I have been looking forward to this break. Not because I am hungry. No! I packed snacks and juice before entering Akagera National Park. By the time I pull up at Lake Mihindi Campsite and Cafe, I have already munched two sandwiches. Food is the last thing on my mind.
My bladder, however, has other ideas.
When you are driving through the animal kingdom, you don't just pull over, open the door, and answer nature's call. Unless, of course, you are volunteering to become somebody's lunch. So I have been holding it in, waiting for a safe place to step out of the vehicle. Finally, here I am!
But let me tell you what I really came for. Coffee. Good coffee, a beautiful view, and a little time to kick back. I have spent half the day driving through the home of the Big Five, and I deserve this.
I settle at a wooden picnic table overlooking Lake Mihindi. My cup of coffee sits within reach. The lake stretches into the distance, its waters glistening beneath the blue sky. Beyond it, the Kagera River completes the picture, with the hills of Tanzania rising on the other side. Around me, trees and shrubs dot the landscape while green grass spreads across the garden. A cool breeze drifts in from the lake, and for a moment, everything feels just right.
Heavenly? Absolutely. But perhaps Edenly is a better word. If Eden was a garden of paradise, this place makes a pretty convincing case for itself. The grass, the trees, the lake, the breeze, and the animals roaming somewhere beyond the garden. What more could a man ask for?
I take a sip of my coffee and let the moment sink in. This is one of those places where you don't need to do much to have a good time. No complicated itinerary. No rushing from one attraction to another. Just me, my coffee, and a view that could easily convince me to abandon the rest of the day's plans.
Except I cannot. There is still a journey to complete.
I entered the park through the South Gate, and after this break, I will continue northward and exit through the North Gate. I have already covered a fair stretch, but the best is yet to come. The northern part of Akagera is known for its rich wildlife, and I am looking forward to what lies ahead.
I can already picture the interruptions. A giraffe decides to parade right in front of my car, forcing me to slow down. A zebra crosses the road with the confidence of a fashion model on a catwalk. An elephant appears out of nowhere, and suddenly, my schedule becomes irrelevant. Impalas and their cousins scatter across the plains. Warthogs trot about with their funny little faces, while waterbuck graze nearby.
And me? I will be right there, watching, photographing, and enjoying every minute of it. Nobody needs to remind me that I am supposed to be going somewhere. In Akagera, the journey is the destination.
But there is one animal I would particularly love to see. A lion.
Will I find one? Maybe. Maybe not. These magnificent cats don't take appointments, and I certainly don't expect one to be waiting by the roadside to welcome me. That is part of the thrill. You never quite know what is around the next bend.
Lake Mihindi Campsite and Cafe has given me exactly what I came for: a chance to pause, breathe, and soak up the beauty of Akagera. My coffee break may be happening at lunchtime, but who cares? When you find a little Eden in the middle of a national park, you take your time.