An eight hour bus ride across the equator takes us to Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest lake in Africa formed from a volcanic lava dam. It is full of little islands and is surrounded by terrace-laced mountains where the locals farm sugar cane, coffee, bananas, and kasava. We row to an island known as “Nature’s Prime” and sleep in a tiny banda (hut) made of dried banana leaves.
In the morning, the lake is full of mist and the birds on our banda roof wake us up with their furious squawking just in time for sunrise. We eat papaya with lime for breakfast, and canoe ourselves to the mainland to hike through the banana and coffee plants. An entourage of small children joins us, dirty and barefoot. Along the terraces, we play with their ball made of wet plastic bags woven together and tied tightly with knots. They lead us to a church that is being built overlooking the lake. The locals are inside dressed in colorful, patterned sarongs and head scarves, and we arrive just in time to hear drumming and chanting. It sounds something like peace.
Some Lake Bunyonyi photos …
