Daytrip Kibuye

The last ten days will be full of excursions, quick visits and a last search for information before heading home on the 12th. Two and a half months passed in the blink of an eye. In fact I could easily fill up another month with catching up on cancelled tours, interviews and research, but there’s simply no time (and surely no money) left. A few more days to put a last effort in.

Daytrip Kibuye
One of those last excursions was one to Kibuye, 90km south of Gisenyi and about 140km from Kigali on Tuesday. I planned a daytrip to this small town on Lake Kivu and got there after a three-hour busride. There are few tourists in this area, but nevertheless they have some fine lodges there and in fact all the assests to accommodate tourists. Most of their visitors are rich Rwandese who come and relax during the weekend. It’s less chaotic than Gisenyi but perhaps even more beautiful than any town on Lake Kivu.

There’s a loop around town, which is an easy walk that can be done in a few hours time. On the way I stopped in Centre Bethanie, another Presbyterian church lodge with a superb location at the waterfront. I had a very tasteful lunch of fresh Tilapia accompanied by a glass of white wine and enjoyed views on the many small islands scattered around. One of those islands was Napoleon Island, named after the shape of the general’s hat. As like many organisations, churches, restaurants, companies and mountains, one of these islands was also named Amahoro (‘Peace’) Island.

Environmental Museum
After a terrific lunch I walked towards the foundations of the future Environmental Museum. The Belgian architect has designed many other museums in Rwanda before, starting with the National Museum in Butare in the early eighties. This museum will focus on sustainable energy and give more information about the importance of renewable energy, protection of the environment and other things. I’ve scheduled and interview with the architect to find out more about this, but the museum is due to open March 2012.

I am sailing
Just across the contruction site I took a motorboat for a tour around the islands. Halfway down Lake Kivu there’s Ijwe Island, the biggest of all. It’s Congolese territory. We sailed to Napoleon Island where we climbed uphill to see certain ‘oiseaux’ (birds). I didn’t get it at first, but as soon as the guide started clapping his hands, we saw a huge colony of bats escaping from the trees and bushes around us. Thousands of bats flew out and circled the island. After observing them for a while we went back to the boat and sailed towards Amahoro Islands, back towards Kibuye.

Genocide
Right before heading back to the bus I made a quick stop at the local church. There’s a genocide memorial in front of the church which is a massgrave in which thousands of Tutsi victims were buried. During the 100-day massacres, Kibuye was severly hit: 9 out of 10 Tutsis were killed in this town.

It was a long and exhausting day, but nevertheless worthwile. Back in Kigali, I checked my updated tan and went to bed as the next few days wouldn’t be relaxing either. Brittany and I are going to Nyungwe forest for the weekend, which will be my last big adventure in Rwanda.

Tuesday May 3rd – Kibuye 28 degrees