unplugged

The first four months of our Rwanda tour we mostly stayed put, only leaving Kigali a couple of times for weekend trips to Akagera and Nyungwe and venturing out of the country once to play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Kampala. Starting with D’s trip to Bangkok, the last two months by contrast have been full of travel and adventure. We made a couple of jaunts north of the border to Uganda, spent a weekend tracking golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park, and just returned home from two wonderful weeks in Namibia and a visit to Victoria Falls.

Munchkin in the wild

A friend, writing about his kids recently, noted that while his older child is beginning to take on the look of a real human, his toddler remained a clingy, oversized doll. The latter is an apt description for Munchkin, who is beginning to push the boundaries of his self-sufficiency but remains overly attached to S.

boisterous holidays

Just north of the Rwanda-Uganda border, a mere couple of hours’ drive from Kigali, lies Lake Bunyoni. One of the continent’s deepest lakes, Bunyoni translates in the local language as “the place of many little birds.” What better place to spend a holiday weekend, we thought.

annotated progress report

Apart from our recent travels – we’ve hit the road three out of the last four weekends – the Munch has had a quiet couple of weeks at home after finishing the first semester at his new school. Following an end of year parent-teacher conference, S received an electronic progress report on Munchkin’s first semester, which was amusing in its over-the-top accolades, at least a few of which were clearly apocryphal.

tracking golden monkeys

Up before the sun, S vacillated about her decision to go see the golden monkeys. The road up to Virunga, where we were staying, is treacherous – an impossibly steep ascent up a rough track that is all ruts and boulders leads up to the lodge – and S had some misgivings about navigating it downhill alone in the darkness. Plus there was the fact that she prefers shared experiences to going it alone. The hour she spent with the golden monkeys made it more than worthwhile.

our little African

“Oh! He speaks just like an East African!” the border guard exclaimed appreciatively. “I know!” S retorted, making plain her frustration.

into the mist

No sooner did D return from Thailand than we were off on another adventure. Spending a week alone with Munchkin, S found herself looking at travel options around Rwanda and found a last minute deal at Virunga Lodge near Volcanoes National Park.

one look forward, one look back

Was 2016 good? Will 2017 be better or worse? As with most things in life, the answer depends on perspective. Looking back, do you focus on one or two events and let them define the year or do you take a step back and appreciate the good moments while acknowledging the difficult ones? Looking forward, do you fear the challenges that lie ahead or welcome the opportunities that life will surely present?