Walkabout: Sharing Kumbya with Mum turned into quite an adventure.

The kids, Mum and I headed off in the morning. Tim would come later in a friend’s car. The trip to the little-bit-of-paradise called Kumbya usually takes 3 hours. It’s also usually less eventful.

We were stopped for 20 minutes while school children crossed the road to attend a local annual genocide memorial service. Each institution and town holds theirs on their own chosen date.

As we passed through, we noticed how the refugee camp had grown. It covers several hilltops now. We also noticed the brand new classrooms (pictured below beside the soccer field), all with broken glass windows. It must be a tough place to live.

There were the usual pretty colours and impressive loads as people walked along the roadside. I often wonder how far they’re travelling as we zoom past.

As we entered the rainforest we were slowed by roadwork. Then it began to rain. The road became very slippery and we skidded off the side into the forest. Before we’d got out of the car a truck had stopped and the men in it came to help. After ten minutes we had four trucks and three car loads of people helping. We also witnessed several cars slipping on the same corner, and could see track marks in two places where other cards had recently gone off the road. Everyone agreed that God had been really good in that no people or even the car were hurt, and there was plenty of help at hand. We watched in surprise as the men rocked the car until it turned around and then used a chain to pull it back onto the road. Phew! I must say we drove particularly slowly through the rest of the forest.

We were thankful to stop for a tea/coffee break at a beautiful hotel in a tea plantation on the edge of the forest. Of course, after another 30 minutes on the windy roads giving the children hot chocolate didn’t seem like such a good idea after all. Vomit, everywhere.

And finally arrived after over four hours on the road. We were just in time to greet some other arrivals who live at a mission hospital 10 minutes from Kumbya.

We began to prepare for a double birthday party: Julie and William. We had dinner, cake and toasted marshmallows for desert.

Then ensued a great weekend of rest and relaxation. What to do? Eat, read, sleep, chat or swim? We began with breakfast, and Nick’s birthday presents (yes, another birthday).