A Night of Luxury in Gisyeni

After such a tough day trekking up a volcano and week after week of staying in local guest houses, Kate had reached her limit and wanted to splurg on a day of luxury at a high-end hotel. We checked-in to the Stip Hotel, a $95 a night resort on the shores of Lake Kivu, complete with a pool, sauna, steam bath, and a gym. Unfortunately we never did take full advantage of the ameneties here, choosing instead to lounge by the pool and drink glasses of red wine. But the day was perfect and just what we needed. Wine, great food, and phenomenal accomodations all compliments of Kate. I promise to get you back one day Kate! I quickly made friends with Price, Jeanette, and Emanuel, the 3 bartenders at the poolside bar. I had inquired about buying the entire box of red wine rather than paying by the glass, and Jeanette offered to send her friend across the border into the DRC to buy a box at the local price. Within an hour, we had an entire hox of South African red wine delivered to our room direct from the Congo!

After a great pasta dinner, we hung out at the bar with my 3 new friends and Dennis, the incredibly cute manager of the hotel. Emanuel and Price, both Congolese and with a day off from work approaching, offered to show us their home villages just on the outskirts of Goma, the border town. Why not? So today we're crossing into the DRC to spend a day or two in Goma. How cool is that?