I was considering visiting Jambo Beach after a brief stopover at Imigongo Art Center, but I didn’t make it that far. Muhazi Beach Resort’s signpost, placed a few kilometers after Rwamagana town, attracts my attention every time I drive towards Kayonza. This time, I couldn’t resist the temptation to turn left and head to the facility whose existence led to the installation of the said signpost.
It was a weekday. Upon arrival, I saw three vehicles in the parking lot, a far cry from what is usually the case on Saturdays and Sundays. A few guests were attending what looked like a seminar or workshop in the conference room.
I peeped through the window and poked my nose into their business. One of them was running a PowerPoint presentation displaying graphs, pie charts, and figures I wasn’t in a mood to pay attention to. The rest were following attentively, wearing business suits and those suffocating neckties I rightfully hate. Who invented neckties?
When Zhuge Liang invented the wheelbarrow, we started using our heads to think instead of using them to carry things. I applaud his innovation, but I can’t say the same about whoever invented ties. Who spends sleepless nights trying to figure out how to make people tie ropes around their necks like goats? How did he successfully persuade civilization to embrace his bizarre invention?
The bar was unoccupied, but some guys were fixing live band equipment for a late evening show set to entertain the attendants of whatever was going on in the conference room. After wearing ropes around their necks for a whole day, they deserved to be consoled by good music.
Muhazi Beach Resort’s garden is embellished by well-trimmed lawns. Tranquility felt here and the cool breeze blowing from the lake, not to mention the backdrop of the breathtaking scenery, combine to create the recipe for a peaceful getaway.
Lake Muhazi is narrow and shallow, but it spans the distance of about 50 kilometers, forming many offshoots along the way. From the sky, it looks like a tree with several branches lying horizontally on the surface of the earth.
Picturesque shorelines on both sides of the flooded valley lake will make you plan to build your retirement home there. Speaking of retirement homes, I saw a Caucasian man way past his retirement age, strolling in the manicured garden of his lakeside residence. His collection of toys included a speedboat and a small yacht. As my boat cruised by, he waved. I waved back while admiring his mansion and the vessels. That pensioner lives in paradise.
As we cruised back to the resort, I marveled at the serene retreat center and hoped the patrons I saw in the conference room had loosened their ties and activated relax modes, matching the environment their host has created.