Kivu Time Bomb Traditional Cache
dolos: For dolos it is a sad moment. This cache has to be archived. The fence around the mural is permanent (although not practical), but it is there. Looked at other options, but decided not to carry on with this.
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Goma is the capital of North Kivu province in the DRC and lies on the northern shore of Lake Kivu next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi, which is only 1 km away from central Goma. The lake and cities lie in the Great Rift Valley and Goma central lies only 13 km from the active Nyiragongo Volcano. Life in Goma has in recent history been dominated by the volcanic activity and the humanitarian crises surrounding the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, which lead to the First and Second Congo Wars. Large scale fighting took place as late as 2007/2008, with skirmishes after that. Peace still seems evasive.
Nyiragongo erupted in 2002 and destroyed 40% of the city while lava covered around 1 km of the 3 km main runway of the airport, isolating the terminal which was at that end and cutting of the lifeline. Removing of the 2m thick lava has been in process since 2009. A smaller eruption in 2005 as well as activity in 2007 again threatened the city. The volcano can be seen glowing in the dark night sky as far as 15 km away.
Lake Kivu at 89km in length and 48 km in width is one of the Great Lakes in Africa and its maximum depth of 480m is ranked eighteenth in the world. The world’s tenth largest island, Idjwi, lies in Lake Kivu. The lake is one of three known “exploding” lakes. In the case of Lake Kivu, the danger lies in the abnormally huge amount of dissolved gasses (methane and carbon dioxide in the case of Kivu) that are trapped at pressure in its depths. With almost two million people living on its shores the risk of a possible overturn, which might be triggered, or sparked by volcanic action, Lake Kivu is a time bomb with potentially catastrophic proportions. In comparison to other lakes Lake Kivu is relatively poor in fish fauna and efforts have been made to introduce certain species in the ecosystem with varying degrees of success.
The cache is located at the hotel approximately 300 meters from the Rwandan border and is freely accessible to the public and not limited to hotel guests only. When entering through the parking area gate, keep left past the reception area and take the steps down on the eastern side of the main building. This entrance is quiet compared to the main entrance, except for weekends when wedding photo shoots are common. Look for the mural on your right portraying a young boy catching a fish. Taking photos of the mural is a good disguise. When guards are present, it indicates high profile visitors and security will be strict. One should not raise suspicion in this case. The cache is a white magnetic pill container with another waterproof container within it. There is only a log sheet inside so you will have to bring your own writing utensil. Please take care to replace the cache carefully and out of sight. Please take time to walk around the premises and to enjoy the scenery across the lake. (Try not to think of the time bomb in front of you). Please post a photo if you could in your log.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur obl vf fvggvat ba vg.
Treasures
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