Theogene, Damasene and Anita providing anesthesia to a 6 day old with spina bifida

We had a great day in Nyungwe National Park yesterday. Our driver Emmy picked us up at 7am and we drove 3 hrs to the park reception. The drive was incredibly beautiful but the last 1.5 hrs was over a horrible road with some of the largest potholes I have ever seen. Large transport trucks on route to the DRC have to go so slow that the drive takes days.

Emmy suggested we do a 10 km hike into a spectacular waterfall with the opportunity to see monkeys and birds along the way. The hike was challenging in places but well worth it. The rain forest was so tranquil and it was great fun to see the monkeys - although they were so fast that they seemed adept at avoiding the camera. The spot where the waterfall was, was spectaular. The greenery, the flowers and the power of the waterfall made for a great experience.

On the way back to Butare, we stopped at the Murambi Genocide Memorial where 50 000 Tutsis had been killed. It was incredibly moving but difficult to see as there were rooms full of preserved skeletons of the victims. It was an important place to stop and see but not easy to actually be there. The Rwandese people are amazing in that they believe they need to forgive those who committed the crimes but not forget so as it never happens again.

By the time we made it back to Butare we were starving so we stopped at a local supermarket. Emmy worked his magic with the staff there and got us some hot samosas (meat) that were awesome. We often see the samosas at all the local stores but are leary to eat them as you never know how long they have been sitting around.

After another 2.5 hrs driving back to Kigali, we finally arrived back at the apartment. What a differene it makes to have a great driver. We were so relaxed and it felt like a different road completely. We did see a car run into a cow. No one seemed to be hurt except the cow. Anita and I were both upset worrying that the animal was in pain so were hoping that someone put it out if its misery quickly. An interesting part of this story is that the driver will be responsible to pay the farmer for the cost of the cow - the farmer is not considered to be at fault for letting the cow roam onto the road.

Today we are having a quiet day catching up on work. We had a wonderful lunch at the Bourban Cafe. Anita is currently helping Paulin with translating his thesis to english and Steve has been at the Serena hotel all day hanging out by the pool.

We can't believe that we leave in 4 days! We are looking forward to seeing you all!

Janice and Anita