Catherina Did It Alone

It’s your fault! You had a unique chance to join Catherina’s Rwandan tour … and you missed it!

Now she’s already in Kigali, prepping for tomorrow’s flight to Tanzania. Maybe she’s scrolling through the photos she snapped, marveling at how many images ended up on her memory cards.

Sorting through them all will take time, but while we wait, here’s a glimpse of today’s journey: hiking and boating on Lake Burera — Catherina’s tenth day in Rwanda.

Our local expert, Christian, pointed out the traditional fencing still found around rural compounds, just like what Catherina had seen at the Nyanza Royal Palace. As they climbed Mwiko Hill, they met a woman carrying sorghum beer, planning to sell it at her bar.

The views were spectacular. From certain vantage points you could see both of Rwanda’s Twin Lakes — Ruhondo and Burera — framed by the Virunga volcanoes and the country’s legendary thousand hills. Finally, Catherina had a reason to pull out her wide-angle lens. It had stayed tucked away through Nyungwe Forest, across the Congo Nile Trail, and even around Volcanoes National Park, but today she was glad she’d brought it to Africa after all.

The grand finale was a fishing experience on the surface of Lake Burera. The technique was simple but effective: setting a net, then banging on the water with sticks to drive fish into it. The result was one big tilapia caught!

As she hiked to the top of Birwa I island, Catherina contributed to livestock farming; she made sure a shepherd would not be looking for his stray sheep.

The tasty final touch was a freshly cooked tilapia with Irish potatoes, beans and tomatoes, prepared by a local family. (And no, those weren’t spotlights, just the sun streaming through the gaps in the iron sheet roof.)

Catherina has travelled all around Africa, but Rwanda stands out. She’s struck by how well the country has healed from its past and by the warmth of its rural communities.

She’ll be back. Maybe next time you won’t let the chance slip away?

photos by Miha Logar