Hungry hungry hippos

Trip Start Jan 06, 2012

Trip End Mar 17, 2012

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Flag of Burundi Bujumbura, Burundi
Sunday, January 29, 2012

Having settled into headquarters, in a well guarded neighborhood that caters largely to the small expat community, I had a few days to explore the capital before departing for the clinic. Rachel, who knows the city well after spending a year in the country showed me some of the major hangouts.

There are a few cafes and restaurants that somewhat resemble what you would find in other countries. I was happy to learn it’s possible to get a decent cup of coffee. There are also a few grocery stores, though they are roughly the size of an average US convenience store and carry a somewhat bizarre mishmash of products. As with most developing countries, refrigeration and hot water are extremely rare.

Power at the compound was pretty unreliable and would go out for hours at a time

Power's out again!

. Not a big deal, except that the generator seemed to have a knack for knowing when I was stepping into the shower. It’s been a while since I had a good cold shower in the dark.

On our second night we were invited to a beach party on the shore of the lake thrown by a US embassy worker. I was able to meet up with a friend from grad school that’s been working in Africa the past few years. Lake Tangyanika is very beautiful but I was warned not to swim for 2 reasons: parasites and killer hippos. For reals.

Bujumbura hotels Slideshow