Lake Muhazi...Disaster!

Lake Muhazi

     Where do I begin? Yesterday was a disaster! A bunch of volunteers (Miki, Natan, Barrett, Dorea) and I decided to spend the day at Lake Muhazi, a serene lake about an hour away from the Village. We journeyed on our many forms of transportation (including the back of a truck!) and ventured to Jambo Beach, or at least attempted to. Once we got there we learned that it was closed so we moto'ed on over to Seeds of Peace Beach along the Lake. The view was absolutely incredible! We put our stuff down under a straw hut and began our relaxing. I looked out onto the water and read my book (You should all read "A Handmaid's Tale." It's a brilliant novel. And in 3 days i'm almost halfway done which is very quick for me!). Despite my plan for relaxation, the weather had a different idea. About 30 minutes in, the sky opened up and it started to pour. And I mean torrential downpour. Luckily we found a spot inside just in time!

Miki, Natan and I on the back of a truck, heading to Lake Muhazi.

     Once inside, we decided to order food. Little did we know it would take over an hour and a half to get our food. I checked out the menu and ordered the only item that had vegetables, capati (a circular bread) with hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado and cucumbers and a crepe. After waiting for what seemed like forever, the food came out. My food didn't come out immediately so I politely reminded them that I was still waiting for my food. Immediately they ran back and brought me my food. Only problem was, there were no eggs or vegetables. If I wasn't with new people, I would have cried on the spot. And to make it all worse, the servers didn't speak English! So I grumpily ate my two bread items sans healthy sides. At least I got food though.
     After lunch I was ready to leave...and never return back! We caught a moto to the bus lot and waited around for a bus while it drizzled. A bus driver saw our pack of 5 white people and pushed aside locals to get us on the bus. Against our better knowledge, the bus was not express. Three hours of 24 people in a small bus. Not only was the bus packed beyond belief, I had the luxury of having someone's knee dig into my back for the whole ride! Now I can understand how long bus rides in Rwanda can be a hazard to one's health. Arriving at the Kigali house was such a relief! You can count on me never returning to Seeds of Peace Beach ever again!
     Once I got to the house I hopped in the shower and immediately felt better. I spent the rest of the evening hanging out with the other volunteers. We went to New Cactus again but this time we were smart! We split 4 pizzas, a salad and a pasta dish. I was so full at the end! But it was all worth it!
     Today I woke up at 8 AM (it doesn't seem like i'll be sleeping in real late around here) and headed to Nakumatt to get some food shopping in before Christmas eve. And ever since then, i've been in a coffee shop reading, playing games on my iTouch and messing around on the internet. Quite a relaxing day! And a nice change of scenario from my stuffy room in the Village. Christmas adventures coming soon. Happy holidays!

Another view of Lake Muhazi from Seeds of Peace Beach.