Nyagatare is my last sub destination in the Eastern Province. From here, I will spin my wheels to Gicumbi. After a couple of days in Gicumbi, I will have similar stopovers in Rulindo, Gakenke, Burera and Musanze before proceeding to the Western Province. Finally, I will return to Kigali through the Southern Province.
In a bid to speed up the tour, after a three-week hiatus, I am now spending two days in each district instead of three. If you are new here, I was forced to put a tour on hold following a hacking incident that led to the loss of a ton of sponsored content and manuscripts of several travel books.
Having recovered and copyrighted the materials, I am ready to roll. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the new itinerary will enable me to finish the tour within the initially set timeframe.
I am writing this from Umuvumba Riverside Lodge, where I am spending the night. My home-away-from-home is named after the river I explored earlier today. Also known as Muvumba River, this water body is the primary source of domestic, agricultural and industrial water supply in Nyagatare. It snakes through some of the sunniest and drought-prone places in Rwanda before joining Kagera River. The latter empties into Lake Victoria.
When I was in Bugesera, I visited the confluence of Nyabarongo River and Akanyaru River. Then I explored Akagera River and traced the source of Kagera River. In Kirehe, I took a closer look at the latter and its stunning Rusumo Falls.
Fast-forward to my first day in Nyagatare, I indulged in an exhilarating ride adjacent to Muvumba River all the way to Kagitumba border post. Along the way, I saw herds of cows quenching their thirsts. In addition, I learned one or two things about irrigation farming. Furthermore, I mapped out key locations and geographical features linked to the beginning of the liberation struggle in the early 1990s.
There is so much one can learn in Nyagatare, including cattle nobility and Rwanda's rich heritage. This leisure sightseeing tour served as a glimpse into an oasis of knowledge the district has in store.