Last weekend we travelled up to Ruhengeri in the far north west for a muzungu versus Rwandan and Congolese team. Predictably this was quite a spectacle with locals lining the pitch and roaring with laughter. Predictably too we lost, 8-2!
From Ruhengeri we went to Gisenyi and the following morning crossed over into Congo to Goma. Goma, was wiped out in 2002 when one of the volcanoes erupted, leaving almost the entire city flattened and covered with lava. Now a road has been built over the lava flows and people are beginning to try to establish a new way of life without any capacity to farm. It’s an absolutely phenomenal and fascinating landscape. After changing some money and buying some food and charcoal we headed off on a 45 minute motorcycle ride out of the city to the foot of the volcano that had erupted, found some guards, guides and porters and set off on our climb up the volcano.
After 4 hours of agonising climbing we were within reach of the crater rim and set up camp for the night. The volcano’s mountain sides were as stunning as the city, with huge lava flows and a landscape of burnt skeletal trees and steam. After an early morning climb to the crater rim, we came down, crossed back into Rwanda and spent the rest of the day on Gisenyi’s lakeside beaches relaxing and recovering!
It was fascinating to be in Goma simply because of the huge security operations and issues of the area and its history as the crossing point for hundreds of thousands of refugees both from the genocide and eruption. The UN operation in Goma was immense, with its own enormous airport terminal and numerous huge compounds. We didn’t see many Congolese troops though and I didn’t once feel threatened or unnerved. However, since we returned the newspapers have been reporting increasing tension between the Rwanda and Congo and Congo has now apparently stated that if Rwanda continues to enter Congo in pursuit of the interhamwe, Congo will consider it’s incursions as an act of war and respond accordingly. Since Rwanda seems unlikely to back down from pursuing the interhamwe, we are now waiting to see whether Congo’s statement is more than rhetoric…
Other than my Congo trip, life has been a blur of marking exams and preparing form tutor reports, playing with the local kids and leaving parties for NGOs and volunteers wrapping up their contract. I haven’t thought too much about leaving yet. It’s going to be hard. Life here in Save has been excellent and I’m going to miss the people, atmosphere, lifestyle and landscape. I’ve put off saying my goodbyes until I return to from England…
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