Back to Reality

How, exactly, can I make this much mess in five days?

Mystery of womanhood.

Extremely sorry to leave the hot shower behind. Back to bucket baths for me. But I must admit, as comforting as hot showers are, I don't think they're so good for my hair. It feels a bit dryer than usual. Though that could be traipsing through the jungle heat. I've got a very impressive suntan.

Final beer of the night and this giant moth landed in my glass. There was another one the size of my hand. I thought it was a bat at first!

I've always thought moths bring good luck, so I'm returning home feeling positive. Been to visit my client's office, which has been given to them by IEDA free of charge. Installed some antivirus protection and Google Drive on their computers. 

Ghassy bought me a lovely selection of leaving gifts.

Map of DRC

Little 'n' Large People

My absolute favourite is that he bought me my very own tshukudu (chukadu). These are quite specific to the region and they're used to transport people and goods. Their handles remind me of cow horns. There's even a golden statue of one in the centre of town.

Tshukudu Statue, Goma

Photo by Abby Ross

At the border we became secret cheese smugglers. Both Rwanda and Congo make cheese but you're not supposed to take it over the border because they want to protect trade interests. B bought me a wheel of Congolese cheese and we wrapped it in paper and hid it in my handbag - I wanted to compare. They're quite similar, but Congolese cheese is slightly smellier.

We leapt into a taxi and sped south, though we were stopped by police part way. There had been an incident on the road and they wanted to check our papers. It was nice to be back in a country where you can stop for police and not get completely harassed, but they did take their time checking us out. When we hit Kigali it seemed the President was on the move, so traffic was really bad. These delays meant that B was half an hour too late for check-in. 

We ended up heading to his cousin's house in a very posh, newly-built area of town. They were really welcoming and provided beer and a full spread of ugali and chicken. It was exactly what was needed. The trip from Gisenyi to Kigali is about three hours, but the road is like a serpent. We were totally knackered and this revived us nicely.

Thoroughly stuffed, I took a moto home and fell into bed.

In my absence, my bananas had become a little over-ripe. Quick tip: mash bananas in a bowl, add a couple of teaspoons of mango juice and a generous helping of honey and cinnamon. Stir in flour until you get a thick dough. Deep-fry and add more honey. Nommy banana fritters.

Also had an unexpected house guest! So cute. Like moths, I consider frogs good luck. This one was beautifully patterned. I managed to capture it and pop it outside. My friend Fred psychedelicised it, which really brought out the spots.

Had a last drink with B before he caught his plane on Wednesday. Kinda miss him already. He said I was courageous for surviving the trip to Nyamitaba. It's not often I get to be courageous. Life seems very mundane after such a mad few days. 

Thanks to Mimy it seems likely I will get to visit my friend in Kindu after all. Apparently there are regular humanitarian flights going, and her husband might be able to get me on one. My CEPGL is only valid for the borders, so I'd have to apply for a full visa, which my friend in Kindu says he can help with. I'm really looking forward to visiting Congo again, but I strongly urge people only to go if they've got local back-up. Though we laughed about the experience in Sake, it brought home the fact that this is a highly volatile area. Even locals tell you 'This is Congo - anything can happen at any time.' It's not somewhere you want to get stuck without protection or friends.

All the same, it's an incredibly beautiful country and the people I met were really kind and welcoming. I just hope things settle down over the coming years.

I've also had a bit of an epiphany. For a while now I've been wanting to return home to the UK. I'm in desperate need of a break. I want at least a couple of months' R&R with hot water and flat beer. I'm contracted here until August 20th, and then have a couple of reports to write. I don't want to take them home with me. After that, I'm planning to head to Kindu en route to Blighty. 

I have no firm plans from there on. If my current job contracts me again, and if that contract includes a flight back to Kigali over Christmas, I'll probably sign up for a second round. But the refugee camps were a smack in the face, and B's enthusiasm is infectious. His organisation is just getting on its feet at the moment, but there was the suggestion he'd like me to work for them in the future. If the offer was ever made, I'd jump at it. 

I very, very much want a job with this organisation. I didn't think I'd ever feel this way about development again. I'm completely rejuvenated. My cynicism has shifted to positivity. I absolutely see the point in what they're doing, I know we can do it better than some INGOs, and I'm buzzing from the enthusiasm and straightforwardness of the people involved. 

However, I may need to learn French...