This one time, in Uganda...: Lake Bunyonyi

Wow, I am behind on my updates. Well, first things first, I finished my project! It all came to a close last Thursday when I finished my final report (a 33 pager, so much for keeping it short) and gave a presentation to some of the BRAC staff. I am happy with what I produced, although I can’t help feeling like I just scratched the surface and where I ended is just the beginning. I guess it’s inevitable with a project like doing a preliminary assessment of sanitation in Uganda, it took me this long to get a general picture of the whole issue, and now I wish I had more time to get in depth on some of the sanitation aspects. But my hope is that if BRAC does start a water, sanitation, and hygiene program, they will spend additional time doing more detailed research, using my report as a starting point.

Once I wrapped up my project, I immediately left early the next morning for a week of relaxation away from the chaos of Kampala. A friend I met here, Charlene, her two teammates on her project, and I hopped on a bus at 8 am to go to Lake Bunyonyi, what I had heard was one of the most beautiful places in Uganda. After an 8 hour bus ride, a 30 minute drive to the lake, and an hour canoe trip, we arrived at the small peaceful island where we would be staying, Byoona Amagara.

I loved basically everything about Byoona Amagara, whoever runs the place knows how to preserve the rustic feel of the island but provide the basic comforts that anyone would want from a weekend getaway (or in my case, 5 day getaway). For the first two nights, we were lucky enough to stay in one of the island’s three “geo-domes”, a circular thatched roof hut that is open on one end, looking out over the view of the lake. The showers were a real treat too, as they were open at eye level. For 50 cents, you could enjoy a hot shower with an amazing view of the lake. The restaurant made great food, favorites included the banana chocolate crepe and quesadillas with fresh guacamole. Sadly, even though Lake Bunyonyi is the only place in the country to get crayfish, it was not the right season and they were catching very few, so we didn’t get to try any. Last but not least, by far my favorite thing on the island was the wonderful library, with a large selection of books to choose from. I wanted to read everything in there but had to settle for the 3.5 carefully chosen books I read during the 5 days (I got halfway through Into the Wild before I had to leave).

Other than reading for hours, we passed the time swimming in the lake, taking a canoe out for a spin, watching movies in the evening (they had a great selection of movies as well), and chatting with other guests on the island. It was the perfect way to relax after finishing this summer’s work! Below are some pictures from the trip: