Ra's Life

Ra's Life Everyone knows that comedic spot here someone is taking a picture and they say 'Take one more step back ..." Yesterday, after a great HHH run in the village of Kibuye in Gitarama, an hour from Kigali, I was that photographer.

After dark (here near the equator sunset is always about 6 p.m.) Our 3 car caravan with 25 people stopped on the roadside for a 'nature call' I jumped out to photograph the 'offenders' and angling for a view ... stepped off the edge of the road and fell 10 feet into a drainage canal.

Here is a BEFORE picture - with some of the kids crowding around to watch the shenanigans of a Hashers ceremony

There appeared no way back up from the ditch thigh deep in water ; there were just flat vertical cement walls - the quick human chain didn't seem capable of lifting me. And the path to the edge where the cement angled down was blocked by THICK brush. So I went through the dark tunnel under the road and on the other side was able to crawl out and back up to the road.

Once everyone found out I was not seriously hurt - they could laugh and enjoy the event - see the photo below just AFTER.

I trashed my camera in the fall into the water, the project mobile phone BUT NOT my photo ram card! I have tons of scratches and scrapes and a slight pull of a groin muscle but feel extremely lucky ... This mental error could have had much worse consequences.

I went to the clinic today and will be scrubbing and disinfecting, etc. and should be fine with a just a great story as the legacy.

The Hash run in the countryside was fabulous and we stayed maybe just a bit too long in the village as the gathering kids and crowd were a little overwhelming.

Enjoy the photos below of another beautiful area of Rwanda ... and watch where you step!