Road to Rwanda----Saturday Outing

 

Last Saturday we were invited to a picnic to celebrate some friends’ engagement.  It involved about 45 minutes by car, then 20-30 minutes by boat and finally a hike up a VERY steep incline to their remote undeveloped property.  The car ride was on some of the worst roads I have been on in my lifetime of travel with bad roads all over the world. The boat ride involved the engine cutting out halfway enroute (both coming and going….the boat owners realized they needed to do something and traded for a  bigger boat on our return trip….but I assumed used the same rather faulty motor??)  The hike up the cliff was only accomplished because one of the young 20 something volunteers at the school took my hand and arm and hefted me up….and back down.  Rick made it on his own, but he was not able to do the hefting needed for me…..we are getting old.  The view during the picnic was gorgeous.  I took a nap on a blanket while some of the others went back down the cliff and went swimming in the very icy water.  However, the adventure really began on our way home….after the hike down the cliff and the boat motor cutting out and being regenerated. 

We were 3 packed cars in our caravan going home.  One of the cars had pretty consistently given problems since the day it was purchased last fall.  So we were following behind it to be sure it made it up the steep grades and horrible rocky road conditions.  And, yes, it finally could not make the last few feet up one of the hills.  We were at the bottom of the hill, watching, as everyone piled out and the driver manually engaged the 4 wheel drive on the front tires.  He then tried to make it the last few feet but ended at the bottom of the hill again.  On his second try he almost made it again to within a few feet of the top and was stopped.  Although there were local people standing around, they did not offer to push until asked to do so, and they did get him up the last few feet.  Everyone piled back in and we progressed.

However, it finally became evident that the clutch was shot on the vehicle and we needed to take additional rescue measures.  Part of the carload was distributed into the other two cars and another part started the walk to the main road where they would be able to pick up a bus.  They dug out the chain and attached them to our car.  Although much smaller we seemed to be doing OK with pulling the disabled car….until the chain broke.  Of course, all of this was enacted in the midst of a huge audience, some watching, some trying to help, and some trying to sell us stuff or beg stuff off us.  At one point as the driver of the disabled car was engrossed in attaching the chain, he had a live chicken stuck in his face to see if he wanted to buy it. The answer was a strong, “No!”, which was accepted with equanimity.  We were still in the lead car, just sitting and talking and surrounded by many, many little boys who were asking questions and requesting money.  When we were stopped in a market area (wild, busy, full as only Saturday markets can be in Africa), someone came by selling roasted corn (really big kernelled field maize).  Our Kinyarwanda speaking friend in the car with us, bargained them down from 20 cents an ear to 10 cents an ear and I bought 5.  We started to eat our maize.  Our friend said that some of the people were marveling, saying, “I didn’t know musungus (white people), ate maize!” At one point the mother of the only children involved was in the hatchback of our vehicle, riding, while her children were in another car.  As we progressed, and were needing to redistribute after the chain broke, she decided she better get out and go be with her young children.  She carried one of the ears of corn back to them, and it was much enjoyed.

It was finally decided to abandon the disabled vehicle in the market village and pay a guard to watch it until after the weekend when a pastor/mechanic friend could come look at it.  We progressed on and picked up one of the people who had originally walked out to the main road to catch a bus which still had not arrived.  I gave him one of my ears of maize as well. 

Oh, one more part. Before the car trouble, we were having problems with young kids grabbing onto the back of our cars and coasting up and down hills as we slowed down. Of course, outrageously dangerous.  I told our driver that I could pretty easily dissuade the kids if he just stopped and let me stick my head out the door.  He did. I opened my door, stuck my head out and gave the boys a severe tongue lashing.  They could not understand my words, but they got the tone pretty clearly.  When I closed the door, there was complete silence in our car, until my friend next to me said, “I am sure glad you are not angry with me!”

Fun day for an engagement party.