Monday August 23, 2010 – Lounging about at Lake Bunyonyi

Monday August 23, 2010 – Lounging about at Lake Bunyonyi


We woke up to the sound of birds all around us – and not until almost 8:00. From the comfort of our beds we can see out through the open front of the geodome to the lake and the opposite shore. Crowned cranes fly past, there is a range of sunbirds, weavers, and a pair of Heuglin’s robins singing their hearts out from our deck. This is an incredibly relaxing place. Breakfast was a dream – cheese omelets in chapatti, fruit crepes, French toast with honey and an open flask of tea all day. There is a young Finnish fellow here that was at the Crater Lake with us, as well as a range of backpacker types of various affluence levels. One young woman from Toronto, who looks like she just went through chemo, brought collapsible hula hoops and a Tibetan prayer bowl with her as talking points with people she meets along the way. Jan and I are making everyone crazy with our bird books and binoculars, but we’re having fun. After breakfast Elizabeth and I put on our bathing suits and went for a swim of the dock. The water is quite still and very pleasant temperature, that is once you are in. There are so few places in Africa where one can go for a swim in a lake, just like at home. Between crocodiles, hippos, and bilharzias there just aren’t too many options, but this is one of them. There are apparently otters here but I wouldn’t expect to see one from where we are splashing about at the swimming dock. The deck on our geodome is also a great place to sit and catch up this diary as well as keep an eye out for new species. The day passes remarkably quickly in major relaxation mode – reading and sunning, interspersed with a fabulous lunch, tea, more swimming, a stroll around the island (about 15 minutes in total circumference) and even a nap for Sarah. Dinner has to be pre-ordered from the fairly extensive menu – 7:00 as the sun goes down we are again eating by candle lantern and chatting with the others. There is a big group of British university students here who have been building schools, so after dessert we retire to the quieter location on our deck to finish our beers and enjoy the moon and the sounds of the frogs, and the African drums in the distance, before turning in for the night. On the subject of dessert, we had rum balls and I have to say they were the best rum balls I have ever had in my life – a totally unexpected treat.