Day 110: Iliza Beach Kibuye am Lake Kivu – Umuko Lodge

We drive on. Swimming in the lake is out of the question because of schistosomiasis. And the space is a bit cramped overall. So we drive through Kigali again on the way east.

We pick up some groceries from "La Galette," a German butcher with a small supermarket, and more bread from "Brood," a Dutch bakery. Advantages of a big city.

Driving in Rwanda is not that enjoyable. The roads are mostly really good, but locals often only drive 40 km/h. Trucks die uphill due to age and only go 15 km/h downhill due to bad brakes. The 60 km/h speed limit with many no-overtaking zones and the slow trucks cause intercity buses and some newer SUVs to perform suicidal overtaking maneuvers. Add to that the heavy exhaust fumes from the trucks. We struggle a bit through Kigali, but finally make it to Umuko Lodge before it gets dark. And who would have thought that at the end of this piste, there's a really nice resort with a view of Lake Muhazi.

We had a huge lunch at Stafford on the way, so we'll only have a snack tonight. But if we stay tomorrow, we'll definitely go out for dinner.

Morris, the manager, tells us that they primarily rely on weekend guests from Kigali who spend two or three pleasant days here. It does get a bit noisy until late at night, but we have earplugs.