Cowboy hats and steak for breakfast

Its official. The wild west does exist in Rwanda. Most countries in the world seem to have a cowboy hat wearing wild west town somewhere. I have found such places in Australia, China and Romania, and if you include the home of the cowboy hat, the USA, then I can safely say that the cowboy hat can be found on at least 5 continents. The wild west of Rwanda is a little town in the South near the forest called Gasarenda, and I went there to visit my friend Kathy, who is totally heads over heels in love with the place. It is pretty special actually. Seeing an old man wearing a zebra striped cowboy hat which probably originated on the head of some girl at a hen party in Newquay definitely gives you pause for thought. But rumour has it another vso volunteer saw a moto driver wearing a witch’s hat...just the thought of it standing up in the wind as the motorbike speeds on by....eccentric indeed.

The long weekend ended with a terrible indiscretion on Monday. We knew it was the wrong thing to do yet we couldn’t help ourselves. We knew that we couldn’t afford it but we did it anyway. Two days allowance spent in one morning....oh the guilt, the guilt. Well everywhere else was shut because it was a public holiday, where else were we going to go? What else were we going to do?

So me and partner in crime Rachel (yes we have decided that we are a terrible influence on each other) ended up at the famous Hotel Mille Collines in Kigali scoffing down their all you can eat breakfast buffet. I ate an entire plate of steak for breakfast which I know is really quite revolting. But in the context of the previous week’s food woes (see previous post) then I reasoned that it was fine. I think I’m something like a camel. On my weekends I literally gorge myself, I put on a few pounds in anticipation of not being able to eat much in the week. Then after the plate of steak I ate bacon, cheese, ham, croissants spread with liberal amounts of butter...need I go on?!