It is October 5, 2021. I am on a sightseeing tour around Bugesera District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. As I kick back, relax, and soak up the view, I reminisce about what transpired the first time I set foot on the premises of Bugesera Lake Resort.
In June this year, I had a memorable sojourn here. This happened during a solo adventure ride from Ngoma to Kigali via Bugesera. On that memorable day, I discovered Akagera River and a cluster of lakes.
My plan was to visit Lake Mugesera. I am talking about that June exhilarating spin around the Ngoma - Bugesera greater marshland area. However, I didn’t see Lake Mugesera because I got lost along the way and ended up on the shore of Lake Sake instead. From there, I proceeded to Lake Rumira after a brief stopover on a hill overlooking Lake Birara.
The astonishment of seeing one lake after another made me dizzy. Lakes are all over the place in this part of the country. After a quick look at the map, I realized I had bypassed several other lakes I had never heard of.
At some point, I wanted to sit down and sip some coffee while digesting everything I had seen and learned. When I made it to the entrance of La Palisse Gashora, I was informed that the hotel was hosting builders of the Bugesera International Airport. Non-residents were not welcome due to the Covid protocols put in place to ensure the safety of the team working on this mega project.
Having denied access to La Palisse, I decided to find an alternative coffee break venue in the area. That’s how I ended up here.
Today is World Teacher’s Day. However, this story will probably be published after a couple of weeks. I have a dozen unpublished pieces waiting to be thrown onto the world wide web. I am not worried about the day the piece will finally appear on your screen. On this blog, I share memories, not breaking news.
As I write this, I see vans dropping teachers from Kigali. They are here to celebrate their day. While pondering the mysteries of a myriad of lakes found in the vicinity, I am hoping there is a Geography teacher in the group willing to teach me something about the formation of these attractive water bodies. Teachers don’t get a day off. Even on World Teacher’s Day.