Cyangugu

This past weekend we hitched a ride with our neighbors (the nuns) in the parish car into Cyangugu (also known as Kamembe), the only big town in the region. Along the way we met up with the other two Peace Corps volunteers in our region. Whereas the other big cities I have visited in Rwanda, Butare and Kigali, have both had a decidedly Western influence complete with “supermarkets” stocked with treats like potato chips and bars of chocolate, Cyangugu has nothing of the sort. There is a much more “we are out in the middle of nowhere and know it” feeling to Cyangugu, which is wonderful because it leads you to all sorts of odd little discoveries, but also means that the comforts of home are quite a trek away. As examples of the strange things that occurred while we were in Cyangugu, the first hotel we stopped in (the hotels in Rwanda always seem to have the best restaurants), we encountered a “Big Bass Billy” (you know, one of those mounted plastic fishes that sings) and then at the second hotel we were led through a mini fake forest to a wide cement expanse complete with three swing sets and a gorgeous view of Lake Kivu.