My experience during my education at Musanze/Rwanda – Golden adventure.

While Rwanda is such an amazing country known as “A country of thousand hills” I wish to call it “A country of thousand hills and thousand beauties”. You know why? I would have never thought about that without a two-year experience in Musanze (District in Northern province of Rwanda) – I really enjoyed that place for so many factors and my education has been routine of my adventure.

My education in Musanze in north of Rwanda has not been studying only but also a great experience - Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Actually, I was not an adventurer (I think still) but this place forced me to because my adventure was cheap like a small discovery. To be honest, I have never visited most-known places like mountain gorillas or Virunga chain of volcanoes but believe me, you would wish to be with me.

The beginning - hatred of moving

Have you ever gone somewhere you don’t like? That’s totally me, in mid-second term a second year in the university, me and my classmates received heartbreaking news that we are changing campus from Kigali City to Northern Province (Home is in Kigali) Musanze of course.

That’s the moment I thought that student life is starting to be bitter but things have turned the other way around, I thought that I am going nowhere in a rural area where I won’t be finding any info of what’s going on out there – Only desperate.

After knowing that I am going to live my home town (capital city of Rwanda) to Musanze I was not happy - Photo by Whoislimo on Unsplash

Don’t judge a book by its cover

The first thing I realized at my first day in Musanze was that you always need a manteau or jacket for your safety; I mean, be ready that it’s among coldest districts in Rwanda. But that was not a problem to me because my principle is simple; Instead of leaving a jacket, I rather give up the journey.

I never give up a journey because, I can’t go anywhere I am supposed to spend more than a day without packing a jacket, simply this principle doesn’t seem to work to me (hahaha).

Look, at least I liked this climate because it was a fit to the students (flesh climate) not like a 30 days sun in Kigali, where you need to be with an umbrella or cap the whole day or you fall asleep in front of teach.

Don't judge a book by its cover - Photo by Ashley Whitlatch on Unsplash

Eat! Eat! Eat!

I repeat, Eat! I am not good at cooking and I admit it because I don’t do it often but I know some and I can cook for myself a variety of food (Once delicious, again awful) but at least I can not like before. Food is not a blame in Musanze, majority of markets in Musanze are food markets, I would eat every time because food wasn’t a problem.

I remember once when the markets were flooded by cabbages, at that time the problem was not how much you offer for a cabbage but how many cabbages a seller offers for 50 Frw (around USD 0.050) at that time for 100 we got 6 cabbages (Not sure maybe more).

Again, the same happened to Irish potatoes and we bought a kilogram at only 100 Frw. From that I took an ascertainment that you can’t starve at a little possible money.

Musanze is one of the regions with fertile soils in Rwanda (Volcanic soil) - Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

Adventure! Adventure! Adventure!

I miss the time you take a walk to no specific destination but still it amazes you because of what you see on the way. For sure I didn’t reach gorillas or crater lake but I took a walk to the feet of volcanoes in Kinigi, the environment still amazing. Green forests, water flowing in the middle of volcano while no rain (you understand what happens in the middle of volcano forest, it rains cats and dogs).

Once I and my friends we planned a trip (we had to discuss which one), we finally agreed to go to Karago lake, a small lake in Nyabihu. What amazed us is that not many people knew that it was a recreational area. Look, it was a great panorama for a starter adventurer like me, I enjoyed that moment.

Adventures of North of Rwanda (Musanze) have given irreplaceable experiences - Photo by Julentto Photography

Gisenyi – I make you pay more

At the first time you reach in Rwanda, when you ask someone where you can trip, I am certain that Gisenyi Beach at lake Kivu (Rubavu District) will be among his/her top 5 preferred locations, I was really curious to reach a destination that make people lose their sleeps. Again, with my friends we planned another trip to there (Gisenyi Beach).

We reached at destination around 12 ó clock (12:00) we paid for entry, what surprised me is that you consume your ticket after entering (that’s fair enough). We enjoyed the day, we played beach volleyball and football.

Before ending our day, I wouldn’t leave a destination without doing something crucial that made me go there – a boat, we paid boat 15,000 Frw (around USD 16) and navigated some kilometers. Even though I wasn’t satisfied but I really enjoyed Gisenyi.

A judgement – I know many of my colleagues I hear them whispering that Gisenyi is in the first vacation places they would choose if they are asked to choose from North Province. Guess what? It’s among 5 I would choose but not among 3 I would choose.

My top 2 choices.

Virunga

I am totally attracted to green places, only seeing green large volcanoes was rising my adrenaline. One of my primary adventures I always plan is to visit the volcanoes, since landing in north I’ve never tried to because I wouldn’t afford to go there but, it has always been an ambition that I should achieve.

The cave

After volcanic eruption in Rwanda in years ago, this created magic (This isn’t really magic if you know more about geography) where the frozen lava creates an empty space and boom! A cave different from others (a natural cave), in Musanze that exists and it’s amazing to be there and it’s an unforgettable experience even though I didn’t go there it was the matter of finance, instead I neglected to go.

Final thoughts

Apart from going in Musanze with a deception, it ended up the best experience in student life I won’t forget. Now I miss those beautiful walks, those adventure moments, visiting those areas that are not known looking like a discovery. I have gained personal lessons in that chapter as I got an incredible experience.

Lessons (personal): I always will maximize every moment of fun I get. I don’t want to miss the moments as I miss Musanze anymore.

I will never judge a book by its cover (What I have done), I will take a step and open it and get it in deep before judging. I would have never underestimated Musanze (View more about Musanze).

 

Do you have any experience that has made an impact to you? Which one? Share with us in comment.