During one of my subsequent trips to Karongi, I visited Nyamunini Island. Also known as Napoleon's hat, Nyamunini is a steep hill. This cone-shaped elevation offers great hiking experiences and a 360° of the lake and the islands found in the area.
I used a kayak to sail to Nyamunini. A boat could have been faster, but I needed more time to bond with the lake and burn some calories in the process. While propelling my kayak to the French Emperor's chapeau, I bypassed a number of small islands. These include Amahoro, Mukondwe, Shegesha and Mpangara. There is a story behind each one of these stunning isles.
Nyamunini Island's greener pastures attract cows, which swim all the way from the lakeside farms. When I made it to the island, I saw feasting cows and a few boys gathering grass. I had a feeling whatever they were doing was illegal. Guilt was written all over them.
As mentioned above, while on the island, I bumped into a handful of boys whose activities call for further investigation. In addition, I wrecked havoc in the bats' habitat and took selfies on the rocky apex, higher than any other piece of land in the vicinity. Standing on the summit, I had a clear view of the surrounding islands and Karongi's jagged shoreline. From my vantage point, some islets looked like dots on the verge of being swept by the tide. I also captured a blurry view of the Virunga Massif along the northwestern border.
The aforementioned boys left the island before I did. As they paddled their dugout canoe, I was relieved because the thought of someone stealing my kayak was scary.
On my way back to the mainland, the waves were more turbulent than it was the case earlier. When the wind threatened to sweep me to the DRC, I remembered to apply the right technique, as opposed to fighting back. Confronting raging nature is fighting a losing battle.
It was getting late, but the lake was getting busier. The fishermen were steering their vessels to their work stations. I was there in pursuit of leisure, but these hardworking men were reporting for duty.