I hear the drums echo in the night…

For many of the nights in Rwanda I had trouble sleeping.  This wasn't due to the heat or mosquitoes or uncomfortable bed, none of which were that bad.  It was more due to the torrent if images that were racing through my head after a long day spent in the city or in the field with the children.  Though these images kept me awake, I never felt tired while there (except during that soccer game).  They were the drums that echoed through my night.... 

Or, maybe it was the doxycycline???

Since I am late to the game and everyone has posted about all the things we did together I thought I would only post about the things I did after our groups split up.

After the Akagera Safari with Matt, Erin and Stacy, Charles dropped me off at the Golf Hills Resort.  It was a nicer hotel, but there was an odd feel to it.  After showering, I decided to go have a drink and read while the brewing thunderstorm rolled in, but when I asked directions for the lounge, I got a reluctant response from the man at the front desk, as if that were a strange request.  He did show me to a nice spot where I could watch the storm and enjoy a Mutzig, but it never really felt comfortable.  When I was finished, he suggested I eat in my room, which I did.  It was almost as if they didn't want me out and about, but this could just be me speculating.  Regardless… It just felt weird.  Never inhospitable, in fact they were super polite, just weird.

After I ate, I crashed early as I was being picked up at 4 AM by Charles to be taken to Volcanoes National Park.

Promptly at 4 I went to the reception area and Paul, the guy from the front desk was sleeping on a couch in the reception area, I think I startled him when I came in.  Again, I thought this a little odd, but didn't care as I was headed out on my own personal adventure.  Charles was waiting outside and we headed out of Kigali in the darkness.

As we drove west, I had thought that the streets would be less crowded, but I was wrong.  There was still a steady flow of people with bundles on their head or pushing fully loaded bicycles toward the city… IN COMPLETE DARKNESS.  

We arrived at the park and assembled with the other Gorilla Trackers (the park allows 64 visitors per day to go see the gorillas and I think there were that many assembled).  Charles knew all the guides (big surprise) and got me into the group that would visit the Agashya band.  This band was said to stay close to the jungle wall, so we expected a short hike to find them.

We set off in a light drizzle, driving up the hills and over the most 'massaging' roads I had experienced thus far.  Charles dropped me off, along with our guide, 'Mistah Beck', and after a quick briefing on the gorillas; we set off, up the cultivated mountainside. (even in the high mountains, the hills are farmed right up to the jungle).

As we reached the jungle wall (literally, a wall made of volcanic rock to keep livestock on one side and other animals that might harm crops on the other) the rain began to pick up a bit.  Fortunately, I had done my research and was mostly prepared; waterproof boots, rain pants, coat and hat and most importantly, sturdy work gloves.  The others in our group were less prepared.  Though most had nice North Face jackets, they wore jeans and tennis shoes and only a few had gloves. The guides also gave us sturdy walking sticks.  I considered declining this, but was glad I took it.  Mine was of a rusty red wood with gorilla heads carved above and below the hand hold.  I found that holding the gorilla heads gave me better grip than the hold.  If I could have kept this stick, I would have.  It was invaluable.

As we crossed the wall, it was only moments before the mud claimed its first tennis shoe.  It was then I knew that this was no ordinary hike.  We had with us about 5 guides (one equipped with an AK-47) and about 4 porters.  While there was a path, I found that it was best to avoid the center since that was where the mud was deepest.  Walking on the edges worked well, but after watching the porters I found that making your own path was the best bet.  Walking directly on the foliage gave the best footing.  One of the porters noticed me doing this and while I thought I was going to be admonished, he gave me the thumbs up and said 'Yes!'.  It wasn't long before I wore a grin a mile wide.  I was wet and trudging through the thickest undergrowth I had ever seen but I could not have been happier.  

Notice the AK-47

About an hour in, my friend, Teoje (Tay Oh Jzay) pointed out some gorilla spore.  I thought this meant they were close.  I was wrong.  I also saw some gigantic earth worms.  They were about 9 inches long and about an inch thick.  I picked it one and it squirmed in my (gloved) hand with the strength of a snake.  (skeevie)

Teoje

It wasn't for about another 2 hours of climbing mountain walls that were virtually straight up or straight down, and traversing sloppy mud pits or scurrying through bamboo hovels that we sighted the first gorilla on a distant hill.  It was only a black speck in the valley wall opposite us.

I had been lurking in the rear of our marching order but once I knew the band was near I sped up and was soon at the front.  The guide found the silverback, Akashya, and about 10 of his friends and family on a small hill.  One of the other trackers deftly shot up this hill like it was a bump with footholds, while in reality it was a sharp incline.  He proceeded to use his machete to clear off another hill that was directly above the gorilla band.  I had made it to the front of our group and was dragged by the machete wielding guide right to the top of the hill.  While he helped the others up, he continued to make sounds like he was clearing his throat to let Akashya know that all was well and we were not there to cause any problems.  It seemed to work.

Video of the band and Akashya shows his teeth

Soon, 6 Americans and 2 Australians were perched on top of a hill watching the gorillas… sit there.  Apparently, when it is cold and rainy, the gorillas aren't very active.  So, we sat and clicked off picture after picture in the rain.  I was very worried about ruining my camera, but besides the lens getting fogged, it help up just fine.  I don't think one of our companion's cameras made it.  He had it out in the rain the whole time while I was at least stuffing mine inside my rain coat when not using it.

After an hour (probably a little less, but it was cold and the gorillas weren't moving, so I wasn’t complaining) the guides started escorting us down the hill.  I knew that this brought us into closer contact with Akashya and he would be a little agitated so I started getting some video and that is when he let out that big yawn.  That was about as interesting as he was going to be that day.  I got the shot, so I was happy.  I took about 50 pictures and only about 10 came out worthy of sharing.

We were sitting on that little hill above them.

They left as we walked away.

On the hike away from the little gorilla hill, I could look back as we ascended out of the valley and could see them there.  Just as we were going to about to be out of sight of the little hill, I saw the gorillas getting up and moving away as if they were waiting for us to leave. 

The hike out took another 2 hours to a different part of the jungle wall, then over some beautiful countryside to the new spot where our drivers were waiting.  This also happened to be where the touristy gift shop was as well.  

Subino (su BEEN yo)

I was cold, soaked, covered in mud, but I could not have been happier.  Charles had second thoughts about letting me into his truck.

-- The point of a journey is not to arrive.

Supermarkets and coffee shops

I'm back in Alameda and of course, fell asleep almost as soon as I got home. I'm hoping this doesn't mean that I'll be up all night but that's probably exactly what it means.

There are four places a person should visit when they go somewhere new - it doesn't matter if it's a new country, state or city. The four places are a school, a church, a supermarket and a coffee shop. I was able to visit all four while in Rwanda and I appreciate that fact as I look through my pictures and read through my journal.

Unfortunately, two of those places were used against people during the genocide. Churches and schools are supposed to be safe places but the perpetrators of the genocide often used these places of refuge to slaughter innocent people. What we saw in our time in Rwanda was a return of churches and schools to communities. Students should feel safe going to school and they do. You can see the respect for teachers and administrators. While we didn't go to a service, one of the principals we met, Father Isidore, was a compelling and engaging man. He is passionate about his mission and his students. Truly an inspiration. I have faith that both schools and churches will continue to be cornerstones of communities and villages.

On our last day in Rwanda, Stacy and I asked Charles if he would take us to buy coffee somewhere if we had time. We definitely had time and for that I am so grateful to Charles for making my last day even more memorable. We said goodbye to Tim at his hotel and we drove back to the city center. Charles took us to a supermarket first to buy coffee. The supermarket was a lot like supermarkets in other countries I've been too; a combination of supermarket and other stores in one place. If a person only shopped once a month they could get everything in one stop. And when I say everything I mean it - food, coffee, hair extensions, clothing, toys, alcohol, housewares. You name it, you could probably find it there. Going to a supermarket always makes me feel like I'm more a part of the place I'm visiting. And that first cup of Rwandan coffee is going to taste really good!

Our final stop was Bourbon Coffee, right next to the supermarket. For those of you who have seen Long Way Down this is the coffee shop that Ewan and Charley go to when they get to Kigali. I really wanted to go there after seeing the episode and Charles suggested that we get a cup of coffee before heading to the airport. I never mentioned wanting to go there to him but Charles just knew that was the place (or it was convenient which is probably the better explanation). We sat outside, looking out onto a rainy Kigali and enjoyed a cup of local coffee and a nice conversation with Charles. I think it surprised him that what so many people know about Rwanda is the genocide; no one seems to go further than 1994. He kept asking us to be ambassadors for the country - I don't think he needed to ask! It was great to share this last part of the day with Matt and Stacy too. We arrived together and we left together. I like those kinds of endings. (Bourbon Coffee's US website) This was the perfect way to end our visit.

Saying goodbye to Rwanda was very hard to do. There was so much to see and take in and experience. At one point Matt said that we need some new vocabulary to describe the experience. Words like amazing and beautiful and awesome seem sort of weak despite the fact that they're perfect ways to describe what we've seen and done this past week. Maybe I'll learn Kinyarwandan.

Waiting in the Kigali airport with Erin and Stacy for our flight to Amsterdam via Entebbe. Rwanda will forever be in my heart. Sad to leave, but can't wait to see my family.

Terrific last day in Rwanda. Drove to Akagera Nat'l Park and saw giraffe and many other amazing animals. Lunch at Jambo Beach again. Saw the Rwandan Parliament there!

Surreal

We're on our way back to Kigali for a bit more shopping before heading to the airport for our quick flight to Narobi. Really looking forward to getting to Kenya and starting our next journey (2-day safari). 

The last three days in Getsibo have been incredibly surreal. To see the progress they've made in such a short time since settling back after the civil war is fantastic. Knowing what else can and needs be accomplished in the future is a bit daunting though. Fortunately, there are organizations like Plan Rwanda whose mission is to provide the vital services to impact communities over the long-term. They are not designed to come in to provide immediate sporadic relief then leave. They are truly embedded in the Getsibo district. I was very ecouraged at our debrief meeting last night with Plan after visiting another three schools they support. By offering a variety of support services (education, women's rights advocation, livestock, savings and loans, etc) they have established themselves as "the" NGO in this region in a very short time. The locals see a Plan vehicle driving down the road and instantly smile because they know Plan isn't going anywhere and that they provide services aimed to establish a sustanable community. The debrief meeting was reassurance the money we raise at Hobsons and the money thousands of people give Plan International does not go to waste nor is viewed by the people receiving relief as an empty gesture. I can't tell you how many times I heard children, teenagers, teachers, adults, and elders thank me (and us) for not only raising relief money for Plan, but for making the long journey to meet and visit with them. For having so little, they has given me so much. The most rewarding thing we heard in the debrief meeting was when Media (Program Unit Manager for the Getsibo office) said she overhead adults asking one another "if these Americans, Brits and Aussies can love us and give us so much, can we love each other the same way and with the same amount of love?" She explained that it's not in the East African culture to be "givers", but seeing outsiders come in and show so much love through giving and legitimately caring they began asking themselves..."why not?" She believes the community where our school is being built will not only be dramatically impacted because the kids will have a place to learn, but more so because what the gesture means as a whole and how it will impact everything else. I think we all found ourselves getting choked up a bit after hearing what the community will be like 20-30 years down the road.

Our final day with Plan Rwanda

Today was our last day visiting Plan Rwanda projects.  We visited three schools where Plan has sponsored various programs.  It was amazing.  And I am very tired.  I'll post some photos here and add some additional details later.

It is an evening of goodbyes for us.  Four of our group - Tim, Stacy, Erin, and myself - will be staying in Rwanda tomorrow.  The remainder of the group is driving to Kigali in the morning for a flight to Nairobi and a few days of safari in Kenya.  My life is blessed not just by the experiences I've had so far in Rwanda, but most certainly by the wonderful people with whom have shared this journey.  I will never forget my fellow umuzungus and the wonderful experiences we've had in the land of a thousand hills.

It's nearly 10 pm in Rwamagana and our Land Rover leaves at 6 a.m. for a game drive in northern Akagera National Park in the eastern reaches of Rwanda.  We'll then return to Kigali for a flight to Entebbe at 8 p.m.   After a short layover in Entebbe, we'll be heading to Amsterdam on a red-eye.  Needless to say, it promises to be a long day!

More beautiful smiling schoolchildren!

Make that LOTS more smiling schoolchildren.  And James!

An amazing school that actually has services for disabled children.  We are speaking with Ignatius, the headmaster, who is a specialist in teaching hearing-impaired students.  He has helped to develop Rwandan Sign Language.  Absolutely incredible.

This was painted on the side of one of the classroom blocks at Ignatius' school.

We visited the Kiziguro School, a very highly regarded secondary school in Rwanda.  We were greeted by the students in an assembly where they feted us - and some other Plan guests from Norway - with traditional Rwandan singing and dancing.  We even got into the act at the end.  There must have been 900 students there.  

This is the amazing view from the driveway down from the Kiziguro School.

 We ended the day at the Plan Rwanda Gatsibo Program Unit office, where we met with the staff, reflected on our visit, and exchanged ideas.  It was a productive meeting and a wonderful opportunity to wrap up our visit and share our experiences.  The people of Rwanda are truly blessed to have the amazing people at Plan Rwanda working to help them.

And to top it all off, we got to see a monkey on the wall of the Plan Rwanda offices!

Was going to load pics, but...

...it's taking too long. I'll have to reduce file size and get them up later today.

In the meantime, thought I'd share the variety of ways Vee and I woke up this morning. First, at 4:45am, we woke to a gentleman running down a nearby road shouting something in kinyarwanda that I swear was "WAKE UP...WAKE UP...WAKE UP!" He was either on his way home from a great night out at one of the local "saloons" or was nominated as the town wake-up call by the elders. Second, at 5:30, we woke up again to two birds in a nearby tree with the highest pitched call ever. This was when I knew there was no way I was returning back to sleep. I thought I'd try anyway and grabbed my iPhone to put on some David Gray. Third, at 6:05, a few of the maintenance guys from the hotel decided to start chopping down an avocado tree 30-40 feet from our room's door (this was later confirmed when I walked down to breakfast). Finally, at 6:30, the maintenance workers that cut down the tree decided it was time to chop it up...only 10 feet from our front door on the other side of the shrubs.

As I sit here typing this (after a shower, breakfast, and two cups of instant coffee), it's 7:30 and my phone alarm is just now going off.

Good morning...Rwanda-style!!

Rwanda is beautiful

There aren't words that effectively describe the incredibe beauty of this country.  Nor can I capture enough pictures that really show the grand landscapes, well tended homes, and amazing people of this magical place.  I've certainly tried, though!

These photos are just a small sampling of some of the beauty of Rwanda that we saw today.

Weaver birds in the tree in front of the Dereva Hotel where we are staying.  There are probably 50-60 nests in this tree alone.

A tree across the street is a favorite of these cranes - and 10 or so can be seen in and around the tree at any time.

The road from the hotel heading further east into Gatsibo.

Amazing vistas seem to be around every corner.

We met this little fellow at a livestock cooperative.  He was quite shy but amazingly adorable.

Also at the cooperative, a baby asleep on his mother's back.

The view from Jambo Beach, where we ate lunch.

Umuzungu!

As you can probably well imagine, a busload of 10 caucasians coming down your road in rural Rwanda is not something you see every day.  As we have criss-crossed the highways, country roads, and dirt tracks of Gatsibo District, we are constantly waving to the people we pass.  Particularly on the rural back roads, our waves and smiles are instantly returned - often with great enthusiasm.  Many people - particularly children - yell "Umuzungu!" as soon as we are spotted.  Umuzungu is a Kinyarwandan phrase meaning "white person."  It isn't derogatory, simply descriptive.  I wish I could capture the variety of ways in which I heard umuzungu today.  It ranged from the more reserved - almost like a greeting, all the way to the firehouse siren of a beautiful child who seemed to be alerting the entire district of our presence.  It sounded more like "UMUZUNGUuuuuuuu!" as we drove by.  I am honored to be an umuzungu in Rwanda.

James waving to children on the way back to the hotel

The boy with one eye, 80's techno, and a thousand more smiles

We're headed back to the hotel after another fantastic day. We first stopped at another Plan USA sponsored project that seeks to help communities create a network for raising and giving away livestock. There we met several beautiful children...one who stood out to me was the shy boy with one eye missing. He didn't want his picture taken nor did he really want to be approached, but a stick of gum and patience eventually won him over. When we left he was seen jumping up and down, waving, and chomping on that very piece of gum I had given him five minutes earlier. After an interesting stroll through the district market that hadn't seen many white people before we headed back to a lake front restaurant where we were greeted with very loud and very awesome 80's techno music. We enjoyed a more traditional African lunch right on the water...well, maybe not traditional but at least it didn't have french fries! We finished the day by making a long trek up and down and around even more hills than the day before to visit another Plan USA's sponsored project where small groups form together to participate in a savings and loan program. Was remarkable to see the poorest of poor give a little amount every week to go towards their individual savings and individual/group projects requiring loans (e.g. building a garden or buying a cow). The group we met with was comprised of young adults 35 yrs or younger who all march towards one vision...everyone owning a cow!! In fact, they named themselves "Vision" and meet one a week to donate up to US $2 towards the cause. On our way back to the main road that leads back to our hotel (which we're still on as I type this) we were once again greeted with shouts, waves and a thousand smiles by adoring children and other locals who want nothing but for us to come back tomorrow.

Hopefully no errors this time. I fixed my earlier blog errors...had little time to write, no time to proofread, and apple's damn auto-correct got me again!!

Amazing morning in Rwanda. Again. Visited our school site again, a local market, and a livestock cooperative. Lunch at Jambo Beach.

The soccer match, from the sidelines

When we arrived at the second school yesterday, we were expecting to casually kick a ball around with some kids. They, however, had something altogether different in mind. Nearly three thousand kids came running as our bus arrived, and at first we wondered how the few of us were going to play with all those children without being completely mowed down.

Then, with some help from the teachers, the sea of children parted. As they cleared out of the way, the situation started to become more worrisome: we found ourselves staring at an enormous, overgrown, lumpy, rock-filled soccer field that seemed to stretch on forever. The kids lined three sides of the field in rows three or four deep. The fourth side had hedges and trees, but they quickly filled up with people from the surrounding area who had come to watch what was sure to be quite a spectacle. People were climbing up in trees and keenly peering through the vegetation, trying to get a glimpse of the white folks who were about to get owned on the soccer field.

Shortly thereafter, we realized the full extent of what we'd gotten into. The school team came running out in their football uniforms, and they were ready for a smack down. These were big, strong, serious-looking teenagers, and they meant business.

After I sized up the situation, I generously designated myself as team photographer and got the hell out of the way.

The game was pretty exciting and our team put in a valiant effort, but to be honest I didn't get to see too much of the action. Standing on the sidelines, I quickly drew a crowd of kids who wanted to stand near me - my presence in their midst was obviously quite a novelty. Before long I was surrounded on all sides by a mob of children, probably 80 or more of them. They were all staring at me and whispering to one another, and each time I turned to look at a child he or she would shyly look away and they would all start giggling.



Before long, I felt tiny fingers gently touching my arms, and little tugs on the back of my hair. If i turned to see who was touching me, they'd all get very embarrassed and duck behind their friends. I told them "it's okay" and they started to get a little bolder; all of them, it seemed, wanted to know if my skin felt the same as theirs, or what my hair was like (most of the kids we've seen, both boys and girls, are bald.)







After about 30 minutes, the game concluded. It probably goes without saying, but our team lost. The children reluctantly moved on to their assembly to continue with the day, and the villagers vanished from the hedges to return to work. As our bus pulled away we all yelled a fond "murabeho" to the kids we spent a short but wonderful afternoon with on the worst - and by far the best - soccer field I've ever seen.

(photos to come)

Location:Kigali-Kayonza Rd,Rwamagana,Rwanda

Simply Amazing!

Fixing some Apple auto-correct errors. :) more to come....

What started off as a beautiful drive through the countryside with views of endless hills, banana plantations, and flashes of countless locals walking miles to retrieve undrinkable water quickly turned into an experience of a lifetime the second we turned onto the "dirt" road. Once a large uninhabited national park, Getsibo is now home to hundreds of thousands very poor displaced refugees. They serve as yet another reminder of the genocide that tore this country and region apart only 17 years ago. The 40 minute off-road trek up and down and around hill after hill was surreal. We passed one one-room house then another and another. All were tucked perfectly into the landscape and built from the same red clay they sat on. Locals stared at first. "White people!" (they said under their breath). We waved. Huge smiles, shouts of excitement, and returned waves followed. As we neared the top of the last hill we turned the corner and saw it...our school site, the hundreds of locals, and most importantly the 100+ students who would attend school once completed in a few moths. The shouts, waves, and pure excitement made the hair on my neck stand as we pulled in. After getting a tour of the site, being formally welcomed by the mayor of the district, handing out silly bands to the children, and taking pictures with everyone I found my cheeks were already sore from smiling so much. That was just the beginning...

An incredible day in Gatsibo District

We were up and checked out of the Lemigo Hotel in Kigali early on Tuesday for our drive out to the Gatsibo District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda.  After an hour's drive, we arrived at the Dereva Hotel where we'll be staying for the next few nights.  The accommodations are a bit more rustic than at the Lemigo, but the grounds are beautiful and the staff friendly.  Beautiful yellow weaver birds fill one tree at the hotel; across the street is a large tree that is a favorite of large cranes.  Rwanda is amazing!

Once we had checked in and dropped off our bags, we piled back in the bus to drive out to Ndama Cell, the site of the new school that Hobsons has funded.  It was an amazing hour-long drive that took us far into the countryside.  Gatsibo District borders the Akagera National Park.  In fact, much of the district was national parkland prior to the 1994 civil war.  The government used much of the national park to resettle refugees displaced by the civil war and genocide.  One of the biggest challenges for this area of Rwanda is lack of infrastructure, since much of it was not occupied prior to 1994.

The "road" out to Rwamagana

It was almost overwhelming to finally arrive at the construction site.  This is a community and a place that I have only been able to imagine prior to today.  We worked for a year at Hobsons to raise the money to fund the school, and it was a place that I imagined often.  It was amazing and far exceeded even my wildest imagination.

Concrete blocks at the site of the new school

Foundation work and amazing scenery.  I would not do well as a student at this school - I would always be looking out the window!

We were greeted by what I imagine was the entire community.  There were over 150 children and probably as many adults.  We had to wait for the mayor of the Gatsibo District to arrive, so we took a tour of the construction site where workers were busy working on the foundation and making concrete blocks.  The concrete and steel has to be trucked in (over those roads!) but everything else for the project is sourced locally.

Some of the crowd that greeted us at the Ndama school site

After I made a concrete block, I wrote Hobsons on the side.  It was an absolute thrill to actually create a part of the school.

Kal chipped in as well, creating another block for the school.

The Hobsons staff at the school site.  Left to right: Stacy, Matt, Kal, Emily, James, Erin, and Tim.

Once the mayor had arrived, a group of local children sang and performed a traditional dance for us.  It was beautiful and I think we were all completely swept up in the moment.  A few of us even joined in!

The mayor and head school official for the district spoke to all of us, expressing much gratitude for what we have done but also highlighting how much still remains.  It was very powerful and humbling to be thanked so profusely when it seemed like one drop when we need to fill an ocean.  The optimism, grace, and sheer determination of the people of Rwanda cannot be overstated.  They have come through such tragedy and, in spite of a very long way yet to go, have their hopes and goals firmly set on a brighter future.

We presented gifts to the community for the school – classroom supplies, toys, and sports equipment that we had collected at home and packed in our luggage.  The head of the school pointedly told the children that they could all use the gifts – at school.  Wise man!

Media, the Plan Program Unit Manager for Gatsibo and our guide for our three days in the field, informed us that we had been invited to another school nearby for a soccer match with the schoolchildren.

Students sang and performed a beautiful dance for us.

Tim and Erin get in on the dancing action after being invited by two of the youngest dancers!

We arrived at the next school to a swarm of yelling and smiling children.  The school is K-12 and had 2,800 children enrolled.  I think most – if not all – were there.  It was a stunning site.  Kids were everywhere!  They pressed in around our bus, reaching up to the windows to touch us and say hello.  When James held up a soccer ball, the place went nuts.  It was very cool.

We were greeted by the head of school and several teachers (in addition to the thousands of students).  The teachers cleared the large soccer field – the kids surrounded it on three sides, and folks from surrounding houses appeared in trees and through the hedges on the fourth side.  Their players came out and we knew this wouldn’t be much of a match.  They must have been the school’s team, as they were all secondary school age and, for the most part, extremely fit.  We gave it a good go, and everyone had some good plays – James, Jeff, and Kal in particular.  Kal played keeper (“But I’ve never even played football!”) and made an amazing diving save.  We couldn’t hold a candle, though, to the Rwandese kids.  They were terrific.  I was consistently beaten on skill and speed by girls on the team.  Not remarkable because they were girls, but more so because they were barefoot and wearing skirts!

All in all it was a very fun time with much laughter between gasping for air.  The students were very gracious and seemed to appreciate that we at least attempted to keep up with them!

The Rwandan team

The Hobsons team

Action on the field

We made our way back to the hotel and thoroughly enjoyed dinner together and reliving our day.  The day was made complete by the arrival of our last Hobsons staff member – Witek arrived from the UK after some trouble securing a visa.  All in all, another amazing day in Rwanda!