Ugandan/Italian nuptials

I had the pleasure of being invited to a swish wedding reception in Mukono district a few weeks ago - quite a grand affair with lots of pomp & performance. Among the guests was the actress Emma Thompson who sang a lovely little song to the happy couple, about fruit (the orange wanted to get to know the apple 'right to the very core...'). The groom was Italian, the bride from Uganda, which made for an interesting juxtaposition of traditons! In Italy, for example, it is customary for the groom's tie to be cut up into little pieces & then distributed to guests as a reminder of the day! Feasting & fireworks & dancing under the moon-light chased the dawn...

New Year, Rwanda

Hopped over the border to see in 2009, starting in the capital, Kigali & then heading to another lake (Kivu) to see how the VSO Rwanda gang do it... I thought Rwanda was absolutely stunning. Kigali is sophisticated, safe & clean; boda-boda drivers (they call them 'moto') actually own & wear their helmets, food is good & people are cool. The scenery & the countryside live up to the description 'Le Pays des Mille Collines' - land of a thousand hills & I can see why it's known as the Switzerland of Africa. There's still lots of talk about what went on, but I guess that's not too surprising - & there are memorials everywhere. I had a drink in the original 'Hotel Rwanda' which was actually a bit spooky... Great place to practice your French as well - though they're trying to phase that out of course!

Christmas 2008; Lake Bunyonyi

Fellow VSOs & I packed up our jingle bells for a few days at Lake Bunyonyi - 'place of little birds'. The area is dotted with approx 20 islands & is surrounded by steep, terraced hills; the absence of crocs, hippos & bilharzia (nasty water snail bug) make it one of the few places in Uganda where you can take a dip... Christmas day was spent on a small island called Bushara, where we indulged in a turkey & goat buffet, washed down with Nile beer. This was followed by lots of tinsel-tastic singing & dancing with a group of little Ugandans who delighted in our home-made holly hats & then a boozy Secret Santa game. Oh, & it was really HOT & sunny!!