Friday
The morning was spent with senior resident, Francoise, assisting her with preparations for her Monday morning lecture on pulmonary embolus. We departed around noon with Emmy to drive to Ruhengheri to spend the night at the Muhambura hotel. It is always stunning to drive across this country with its tiered hills covered in lush green agriculture and beautiful people in bright patterned clothing bent over in 90 degree angles tending to their land. Women carry baskets or sacks of vegetables on their heads. There are small herds of roaming goats and cows follow by young boys with sticks, the slightly older siblings of other little boys playing with old bicycle wheels by pushing them along with sticks to see how far they can get before the wheels topple over onto their sides. Markets with brightly colored fruits and vegetables for sale dot the roadside otherwise lined with red mud houses and storefronts painted with bright colors and advertisements. And everywhere there are people walking. They walk along the side of the road far too close to the moto-taxis and large cargo trucks coughing black smoke into the hazy air. T-shirt reading is quite entertaining here. “World’s Greatest Grandpa” and “McLovin” are two that I have seen on young men that made me chuckle. Many of the clothes, especially in the rural parts of Rwanda, are second-hand and clearly come from western donations.
For dinner, Lauren and I shared a savory traditional Rwandan “hot pot” or stew made with vegetables and chicken. We had dinner on the outside dining patio during an early evening downpour. I retired to my room early but stayed up late finishing “When Breath Becomes Air,” a memoir by a Stanford colleague who recently passed away after a diagnosis of lung cancer receive prematurely at age 36. I would highly recommend it to anyone curious about facing the inevitable end to life.
Saturday
We woke early for breakfast at Muhambura before heading to Volcanoes national park so that Lauren could trek gorillas and I could hike up a volcano to Crater Lake. I felt so excited for Lauren. Visiting the gorillas is such a surreal experience. This was the second time I would hike to Crater Lake, however, this time our group was caught by cold rain and wind at the top and we slid most of the way down. It was a challenging hike that took about 6 hours with 1411 feet elevation gain in about 2.5 miles. I was filthy and tired from using every muscle I had to stay upright in the slippery mud, but it was definitely worth it. I met a couple American ladies, one an emergency medicine physician working in global health, so we talked shop during the hike. We even saw a gorilla on the way down which is amazing since the cost of my hike was 75$ and the price to trek gorillas is 750$! Amazingly, two years ago the same thing happened when I hiked this trail. Lauren had an amazing experience seeing a family of gorillas but had the same cold and muddy trek. Exhausted, we left for the two-hour drive to Gisenyi and Lake Kivu around 4 pm. Luckily we stayed at Paradise Malahide (one of my favorite places!) and the showers were hot. I remembered several of the hotel staff, and they remembered me, at least they said they did. Exhaustion plus dinner made for an early night and sound sleep.
Sunday
This morning I slept in… meaning I didn’t set an alarm. I still woke at 6:30 am, which was actually great because it was in time to catch the traditional fisherman returning from their all night excursion. The traditional fishing boats are beautifully carved wooden boats with huge boons that extend out to the sides. Typically the boats are connected in threes and the men row in aggressive synchrony bringing back their catch of small sardine-like fish, which they dry and sell in town. Sometimes they sing and chant which adds to the excitement of their hurried rowing. Sunday mornings are also remarkable for the singing and music that floats across the water from the churches to the hotel. There are hundreds of types of colorful birds, lizards, and flowers that also define this place as paradise. Breakfast is by the water with strong coffee, an omelet, and crepes filled with honey.
After breakfast, I pack my bag and do some work until Lauren wakes up and has her breakfast. Emmy arrives and we leave, have a beer at Tam Tam public beach, tour the Congo border, and then make the long trek back to Kigali. In Kigali we buy chocolate for Valentine’s Day and head straight to the airport to pick up Michelle, who is also joining us from Stanford. Incredibly capable, motivated and organized, she is the Global Health administrative director and is here to observe and evaluate the Rwanda program assisting with current and future endeavors. I am incredibly grateful she is here because she is so effective and will be key to expediting the Stanford rotation for Rwandan residents that we want to create. Back at the apartment in Nyamirambo we settle in for an early night in preparation for Monday’s academic day.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
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| Matt teaching regional anesthesia |
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| Teaching in the sim centre |
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