Paradise Found.

It all began with a hunch. Of all the 80 plus islands in the Ssese chain strewn about the vast and mysterious Lake Victoria, one in particular caught my attention and for no particular reason at all. It just seemed to be a little out of the way, and something in me smelled the sweet stench of adventure. For the sake of the island and its mystique, I won't reveal its exact name and location. The same is true for the international crew of cohorts that inhabited the isle with us for the rest of the escapade. This is an entirely non-fictional account of the events of a weekend so odd, so much a diversion from reality, and so much a fantasy that it could only be real.

To get to the island we have to get a private boat from the main port. In our case, we board with almost 15 others from all over the world. None of us know exactly what to think, except for maybe the only other American (and only repeat vistor) who warns us of "quite an experience" ahead. After an hour sunset boat ride over what felt like a particularly deep expanse of the fresh water giant, we land at the foot of a would-be castle and a rocky beach dusted with purple carnations that manage to struggle their way from the earth to greet us. The magenta sunset ignites the glistening waters and allows us to see only a glimpse of a green haze of vegetation, flirting with the eyes. From this moment on, life, for all of us, will never quite be the same.

To be continued...