Nairobi

Rwanda from the air. - NG

[GMT +3 – Kenyan time]

Hello and err... welcome to Nairobi!

Saw my first African sunrise coming in to land. A bed of the thickest, whitest cloud I’ve ever seen carpeted our descent. Mount Kenya rose above it, illuminated in red sunrise. Breathtaking. Couldn’t stop giggling after we landed.

Zara and I have gone our separate ways. I made a beeline for the nearest toilet, which was quite an experience. It’s a toilet basin in the ground! I’m sure there’s got to be a technique to it. Will ask when I get to Kigali. For now, I just remove anything that might get sprinkled!

It was actually really foggy on landing. "Typical Nairobi," Zara assured me. Seems to be burning off pretty quickly though.

I’ve wandered aimlessly to the ‘Transit Lounge’ but all the boards are blank. No idea where my connection goes from, but I have six hours to find it. In amongst the various shops, I passed a little room with shoes outside. I guess a Muslim haven, as there were men inside sitting on the floor with incense. Crikey – only seven hours from London. Bit shell-shocked. I guess food and a working departure board...

*

I am watching the oddest thing. I found a café where I bought bottled water and found a booth I can lie down in for a nap, but there’s a TV with three white men doing a Mr. Motivator-style workout, with a sign behind them saying ‘Body & Spirit’. What’s odd is that the radio is playing some sort of God channel – a major sermon going on – and for a while, through my over-tired state, I thought they were working out to the sermon :op

Two separate programmes though, I think.

*

Second time peeing in a hole – think I’m getting the hang of this. Got some kip on the sofa – exploring the airport now. Quite substantial power-cuts.

4.00pm [GMT +2 – Rwandan time]

After what seemed like a lifetime at Nairobi airport (about six hours, then an hour’s delay and standing on the runway!), finally got back in the air with a new friend: Alex Henderson, a law student from Glasgow (studied his law MA in America, though). He’s over here working in the field of Human Rights Law, specifically Land Ownership, which isn’t a well documented area in Rwanda. They want to develop it so that people can own their homes and land, and not have it taken away through corruption or war.

He’s here until May, but going home for Christmas.

Anyway, Amanda (Disability Programme Co-ordinator) met me at the airport. Had to queue for an age to get through immigration, but lovely airport – nicer than Nairobi.

The scenery is so different, too. Kenya was very dry and flat. Rwanda is hilly and very green, with patchwork diamond-shaped fields and big plantations. It was really cloudy on the descent – white from 35,000ft to just about touch-down.

I was worried they would stop me at immigration for not having a working VISA in my passport. VSO gave me a letter to display in just such an eventuality, but the guy just wanted to know how my lip piercing was attached! Some of the other immigration staff came to see. We laughed and I was waved through!

Amanda was really nice, and insisted on giving me a hug despite my warning that I was sweaty and stinky.

She drove me through Kigali to my residence at the training centre. Kigali bustles with people. Really is another world: women with baskets of fruit on their heads and babies on their backs. saw a few amputees, which acted as a stark reminder of the genocide. Saw a young man missing an arm.

The apartment is fantastic – really big room and en suite! Best of all, sit-down toilets! The shower takes a bit of work. Sort of half-shower, half-bucket, but means I can wash my clothes at the same time.

Vegetarianism has pretty much gone out the window. The vegetable dishes are lovely, but I want to try a bit of everything. One Youth for Development worker who has been here a month says she’s ‘survived’ as a vegy, so long as you don’t mind eating chips and salad regularly. I ain’t doing that for two years.

Just relaxing now. 18 other volunteers will be arriving from around Rwanda for a meal tonight, and in-house training. So, should be fun. Already met a few. All YfD, but lovely people – good sense of humour, and seem to know their way around.

Oh – electricity here is temperamental. It’s the short wet season and, like Nairobi, prone to sudden outages. Had one whilst preparing for a shower!

*

Just returned from dinner. Was a bit much after such a long day. Wasn’t sure where the dining area was, so followed the voices.

Was quite tough because everyone already knew each other really well. They’ve all been on training together before. Also, a high proportion of French-speakers, so that’s another language to add to the list – wasn’t easy to get involved. Never mind, probably a bit over-tired, too.

Not sure how this mosquito net works – doesn’t seem big enough for the bed :o/