Ah, Uganda. I don’t even know where to start to explain this weekend!
As I write, I am staring at the beauty of Lake Binyonyi. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s big enough that there are a series of small islands – some are used as accommodation, like the one I am on, but some are the homes of the locals, where they farm crops. They have schools and churches also. Although there are many signs of human activity here, it still screams of the beauty of God’s creation.
We got to our island by canoe, and by canoe, I mean a hollowed out log. Very Pocahontas-y ;) It was about 45 minutes to our island from the mainland. We are staying in what are called “geo domes” (photo at the bottom). I also have some lizards as roommates ;) After settling in, I spent about an hour and a half literally just sitting in the sun looking out, praying, thinking, and just being alone. It is nice to be removed from the distractions of internet and phone service, etc. and the hustle and bustle of Kigali. Ty, Jon and I decided we’d take a canoe over to the island where there is a rope swing and go for a swim. Unfortunately, we discovered, that steering and paddling a hollowed out log is harder than it looks.. we spent some time going in circles, but eventually got it figured out, only to see a rain storm heading our way. The rainy season of Africa strikes again.. we saw the big dark clouds, felt the wind, and on the top of the water, we could see the spray from the water drops landing – it was a pretty phenomenal sight. Especially when we looked to the opposite side and saw blue skies and the sun shining. We decided we should find some shelter because the water was getting a bit rough because of the wind, so we paddled to the nearest island. It rained (heavily) for about 1 minute and then stopped.. all in all, it was a hilarious situation, but also completely beautiful.
As we made our way towards the island, a local man on another island got our attention and held up a football/soccer ball. We decided to skip the rope swing, and accept his invitation. We figured out we were on the island that housed one of the schools. We played some soccer, and spent some time with the kids there. Ugandan kids know more English than Rwandan kids do, so it was nice to have at least a little bit of communication. We took photos, taught each other dances, and they sang to me. It was moments like that where I just reflected and was thinking, ‘Wow, I’m in Africa..” and in those moments, I felt absolutely blessed to have this opportunity. These are things I will hold onto for years and years to come. The canoe trip back to our island was breathtaking all over again, as the sun was beginning to set, and the water was now completely still. We reflected as we paddled back that things like that just don’t happen in Kigali – being that it’s a city, there’s not such a strong, yet open, sense of community. It was refreshing to engage in some light-hearted friendly interactions.
Nighttime brought a fun time of playing cards and just chatting. It’s nice to get away from the busyness of Kigali and just be in complete darkness and stillness. The night sky looked unreal. I don’t think that I have ever seen so many stars in the sky at one time, not ever. It’s a shame how much of God’s creation we miss out on living in city and suburban areas.
Today will be full of more fun and beauty, I am sure. Thanks for reading!
-Bronte.
follow this link for some photos from the weekend :)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2477861661168.135908.1091280021&type=1&l=7fdad63fa2
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