Gisenyi - Intore troop

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After receiving our expensive Congolese visas we continue north towards Gisenyi. The road is good for the most part so it's a pleasant few hours, although quite humid in the rain. On the way we stop at a school to watch some traditional Intore troupe. The school had only just finished so the playground is full of children, we are the main attraction of course. As I step out of the car, they all scream 'hello' and 'how are you?' and hold out their hand to shake. I end up having to shake about 30 hands, it's like a red carpet experience. Then they all start to cling on, so I am suddenly moving in a surge of about 100 children towards the classroom, hilarious. The Intore troupe are half men and half women, the men wear traditional trousers, bells around their ankles and beaded braces around their chests. The women wear either blue or white skirts with matching fabric draped in various ways around their chest depending on the dance, they also have the traditional bars on the side of their heads held with bands, some also have bells around their ankles also. First the men drum and sing, the leader who is dressed in toga style robes, beats a different beat as the main drummers take steps back and forward behind the drums. Next the women drum as the men dance, many of the steps are stomp like to produce the bell sound and many have head wiggles, all done with the arms held high out to their sides. Then men return to drumming and the women dance for us, their dances are more circular and use more arm movements. The women do a second dance with woven pots balanced on their heads and the men do a final dance wearing ceremonial blonde wigs, holding spears. They seem to really enjoy themselves but don't have quite the fitness and energy of the Tambourines in Burundi.
Afterwards we continue to Gisenyi for our night at Mostej Hotel, this time with a broken toilet...

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