June 26

Went hiking in Nyungwe rain forest this morning with Lucas and a very good local guide. It's about an hour from where we are staying. This bottom left picture was taken in the tea fields surrounding the rain forest, as we prepared to enter the forest. Rwandan tea is delicious - I bought some to bring back - hopefully the customs officials won't take it away. Everyone here stops for a tea break around 10 am. They call their tea "chai" and serve it with milk and sugar. Lucas and I have come to love the tea break ritual. He had to work through his tea break yesterday and was very disappointed!

The top right picture was taken in front of a high waterfall, right after I had fallen on my hind quarters on a wet and slippery rock. Ouch! Well at least I didn't fall far. The walking sticks really came in handy, especially for 40+ year old women like myself trying to hike through an African rain forest with a couple of youngsters. The hike we chose was described as "strenuous". There was also a "very strenuous" option which we chose not to take. Afterward, Lucas said he wouldn't have described our hike option as strenuous (but I would have!) So tomorrow he is going on the "very strenuous" hike, but without me! The top left picture is a green viper who was sunning himself on our trail - thankfully the guide saw the snake a few feet in advance and flipped him off the trail after we took this picture. There were wild pink begonias growing all through the forest - just like the variety we grow as houseplants in the U.S.

Our driver this morning was named Innocent. Once Innocent stopped a man walking by the side of the road with a big container of handmade clay jars balanced on his head. Innocent bought one for 500 Rwandan francs (less than $1.00 US). The man who was selling his handmade pots appeared to be one of the Batwa, a pygmy race which has lived in Rwanda for thousands of years. Batwa used to be hunters, but there is not much land to hunt anymore, so I've heard they have turned to making clay pots and baskets (among other trades of course).

I don't think it's really possible to convey the beautiful scenery of Rwanda through these few pictures and my limited camera. The lake, the hills, the tea fields, the lush vegetation - the camera doesn't do it justice.