Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda...

In the corner of southwestern Uganda, right on the border with Rwanda, is a big freshwater lake (the second deepest in Africa- though the actual depth is apparently unknown) called Lake Bunyonyi. Our destination after a few days in Kampala: Kara visiting her advisee, and me enjoying some peaceful down time at Bensons while also getting a bit more acquainted with Kampala while trying to obtain Congo visas for Kara and me. A day long venture of walking to the embassy, finding the embassy, filling out the forms but being told I must go to a bank downtown to to pay for the visas, ok now to another bank (that accepts my atm card) to get extra cash out to pay the exorbitant cost of the visas because they were more than I was told initially... but ok, so then back to the first bank again to pay, and then to find an internet cafe--oh not that one-- another one where I can actually log onto mac.com to then print out our letters of invitation, and THEN back to the congo embassy to be told that our visas will be ready in 24 hours... unless we want to pay double! Um, no thanks. All this while riding boadas (zippy little motorcycle taxis) on the ONE day the police decided to crack down on helmet wearing. So yes, we got whistled over by a police man, but rather than get arrested for not wearing a helmet, my boda driver STEPPED on it, swerved, ducked out of reach-- while I'm on the back hanging on dearly and ever so slightly concerned for my life-- rammed into the back of a car and had to make aNOTHER speedy, zippy getaway... but, phew we made it and I did not end up splattered all over the road or someone elses windshield...)

So we opted to wait the extra day- which was a bit of a welcome thing for both of us, before we got on the Post Bus for a lovely 8, 10, 12 hour (?) ride down to lake Bunyonyi. And ok, bus rides are busrides, but it was absolutely brilliant countryside we were treated to along the way! And a numb bum is a small price to pay for such visual delight to be sure!

We met up with the three students for a few days of R&R at a little island camp place. It was a few days of early morning sunrises and gentle sunsets, and walks and lots of sitting and talking and reading and drinking tea and watching the rain and eating delicious food and using composting toilets all in view of the ever-so lovely lake bunyonyi. And in the good company of the many many spiders that also reside on that peaceful little island.

The three students: Sarah, Megan, Bree and Kara and I before heading back...

We boarded another bus then a matatu then a taxi up to Kagando Hospital, further north in Uganda and very near the Congo boarder. I was there one night before heading in to Congo, while Kara stayed on with Sarah for her intern visit.