigali, Rwanda-- the city of 1,000,000,000 hills!!
Well maybe not 1 million... but a lot of hills!!
We arrived here the yesterday and have had a great time going around inside and near to the city getting a feel for the country.
Many people here speak the local Rwandan language, French, or maybe some English or Swahili so we have had fun trying to figure out where things are and where we are going.
The countryside is beautiful and the people are friendly despite our inability to speak with them.
Today was Isaacs birthday and he went with Lauren, Megan, and myself to on of the Genocide Memorials that is located about 30K or 19ish miles outside the city. It is a church where 10,000 people were killed during the months of violence in 1994 that took the lived of over 1,000,000 Rwandans including many many innocent victims, even women and children. Inside the church they have left all of the clothing that the victims were wearing when they were attached. Below the church they have built a small room that houses around 100 skulls, arm and leg bones and some of the personal items of the victims. Behind the church there are 2 a tombs that hold more then 40,000 people that were killed in the village surrounding the church. Many of the victims were never identified and you can walk down into the tombs where the skulls, arm and legs bones are stacked very neatly on shelves more than 10 feet high.
To say the least it was a very sobering experience. Tomorrow we will head to the Genocide Memorial Museum that is located within Kigali. I hope that it will lend some insight to the history and context of the genocide.
After the museum tomorrow we will head out of town to some places on the Western edge of the country where Carla and Isaac will be getting to visit the gorillas on Monday.
Things are going well... Internet is a bit slow... The keyboards are arranged in the way the French apparently have their keyboards but so it is a good thing I can type without looking :)
We have about a month to go... time seems to be moving so fast!
I love you all, and miss you also.
Love, Jill
Oh and someone send me an email, everytime I check I only have emails from Betty... and I see her everyday....
We arrived here the yesterday and have had a great time going around inside and near to the city getting a feel for the country.
Many people here speak the local Rwandan language, French, or maybe some English or Swahili so we have had fun trying to figure out where things are and where we are going.
The countryside is beautiful and the people are friendly despite our inability to speak with them.
Today was Isaacs birthday and he went with Lauren, Megan, and myself to on of the Genocide Memorials that is located about 30K or 19ish miles outside the city. It is a church where 10,000 people were killed during the months of violence in 1994 that took the lived of over 1,000,000 Rwandans including many many innocent victims, even women and children. Inside the church they have left all of the clothing that the victims were wearing when they were attached. Below the church they have built a small room that houses around 100 skulls, arm and leg bones and some of the personal items of the victims. Behind the church there are 2 a tombs that hold more then 40,000 people that were killed in the village surrounding the church. Many of the victims were never identified and you can walk down into the tombs where the skulls, arm and legs bones are stacked very neatly on shelves more than 10 feet high.
To say the least it was a very sobering experience. Tomorrow we will head to the Genocide Memorial Museum that is located within Kigali. I hope that it will lend some insight to the history and context of the genocide.
After the museum tomorrow we will head out of town to some places on the Western edge of the country where Carla and Isaac will be getting to visit the gorillas on Monday.
Things are going well... Internet is a bit slow... The keyboards are arranged in the way the French apparently have their keyboards but so it is a good thing I can type without looking :)
We have about a month to go... time seems to be moving so fast!
I love you all, and miss you also.
Love, Jill
Oh and someone send me an email, everytime I check I only have emails from Betty... and I see her everyday....
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Made it to Rwanda!
We are in Kigali. Found a place to stay, found a way to get money, found some internet, need a drink :)
I only have 4 mins left on this computer so will write more tomorrow!
Love you all! Jill
PS Someone tell Grant that at least he didn't have a hippo in his yard!
I only have 4 mins left on this computer so will write more tomorrow!
Love you all! Jill
PS Someone tell Grant that at least he didn't have a hippo in his yard!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Hello from Uganda!
We are in Kampala, Uganda. We arrived the day before yesterday after a 13 hour bus trip from Nairobi. Betty and Carla are a wonderful addition to our traveling group and we are also VERY VERY excited that Isaac has been able to join us for our travels. We are headed out to Rwanda tomorrow to scout out activities and accomodations for the alumni group that is coming over to meet up with Betty and Carla. We are planning to spend around a week in Rwanda, head back through Uganda into Kenya then on to Tanzania and Malawi!!
Sorry this is so brief but the internet is free here and there is a line so I will be nice and move along!
Love, Jill
Sorry this is so brief but the internet is free here and there is a line so I will be nice and move along!
Love, Jill
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Sorry for the delay... its not my fault.
Hello from
So first thing to do is scroll down right now and read that blog first.
Really do it, use the roller thing on the mouse and scoll down.
Okay, welcome back.
So we arrived in
So to fill you in from my last post (which you have now read by scolling down, this is very important because there have been some changes and without the previous blog you may be confused!!).
We spent what may very well be the best single day of the trip on a huge dhow in the
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner on the boat, sang and played on Lauren's new drum, and went to bed... on the boat. It has two bedrooms with six bunks in each. It has a toilet on board and they are working to get a shower installed as well.
We got up early in the morning the next day and went to
I wish that we had cut short our time in Lamu and had more time with Simba on his amazing boat surrounded by crystal clear blue waters!!! But alas there is always next time.
I am not sure that the internet is working so I hope this post gets up!
All my love! Jill
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Good, The Bad, The REALLY REALLY Funny!!
I wrote this blog 4 days ago in Lamu.... then the power went out... good thing blogger.com autosaves :) So I am going to post this as is and write another one now!!!
For those who are now worried because of the appearance of the word bad I will explain.
The African Travel Diet (Traveler's Sickness) has come... and gone.
Night before last and yesterday Lauren, Megan and I became very very familiar with our bathroom as we spent most of the night and day there. We have heard from many locals that they were also sick so maybe something was just passing through or else we ate some bad food... we are all back to 100% and still drinking lots of water to catch up. Seems that I always get sick in Lamu but the experience is always worth it.
Now on to the good news...
Answers to the quiz from last post:
I love mango, passion and lime juice and need to go have one ASAP!
The Hapa Hapa still makes the best juice ever!
Yes I am skinnier... especially after yesterday :)
We are headed out of Lamu tomorrow at 6:00am. We will catch a bus from here to Mombassa which should arrive there around 1:00pm and there waiting for us at the bus stop will be my dear friend Captain Simba. Thanks to the advances in cell phone usage here we were able to get in touch with Simba and he will be hosting us for 1 night on his dhow that is on the coast near to Mombassa. I can't even express how excited I am to see him and the huge boat he is working on now!!!
Things here in Lamu have been great as usual... the Salt Water Boys lost a hard fought final match in the soccer tournament, but definately put up a good fight. We have had a lot of fun hanging out with Mchizani, Aloe Vera, Paper Bag and the rest of our friendly boat crew boys. Also had fun meeting local shop keepers and getting some fancy African clothes made. We will all be sad to go but will be happy to get on to more great experiences. Bri if you are reading this many many people, especially Mchizani, say hello and would like you to come for a visit :)
Oh yeah... so Megan hasn't blogged in a while and wants me to tell everyone that she is doing great and just hasn't felt like blogging when the power has been working (which is about 75% of the time). To report news on her front... she got Queen Latifah braids in her hair and is happy to have it out of her face and not to have to worry about washing for a while! For those of you (Pappy) who wonder who Queen Latifah is just google it. And also for you Pappy I will use my best Sir voice and sternly tell Megan it is time for a blog!!
After we spend the day/night with Simba on the Safina we will be heading by bus back to Nairobi. Betty and Big K arrive on the 20th and Joyce and the girls are headed from the village to meet us all there so it will be great to see them all again. We are all then off to Rwanda!!
I may or may not write in Nairobi so look for a post sometime within the next week!
Pictures above:
1. Salt Water Boys Soccer Team at the Finals
2. Ben's Shamba... Ben is a friend from previous trips who is an artist and an orphan. He has now taken in orphans on his farm (shamba) near Lamu town and is teaching them how to do art. Great project that receives no support from the Government.
3. The oldest mosque in Lamu. The population is around 95% muslim.
4. A picture of our sweet house!!!!
5. Typical street in Lamu. There are only 2 cars on the island, one for a politician and one ambulance... for donkeys :) The streets are all about 8-12 feet wide with lots of pedestrian and donkey traffic.
Now the REALLY REALLY funny...pictures!!
For those who are now worried because of the appearance of the word bad I will explain.The African Travel Diet (Traveler's Sickness) has come... and gone.
Night before last and yesterday Lauren, Megan and I became very very familiar with our bathroom as we spent most of the night and day there. We have heard from many locals that they were also sick so maybe something was just passing through or else we ate some bad food... we are all back to 100% and still drinking lots of water to catch up. Seems that I always get sick in Lamu but the experience is always worth it.
Now on to the good news...
Answers to the quiz from last post:
I love mango, passion and lime juice and need to go have one ASAP!
The Hapa Hapa still makes the best juice ever!
Yes I am skinnier... especially after yesterday :)
We are headed out of Lamu tomorrow at 6:00am. We will catch a bus from here to Mombassa which should arrive there around 1:00pm and there waiting for us at the bus stop will be my dear friend Captain Simba. Thanks to the advances in cell phone usage here we were able to get in touch with Simba and he will be hosting us for 1 night on his dhow that is on the coast near to Mombassa. I can't even express how excited I am to see him and the huge boat he is working on now!!!
Things here in Lamu have been great as usual... the Salt Water Boys lost a hard fought final match in the soccer tournament, but definately put up a good fight. We have had a lot of fun hanging out with Mchizani, Aloe Vera, Paper Bag and the rest of our friendly boat crew boys. Also had fun meeting local shop keepers and getting some fancy African clothes made. We will all be sad to go but will be happy to get on to more great experiences. Bri if you are reading this many many people, especially Mchizani, say hello and would like you to come for a visit :)
Oh yeah... so Megan hasn't blogged in a while and wants me to tell everyone that she is doing great and just hasn't felt like blogging when the power has been working (which is about 75% of the time). To report news on her front... she got Queen Latifah braids in her hair and is happy to have it out of her face and not to have to worry about washing for a while! For those of you (Pappy) who wonder who Queen Latifah is just google it. And also for you Pappy I will use my best Sir voice and sternly tell Megan it is time for a blog!!
After we spend the day/night with Simba on the Safina we will be heading by bus back to Nairobi. Betty and Big K arrive on the 20th and Joyce and the girls are headed from the village to meet us all there so it will be great to see them all again. We are all then off to Rwanda!!
I may or may not write in Nairobi so look for a post sometime within the next week!
Pictures above:
1. Salt Water Boys Soccer Team at the Finals
2. Ben's Shamba... Ben is a friend from previous trips who is an artist and an orphan. He has now taken in orphans on his farm (shamba) near Lamu town and is teaching them how to do art. Great project that receives no support from the Government.
3. The oldest mosque in Lamu. The population is around 95% muslim.
4. A picture of our sweet house!!!!
5. Typical street in Lamu. There are only 2 cars on the island, one for a politician and one ambulance... for donkeys :) The streets are all about 8-12 feet wide with lots of pedestrian and donkey traffic.
Now the REALLY REALLY funny...pictures!!
Friday, June 13, 2008
More Pictures... 2
and the zebra is just for you Brent!!
Pictures:
1. Zebra
2. Girraffe
3. Lioness
4. White Rhino
5. Susanne
6. Ashley
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lamu is the S%$T!!
Hello from Lamu!!
We arrived here on Monday afternoon after 17 hours in buses traveling from Nairobi to Mombassa then Mombassa to here!
There has been much good news and much bad news related to the much publicized post-election violence during our travels in Kenya. Sadly there are almost no travelers in Kenya at this time meaning that an economy that relies heavily on tourism is having a hard time. Good news is that accomodations here in Lamu at a very reduced price! We are staying in a 3 level house with 2 bedrooms, 7 or 8 beds, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen, all for US$12 per night... not so bad, in fact nicer than what I have at home :)
great guide and an even better friend. Because he is truly the best dhow (Lamu boats) captain in the WORLD he has landed a job as the sole captain of a US$100,000 boat that takes rich people around on the costs of Kenya and Tanzania!! So I likely won't be able to see him but I spoke to him on the phone and am very very happy that he landed the coolest job I have ever heard of!! Good news is that his boat and some of the crew are still here so we took our first dhow trip yesterday with Mchezani and some of the guys. It was just as good as I remember and Simba certainly trained his new captain well. We also got to see a football (soccer) game yesterday where the fisherman/beach boys were successful in advancing to the finals of the islands soccer league tournament!! The final is tomorrow so I will let you know how it goes.
I think I will get some pics up so I hope you enjoy!
Things that HAVE NOT changed in Lamu...
The number of donkeys (still around 6,000)
The taste of the juice... amazing
The pace of life... pole, pole (slowly, slowly)
The taste of seawater
Things that HAVE changed...
There is a stupid motorbike that goes up and down the seafront... life without engines is better!
More cellphones
No Simba :(
I live in a sweet house :)
So question for today... since Megan isn't blogging...
What is my favorite flavor combination for juice?
A) Pineapple, Mango
B) Mango, Passion, Lime
C) Banana, Chocolate
D) Avacado, and only avacado
Where do you get the best juice in the world?
A) The Hapa Hapa
B) The Hapa Hapa
C) The Hapa Hapa
D) The Hapa Hapa
The question noone wants to answer but everyone is thinking.... Am I losing weight??
Yes/No
Talk to you soon, Jill
Pictures:
1. Sweet Vulture Picture
2. Elephant
3. Fencing
4. Esther, Teacher at the Special Unit
5. Mom Joe, Joyce (my new mom), Alice
6. Mchizani on the Themani!!!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Pictures!!!!
As requested I am taking some time today to upload pictures... note that this is only being done because we found a swanky white people center with fast internet.... enjoy!!
Well I wrote that a half hour ago and still don't have 1 picture uploaded so I am trying something else now (just thought you would like to know).
I lied... I can't get a single photo uploaded!!!
Next time maybe!
Also use the links on the right side of the page to visit Megan's blog and Lauren's flikr page for more photos!!!
Well I wrote that a half hour ago and still don't have 1 picture uploaded so I am trying something else now (just thought you would like to know).
I lied... I can't get a single photo uploaded!!!
Next time maybe!
Also use the links on the right side of the page to visit Megan's blog and Lauren's flikr page for more photos!!!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Since everyone is cheating...
and reading Megan's blog first then answering my questions I am thinking of discontinuing the contest and the awesome prize (a zebra)... so you all just think about that before you answer any more questions :)
As all of you have figured out the one thing that isn't happening to me is the one that sounds the most plausible, but hey I am not gonna complain about not having the "travelers toilet" problems of trips in the past.
So I have decided to tell you about the 120 year old lady that we met in the village. In 2002 in a village outside Arusha, Tanzania we met a man who claimed to be 120 but I had my doubts, this time there is no question in my mind... we met a woman who is 120 years old. She probably weighed about 75 pounds and was literally skin and bones. She spends all of her time in bed but is still able to sit up and was definately able to acknowledge us and even shake our hands. She still recognizes her family and some of the people who visit her often. It is a very powerful experience to be in the same room as someone who was alive in the 1800's and to think about all the things that have happend in her lifetime. I will say though that I don't know if I am that keen about living to the year 3002????
So we arrived in Nairobi today from the village and it is fun to be back in the city now that we have a our "sealegs" and to be able to walk around and be a bit more relaxed.
Leaving the village today was very hard for all of us. Joyce made us feel so welcome in her home and I certainly feel as though we are more family than friends. I even shed a few tears as the matatu (van for public transport) pulled away from her and the girls.
Just a note if anyone needs a fence built out of cedar posts, barbed wire and chicken wire I know there ladies up for the job. You all would have gotten a good chuckle out of the site of three WAZUNGUS (white people) sweating away in the afternoon sun building a fence. But we were able to complete the fence in 2 days. We probably put up 200 feet of fence in total and by the end were working like a well oiled machine. The fence will allow the special unit to grow the fruits and vegetables they need to feed the children and to save the few precious dollars they recieve for supplies like mattresses, mosquito nets, medial supplies and school supplies. Everyone at the S.U. and the school seemed genuinely grateful for the work and also a quite impressed that three women could do something that is generally viewed as a mans job. There are many things that can still be done to help improve the school including getting electricity, building and stocking a library, and helping them to get supplies for the school and I hope that we can find ways to continue supporting this community in the future.
One of the most amazing things that we experineced in the village was the sincere generousity and openness of the people there. I would guess that the average family in the village is living on less than $100 per month but each and every home that we visited would offer us a cup of tea and often times food to eat. We were truely made to feel at home from the moment we arrived and I am left to wonder if a visiter to the US would enjoy the same welcome considering we didn't know the language the customes or anything of the sort.
We are heading off to Lamu tomorrow to enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation on the beach and to hopefully catch up with some old friends! I will probably download some pictures and post them while in Lamu so stay tuned!!
I am still gathering ideas for my DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN THE MEDIA post so don't worry I haven't forgotten.
It is very interesting to be in Kenya as one of there decendants gets one step closer to being the president of the US. I will share more on that later.
Congrats to Jake on the new job... now lets get that house!!
Everyone stay safe in the crazy weather (Kendra that means you especially)
Grandma Lucy... we went to church on Sunday and while it wasn't quite the same as Mass on Saturdays it made me think of you!
Mom wins an extra large zebra for first posts and for checking email twice daily... about 50 more times a day and we will be even :)
Grant.. how is my baby (computer)?
Grandma and Grandpa... I will give Simba in Lamu a hug for you and I am gonna tell the rat story just for fun... The first room we were staying in at Joyce's was attaced to their store room and goat/sheep house. The store room is a great place to live if you are a rat so a family had taken up residence. Rats are crazy active at night and our room had a tin roof so all night we would here "rat olympics" on our roof. Isaac decided to try and poison the rats with a poison that would just dehydrate them so they would die. That got a few of them but he decided to move on to a stronger poison... He put it on eggs and put it in the rafters... in the middle fo the night I felt something land on my pillow just behind my head and when the flash light came on there was a huge piece of poison egg on my pillow... needless to say I am fine and we moved to a new room the next day!! As Betty might say... TAB (thats africa baby!!)
I love you all and write some comments... they are fun for me... tell your friends to comment too cause... well why not?????
Peace, Jill
As all of you have figured out the one thing that isn't happening to me is the one that sounds the most plausible, but hey I am not gonna complain about not having the "travelers toilet" problems of trips in the past.
So I have decided to tell you about the 120 year old lady that we met in the village. In 2002 in a village outside Arusha, Tanzania we met a man who claimed to be 120 but I had my doubts, this time there is no question in my mind... we met a woman who is 120 years old. She probably weighed about 75 pounds and was literally skin and bones. She spends all of her time in bed but is still able to sit up and was definately able to acknowledge us and even shake our hands. She still recognizes her family and some of the people who visit her often. It is a very powerful experience to be in the same room as someone who was alive in the 1800's and to think about all the things that have happend in her lifetime. I will say though that I don't know if I am that keen about living to the year 3002????
So we arrived in Nairobi today from the village and it is fun to be back in the city now that we have a our "sealegs" and to be able to walk around and be a bit more relaxed.
Leaving the village today was very hard for all of us. Joyce made us feel so welcome in her home and I certainly feel as though we are more family than friends. I even shed a few tears as the matatu (van for public transport) pulled away from her and the girls.
Just a note if anyone needs a fence built out of cedar posts, barbed wire and chicken wire I know there ladies up for the job. You all would have gotten a good chuckle out of the site of three WAZUNGUS (white people) sweating away in the afternoon sun building a fence. But we were able to complete the fence in 2 days. We probably put up 200 feet of fence in total and by the end were working like a well oiled machine. The fence will allow the special unit to grow the fruits and vegetables they need to feed the children and to save the few precious dollars they recieve for supplies like mattresses, mosquito nets, medial supplies and school supplies. Everyone at the S.U. and the school seemed genuinely grateful for the work and also a quite impressed that three women could do something that is generally viewed as a mans job. There are many things that can still be done to help improve the school including getting electricity, building and stocking a library, and helping them to get supplies for the school and I hope that we can find ways to continue supporting this community in the future.
One of the most amazing things that we experineced in the village was the sincere generousity and openness of the people there. I would guess that the average family in the village is living on less than $100 per month but each and every home that we visited would offer us a cup of tea and often times food to eat. We were truely made to feel at home from the moment we arrived and I am left to wonder if a visiter to the US would enjoy the same welcome considering we didn't know the language the customes or anything of the sort.
We are heading off to Lamu tomorrow to enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation on the beach and to hopefully catch up with some old friends! I will probably download some pictures and post them while in Lamu so stay tuned!!
I am still gathering ideas for my DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN THE MEDIA post so don't worry I haven't forgotten.
It is very interesting to be in Kenya as one of there decendants gets one step closer to being the president of the US. I will share more on that later.
Congrats to Jake on the new job... now lets get that house!!
Everyone stay safe in the crazy weather (Kendra that means you especially)
Grandma Lucy... we went to church on Sunday and while it wasn't quite the same as Mass on Saturdays it made me think of you!
Mom wins an extra large zebra for first posts and for checking email twice daily... about 50 more times a day and we will be even :)
Grant.. how is my baby (computer)?
Grandma and Grandpa... I will give Simba in Lamu a hug for you and I am gonna tell the rat story just for fun... The first room we were staying in at Joyce's was attaced to their store room and goat/sheep house. The store room is a great place to live if you are a rat so a family had taken up residence. Rats are crazy active at night and our room had a tin roof so all night we would here "rat olympics" on our roof. Isaac decided to try and poison the rats with a poison that would just dehydrate them so they would die. That got a few of them but he decided to move on to a stronger poison... He put it on eggs and put it in the rafters... in the middle fo the night I felt something land on my pillow just behind my head and when the flash light came on there was a huge piece of poison egg on my pillow... needless to say I am fine and we moved to a new room the next day!! As Betty might say... TAB (thats africa baby!!)
I love you all and write some comments... they are fun for me... tell your friends to comment too cause... well why not?????
Peace, Jill
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