Peace

Those of you who know me best realize that there is perhaps only one thing I love more than a good vacation, and that is planning a good vacation. My personality is suited for creating travel itineraries, reserving accommodations, and designing plans that maximize exposure to the sights of the places I visit. I get a lot of pleasure out of planning trips and I consider my passion for all things organizational one of my stronger assets. But again, those of you who know me best realize this can be a detriment as well. Often times, I spend so much time preparing the vacation that I forget to relax and enjoy the peaceful rest that should accompany a holiday.

Over the past few months in Rwanda I have had the opportunity to travel to many parts of the country. These weekend road trips have allowed me to learn a great deal about the topography and culture here in East Africa. One of the lessons that my road trip experiences have taught me is that Murphy’s law has an especially strong presence here in Rwanda—anything that can go wrong absolutely will. Despite the challenges that accompany traveling here, I always enjoy myself. So this weekend as we set out for Kibuye I resolved to enjoy a peaceful road trip, no matter what occurred.

Early Saturday we set out to Kibuye, another lakeside town further south of Gisenyi that offers a very different view of the same methane-filled Lake Kivu from prior trips. Rwanda is known for its excellent infrastructure and is touted by some to have the best roads in East Africa. The road to Kibuye is quite the engineering feat due in part to its recent completion. Kibuye had traditionally been a town dominated by Tutsis. In the pre-1994 Hutu-dominated government, the resources required to build a reliable road to the lakeside town were not deemed to be a good use of money by the ethnically-biased powers. Now, however, the road offers stunning views into the hillside patchworked with crops before peaking onto breathtaking views of Lake Kivu.

The interaction between the lake and the land is quite different than the beach-front town of Gisenyi. In Kibuye, the water intermingles with mountainous peninsulas of land and offers a different vantage point at every turn. Stopping for a traditional ex-pat lunch of brochettes and chips we found ourselves with a side of breathtaking views of our weekend destination. We quickly found accommodations at a local Presbyterian-run hotel and with that calming views of the lake and the impending sunset. An impromptu swim in the crystal-clear waters of the lake left us happy to settle in for cards and dinner—quite the peaceful start to our weekend away from the city.

The next morning I awoke before sunrise and set out on the one-way loop with my new roommate and colleague Yvonne to attend the local sunrise mass. We realized that the service would be primarily in Kinyarwanda, but the local church in Kibuye was a massacre site to more than 11,000 Tutsis and Tutsi supporters during the genocide, and stands in stark contrast to many of the other genocide sites. As opposed to holding the remains of the victims, the survivors in Kibuye chose to refurbish the church, replace its stained glass, and make it a living memorial to those who lost their lives within the sanctuary’s walls. Though Yvonne and I were eager for the experience of the service, we weren’t terribly disappointed when we arrived at six in the morning to realize that the Sunday service began at eight. As opposed to fretting about our spoiled plans, we took this opportunity to explore the church in peace and even climbed the campanile to take in sunrise views of Lake Kivu.

Deciding to take advantage of the early morning and the light, we began walking down the one-way loop road that winds throughout Kibuye to see the sights of the small but busy town. Chickens, goats, and a variety of birds greeted us along the way, but the highlight of our stroll was a chance to see the fishing boats come in from an evening of catching tilapia and sambasa on the lake.

We returned just in time for breakfast and our own boat ride to Amahoro Island. Amahoro means peace in Kinyarwanda and this island is a relaxing thirty-minute boat ride away from the shore. Aside from the stunning lake views, the island offers its visitors food, volleyball, and the chance to swim freely in what is one of the largest lakes, by volume, in the world. Shortly after arriving on the island I couldn’t resist hopping into the lake and swimming around the perimeter of Amahoro’s peaceful shores. The hour-long swim offered another perspective and vantage point of the mountains of Rwanda and the bordering DRC that punctuate the lakeside skyline. After drying off we relaxed on the beach and walked around the island before taking the boat back to the mainland.

Though we were sad to leave our lakeside destination we felt rested after our day of peace on the island of the same name. Of course we encountered a few bumps along the way, but overall the road trip was characterized by a relaxed attitude that is often a challenge for me to adopt. Part of our relaxation was undoubtedly due to the beautiful vistas and calming sounds of the lake lapping against the volcanic shoreline. But a part of me couldn’t help but think that this sense of peace came from a realization of the conflict and turmoil that characterizes Kibuye’s past, and the stark contrast of the calm that characterizes the city present day. Though no one will ever forget what happened in Kibuye in 1994, the present-day calm that permeates this scenic lakeside retreat is only rivaled by the inner peace it brings its visitors. For in Kibuye, even the most tightly wound individuals (namely myself) can find tranquility within the moment along its peaceful shores. Amahoro.