Piston Coffee, Chinese Food and Pili Pili.

We ran through the rain, weaving in and out of the small taxi buses that make up the chaos that is Nyabugogo bus station in Kigali, Rwanda. Turns out that even when you buy a bus ticket it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a bus, huh. We were swept onto Yahoo bus lines and began our journey to Bujumbura, Burundi.

6.5 hours on a long winding African road is a great amount of time to get to know someone. My partner in crime on this Burundian excursion was Tella Osler, Bowen childhood friend turned travel buddy. Between the African reggae and swahili preaching on the radio the soundtrack to our trip was born.

Buj, as it is affectionately known, welcomed us with a warm embrace of hot sun. We made a b-line to the lake's edge and enjoyed very cheap and very refreshing beer. Once the bottles were drained and the sun was low we dubbed it time to find shelter. The Pacifica Hotel was home base. Running water, private bathroom, and clean sheets, we couldn’t have asked for more.

Our first full day exceeded expectations. We strolled the streets waiting to see what Buj would through our way. We found shared a French Press at Aroma coffee shop; some of the best coffee I have ever had. After failing in our attempt to contact a friend due to all phone networks being down we realized that we were totally isolated in the central African capitol.

The help we received from the locals in our effort to locate the FH offices was overwhelming. We couldn’t have done it without the local knowledge. We were then directed to a Chinese restaurant and I am very pleased to say I had some of the best Chinese food I have every had. The Burundians know their Chinese food.

We then decided to take another stab at our search for the perfect beach setting. We both crammed onto the back of a moto and 1800 Burundian Francs later we were standing on Gaga Plage, a beach bar that sported old school Dolly Parton. We basked in the sun and witnessed what looked to be Burundian gondoliers ferrying around Asian tourists in front of us.

I left the beach, sun burned with an afternoon buzz and made way for a Burundian buffet. The questionable looking food on our plate made me wonder weather or not we would make it home alive. I am happy to say that hot pili pili must have killed off anything cause I am still standing. We spent our last night at our beloved hotel sitting on the roof, listening to awesome tunes, taking swigs from a cheap bottle of wine.

The revamping of a friendship and Buj experience help me realize how anything is possible, even a Bujumbura Boxing Day expedition.