Some highlights of Christmas

John and Cat at the Hacienda

The boys with their home made cameras

Here they are!!


John and Cat arrived on time and it was so exciting to see them at the airport. and the bags came two days later!! But it all turned out fine.










On one of the walks around Gitarama when Cat was taking photos these boys made their own cameras out of mud from the ground - fantastic!

Shelling peas with the family

Playing with the children

We went on an Azizzi Life Village Day. We dug over the banana plantation and planted some casava. When it started to rain we took the drying pea plants into the house and shelled the peas with the children. Then we were treated to lunch prepared by the women. Some of us cut grass for the cows, then we all tried our hand at weaving with sisal.


The children taught John and Cat to play with the hoop and stick. that was after Cat taught them 'Heads shoulders, knees and toes'

The beautiful Golden Monkeys

Golden Monkeys are an endangered species and they can only be seen in the Virungas. We walked through the forest of amazing bamboo and heard rustling in the branches above us and there they were bounding about above us. When the sunlight catches the fur on their backs it shines orange. Beautiful.

 And Christmas at Lake Kivu was wonderful. A swim before breakfast and back to our room to open presents, another swim after breakfast and a christmas picnic on the beach. In the evening we played card games under the mosquito net - a really fantastic time.




Thankyou so much for all your messages of love and friendship and I hope you too have memories to cherish of happy times with family and friends.  I really do want to hear your news so please don't forget to write! xx