Snacks for the trip

The snack issue is occupying an inordinate amount of my trip planning.

 As far as Larabars go, I  was thinking I should bring two for each flight (not necessarily going to eat both of them, but just in case, plus the possibility of sharing with a seatmate, if it is a person on our trip - it pays to get off on the right foot) so that's eight, and then at least one per day while we are gone, so that is a total of 26 or so.  Probably an even 30 should do the trick.  And if we don't eat them on the trip, we can eat them later, or share them with the nuns, whom it is also good to have on your side. (I say find out when they go to worship, and tag along.)

I have a keen interest in trip snacks.  Ever since Linda mentioned the fruit and nut bars which could be purchased from the wonderfully-civilized  chocolate bar machines in London, I have been thinking about making my own.  How hard could it be?  You need some nuts, some raisins, a fair trade, vegan chocolate bar to melt down, and a mold of some description. Bingo.  Wrap them up in waxed paper, bit of tape to hold the wax paper closed and you are all done.

So, apart from the larabars, I think I will bring tamari almonds, regular almonds, little boxes of raisins, dried apricots, possibly dried cranberry raisins, packets of instant oatmeal and grits, decaf coffee, the vegan coffee creamer (which I ordered on line and which should be arriving at my house soon), and a few home-made fruit and nut bars for special occasions.  Rich said that last year he had a whole hockey bag of food (he said chow).  He claims to be a fussy eater, and apparently ate many pepperoni sticks that he brought last year.  The food on the road was the questionable food.  Food in Kigali is apparently abundant, varied and tasty and good in the health sense.

I appreciate that this will take up space in the suitcase, what with the toilet paper, sleeping bags, blanket, sheets and pillow, toiletries, accessories, oh and some clothes too, but I would rather be safe than sorry, rather have a snack to tide me over than look at something completely unappetizing and be stuck eating it.  And, yes, I would order, pretend to eat by rearranging stuff on my plate, and pay for something unappetizing so as not to offend our Rwandan hosts.  That way if I had a snack or two up my sleeve, I would be ok.  And while I could clearly go for many days with no food without ill effect, I would rather not.

According to Rich, the brekkie in Kigali is fairly spartan; coffee and tea of questionable quality, a hot dog bun and some egg.  I won't be having any eggs, so that's why I was thinking of buying a kettle, to make grits or something. If I had peanut butter (either purchased in Kigali, or brought from home and shoehorned into my suitcase), I could put it on the brekkie hotdog bun.  And if I have nuts and dried fruit, that makes a great brekkie when mixed in with the grits.