KIGALI AGAIN

It has been a rough two weeks in Ngara.  School is fine, but we continue to have water, power and now sewage problems.  Our septic tank was apparently full, so when we flushed the toilet (which was not often due to lack of water) it backed up and came up out of the shower drain.  We had that lovely hot water shower put in a couple of months ago, but have never been able to use it because the running water does not work.  We manage to get a couple of 15 gallon buckets of water about twice a week, so we have to limit cooking and bathing.  Drinking water is most important.  Now the city is apparently out of oil, so there is none or limited power in the region.  Forget cooking and boiling water without electricity!  Time to get out of town for awhile!

So I am back in Kigali for the weekend.  I left after my classes at Ngara Secondary School on Friday.  I was on the bus when Breana texted me that she is at the hospital having tests due to headache and joint pain.  We both threw up on Wednesday for some reason.  I was taking antibiotics for a bad burn I got on my leg from a piky piky motocycle last week, so maybe I was spared whatever is bothering her since I felt better right away and she continued downhill.  Luckily our fellow volunteers are coming from Rulenge to visit on Saturday so she will not be alone.

I am staying at the Stipp Hotel in Kigali's Kacyria district.  It is about $100 a night with breakfast but quiet and has free wifi.  I walked to Top Tower because I enjoyed the chicken curry so much last time I was there. They had taken it off the menu but made me some anyway.  I ate in the 8th floor lounge with the 360 degree view of Kigali.  Sunday I went to the supermarket downtown to stock up on some things (ramen soup and potato chips, mostly).  I also had to buy more conditioner because I finally got to wash my hair after two weeks but brought two bottles of shampoo by mistake!  Then I had a Chinese lunch at the Great Wall restaurant.  I had a combo meal with a chicken dish, a beef dish, rice, and soup.  I also had an egg roll and glass of wine.  I got so full that I left most of the beef dish and half the rice.  I am so used to a limited diet that I just can't eat a lot of food.  I had to go back to my room and lie down to let my stomach readjust.