South We Go, Rwanda

Rwanda, why are you treating me so? Bus ticket offices? Listed destinations? Displayed prices? Set departure times? Actually leaving at these departure times? Just as I was starting to master the chaos of travelling in East Africa, you take the chaos away. Too much comfort, this is weird.

In Nyanza, there were signs all along the way to the King's Palace and National Art Museum. The King's Palace was a great big straw hut, filled with rules and traditional ways like the king having his own entry to his bedroom, the Queen having to go another way, and having a sitting room for the chiefs and another for their wifes, having to walk out of the court yard backwards as to not put your back to the King, having a house for the virgin girl who takes care of the King's milk (yep, she's not allowed to marry if she's in charge of the milk), having an enclosure for the Ankole cows which are only used to parade (well respected, prestigious cow) ... Interesting. We weren't allowed to take pictures unless we paid extra, so sorry if the ones I have are blurry, they were taken behind the guide's back... Lol.

Jack did the art gallery on her own. I had appreciated the paintings for Kigali but this was sculptures, something I usually end up mocking for thinking I could do the same... She loved it as usual. Not a difficult person to please.

As I'm reading this to Jack, she believes I did not speak enough about the cows. Added info - their horns can reach 2.5 to 3m long. They're keeper sings poems to them and pets them. Quite different then the usual cow treatment.

Jack also commented I should add a bit about our bus ride over to Huye. We paid for a Volcano Bus, which usually means it's a direct express bus where you actually get your own seat. It's not more expensive then the minibuses, same price, but you have to wait for the departure times, whereas a minibus leaves as soon as it's full enough. Little did we know, we took off with Jack having a mother with baby next to her, while she sat in the fold out middle isle seat. We then stopped 2 minutes outside of the city to pick up others, including another mother with baby now sharing Jack's middle isle seat. I was laughing behind her. If you know Jack, she's not the biggest baby fan. She now had 2 mothers breast feeding 6 months old babies on either side of her, while she sat with one butt cheek on the bus seat and one butt cheek on the fold out seat. Priceless. Rest assured, she still managed to sleep!

Staying in Huye for the night, a university town. The campus was beautiful! There's a full on forest next to it, monkeys and all. I can only imagine myself finishing class and going to study amongst the monkeys! Still getting stares from everyone but not much commenting.

Now that we are out of the capital, we are getting some "Give me money"s but not anywhere near as often as Ethiopia. People still try to help us as best they can, but the English in incredibly limited. I just had difficulty telling the waitress to come back in 2 minutes because we hadn't chosen our meal yet... English and French wasn't working so I pretty much just motioned my hand for her to leave the table... I felt bad, but when words aren't working, you're left with motions.

FYI - a test to see who reads this - I changed my lockscreen photo when I got here to one of my family at a paint night event. My brother is next to me. I decided if I felt "discovered" or if I was asked about my family, I could show them the photos of my husband and his sister and mother... Lol. So far I haven't had to use it, but it's there in case!

So Frank, you're my safety husband!Read more