Thursday 7th

I woke up this morning this seven, I repeat SEVEN, mosquito bites on my left arm/shoulder. They don't itch, Hallelujah, but they are really big and red. The night before I heard a mosquito buzzing round my room, and I squashed it thinking, 'Haha! You can't bite me if you're dead little bug!' It was a messy affair, but it didn't occur to me that the blood splattered across the wall could be mine. People have been coming up to me all day asking, 'What's that on your arm?', so I’m going to have to wear a T-shirt for a few days.

I went into town at ten with Jean Claude to do some orientation. I’ve only ever been to most places by car/bike, so I had no idea how to find them by foot. Sadly, neither did Jean Claude, despite living in Kigali for most his life! So we wandered around town for hours trying to find the different shops and restaurants I like. Every now and then, I'd get out my map to try and figure out which way to go. But as soon as you whip out a map, everyone gathers around you to try and help you find where you're going. Even the motorbike taxis pull up to give their two cents worth. Before you know it, there are ten, fifteen people crowding around, all of whom are telling you something different. In the end we met a Christian lady who offered to walk us to the shop we wanted. And of course, we went the scenic route, walking for thirty minutes what I later realised should have only been five. But it was really kind of her to take us, something I don't think would ever happen in the UK. Later that day, we went to visit her where she works, to look at the different handicrafts she sells. I bought a really nice bag for two quid, two pairs of earrings and a woven mat, and she threw in a basket and a coaster for free. Nice.

After that I came home and studied Kinyarwanda all afternoon.