[Editor’s note: I wrote this little piece for our local paper, the Norwich Times, waaay back in late August. Feels like a lifetime ago. For those of you who don’t get the Norwich Times — and why don’t you, it’s a great little paper? — it might be a worthwhile read if only to get…
Category: The L’s In Rwanda
This is the ongoing tale of a family of four carrying out a six month stay in Rwanda. It involves some planning, some thinking, some compromising — and probably some trial and errors as well.Come along for the ride — from the comfort of your own home. Learn from our mistakes and take part in the fun.
Nyungwe Forest is touted as one of Rwanda’s top three “must see” tourist destinations, second only to Virunga National Park up north (aka the gorilla petting zoo), and Akagera National Park out east (see more here). Since we’re probably not doing the gorillas (kids under 15 are not allowed, and the latest price hike to…
I realize I’ve ranted and raved lately, gone off the deep end about dust and urban planning and perhaps come across as the developing world’s equivalent of a grumpy old man yelling at an empty chair. So, to make amends, this. Just because the kids around here are incredible in their own right — even…
It’s weird — even with the (smaller) wet season well underway here (viz. this sort of nonsense every afternoon), it’s still the fine red clay dust that dominates. It’s everywhere, in everything, on everything. Every self-respecting store in town starts the day by methodically wiping down the shelves, every can of beans, every bag of rice,…
“C’est interdit,” declares the clearly bored and substantially overweight guard as she slithers up to me in front of Simba Plaza. This architectural equivalent of a cold sore is the latest skyscraper to afflict downtown Kigali. It stands, pointless and grotesque, overlooking a mess of parking spaces and wasted opportunities. I assume the Uniformed One…
This past weekend saw the three day Mountain Gorilla Rally come to town. Even though it had nothing to do with gorillas driving (too bad, that) it was still an interesting concept: rally racing on the back roads of Rwanda… what fun, eh? Sponsored by the big Kenyan bank, KCB, it was promoted like a…
I still can’t deal with the notion of having servants. In addition to obsessively cleaning our car every morning, our wonderful guard, John, will pounce and clean the occasional pair of shoes left outside. Oh, he’ll also clean my mountain bike after a muddy ride unless I specifically tell him to please leave the patina…
Sometimes, photography is a bit like I imagine fishing: it’s the shot you didn’t get or couldn’t take for whatever reason that sticks with you more than the ones that successfully clicked. Part disappointment, part the thought of what could have been. Earlier this week I was working on a story at the referral hospital…
Another week in Kigali, another Sunday spent on the mountain with good company and horses… ah, but I repeat myself. Lea rides at “Fazenda Sengha” the only real “stable” in all of Rwanda. Until recently, they were down to two horses (one, really — Licky is ancient and worn out, and should be allowed to…
