Monday, 17 December 2012

Gisenyi (sort of) Trip - Sunday, December 16, 2012 - PART 1

Today was really good...and A LOT of sitting...11 1/2 hours worth, to be exact.

Our wake-up call was 4:45 and we left our house at 5:45.  We picked up Pastor Gato on the way (he was our guide & Dad's translator for the day).  Traffic was really good on the way there and a part that took us 2 hours last time only took us 1 1/2 hours today.


Another different thing today was the weather --  today was very foggy!   Most of the time it wasn't so bad that we couldn't see, but we did have to slow down quite a bit a couple of times.  The amazing view was made even more spectacular by valleys filled with fog and hill tops poking through the layer of fog.  The photos don't do it justice at all, but hopefully it gives you a taste of it.

 
 

One good thing about getting going so early is being able to see the sun rise!


Rwanda in general, but especially this part of the country, is known for its gorillas.  Which also means there are lots of statues, signs, and stores with gorillas on them.

 
 
The Gisenyi area is also known for its volcanoes.  We spotted the five main ones, and the church was actually located in the shadow of Karisimbi.


 
Because it's so near volcanoes, there's lots of volcanic rock around, and many walls are made of it.
 
 
There are always people walking along the sides of the road (which can be a bit nerve racking when it's little children).  Most of them are carrying something or pulling something or pushing something!






Here's a couple of amazing hill pictures!



Before we got to Gisenyi, we turned off onto a dirt road and travelled on that for between 45 minutes and an hour.   The first part was smooth, but only one lane.  The latter part was wider, but really bumpy!!!




I love this picture because it gets both the lady carrying something on her head as well as carrying the baby on her back.


The area we drove through is known for its potatoes; they're growing everywhere!!!
 
 
Potato Blossom
 
Here's some other plants and greenery we saw on the way.

Eucalyptus!
If you look closely, you can see the eucalyptus and bamboo
growing side by side!


 
 
 Tea!!!
 
 
 
This is some blossom that they pick and dry...but I forget what it is!  I'll get back to you on this one in a later post...
 
 
It is a common sight to see kids carrying babies on their backs.  There were several at the church service.  Here's one we passed on the way.
 
 
View along the way...
 
 
And the church service is coming up in Part 2...

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