Last week, I returned to the Eastern Province and spent a night at Akagera Ihema View Campsite. That was my first solo camping experience there.

It was a quiet night but the singing birds inhabiting the area were louder than usual. When I woke up in the morning, I was awestruck by gleams of sunrise. As usual, the view of Lake Ihema was spectacular.

After a vigorous morning run, I left the camp and had a brief stopover in a village known as Dusabane. Then I proceeded to downtown Kayonza for a couple of meetings. Later in the afternoon, I hit the road again. This time, I headed to Ngoma District.

After skimming through different accommodation options, I chose to spend a night at Centre Saint Joseph. The old church-owned guest house has been transformed into a modern hotel without getting rid of affordable rooms.

The plan was to go to bed immediately after dinner, but a friend of mine, doing business in the area, derailed my plans. He came to pick me up even before I took off my dirty biking boots. We ended up at the state-of-the-art East Gate Hotel and hanged out until late.

In the morning, I left for Bugesera District via Lake Sake. On my way to Bugesera, I discovered Akagera River and a myriad of other lakes. If you have been following this blog for a while, you are probably aware of my obsession with water bodies. I fell in love with this land of lakes and rivers.

My next post will shed more light on Akagera River and its environs. Spoiler alert: I found the Ngoma - Bugesera marshland area very attractive. However, a score of hippopotami and crocodiles freaked me out.