Tough touchdown in Paradise

 

The name says it all! A gorgeous garden full of exotic plants and flowers, a few tables and wicker chairs tugged in, nicely furnished bungalows, right on the shores of Lake Kivu. It even has a little sandy beach… The staff, the owner Odette and her son bent over backwards to make me feel comfortable.

But all this could not lift my mood. I realized that I felt lonely, me! I was shocked… Last time I was hit by such a crisis was back in 1995, during a blackout in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, when I was rained in and tied to a dark hotel room. But here in the midst of this heavenly place?

At the Malahide Paradis were only couples that gazed at each other or at the lake. Nobody talked to me, when I most needed it. I felt like leaving… The price for a room, 40.000 Rwandan Francs or 65 USD, was also tough to stomach. I did not even have that much money with me. But where else should I go? My gorilla trek was four days away. Should I move on to Ruhengeri anyway?

Eventually I kicked myself into action and took a Moto into Gisenye. Some incredibly nice encounters with locals plus money in my pocket improved my spirit tremendously. The spell was broken. So I decided to make the best out of my stay and settled into one of the deck chairs on the small beach with tons of books and my camera. There was no lack of motives: colorful birds have made this tropical setting their home. Late afternoon, the fishermen set out in their spider-like outriggers, chanting to the rhythm of their paddling.

That night, all guests gathered under the roofed-in patio of the Malahide Paradis. A campfire provided light and warmth, and soon I was chatting with German vagabonds, a couple who presently teaches carpentry and media design in Cairo. Before they did so in Ethiopia and other countries and had a bag full of stories to share. The owner Odette had relatives visiting from Kigali and had invited a group of Intore dancers, famous for their impressive headdress and their unique dancing. Founded several centuries ago, the Intore - literally 'The Chosen Ones' - once performed exclusively for the Royal Court, but luckily times have changed.