Towards the Gorillas

A leisurely, grey morning on day number one in Rwanda.  I was surprised I slept as well as I did but I’m assuming that was just sheer exhaustion. 

I left Kigali around 10 AM with the Isange Paradise Resort in Musanze as my target. The drive was fun in the way that slightly dangerous challenges can be fun.  The main roads are in terrific shape it’s just that pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooters also use the road.  This means you are often driving with your left tires over the centerline as you avoid pedestrians and bicyclists.  And these aren’t just any bicyclists, these are often loaded with enormous payloads of bamboo, milk cans, huge sacks of potatoes, or any of a million other things.    

The speed limit throughout much of Rwanda is 60 kph (about 35 mph) and most of the way to Musanze that felt optimistic.  And while the ever-present pedestrians and bicyclists are a contributing factor, it is also that this part of the country is extremely hilly and the roads are two lane and very windy.  Much of the time I felt like I was stuck behind trucks going 5-10 kph up and down hills.  About half way to Musanze I decided the driving wasn’t challenging enough and hoped off onto the backroads.  From a progress standpoint this would have been a tragic mistake but I wasn’t in a hurry and wanted to explore a bit. 

And things definitely slowed down.  The back roads, at least in the countryside, are dirt, rock, or a combination of both.  And the hills persisted.  Four-wheel drive is definitely recommended.  Just like on the main roads, so much of your attention is consumed by driving that I really didn’t get as much opportunity to enjoy the scenery (or take pictures).  I did stop a few times to do some bird watching (and chat with a priest from a local catholic school).

I made it to Musanze and the Isange Paradise Resort about 3:30 PM.  This will be my base for the next four nights as I explore the area around the Volcanoes National Park. The grounds had a bar, restaurant, and some really nice gardens (where I promptly did some more birdwatching).   

For the day, thirteen new bird species were identified: Village Weaver, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Augur Buzzard, Hamerkop, Streaky Seedeater, Black-headed Weaver, Bronze Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Common Bulbul, Speckled Mousebird, African Palm Swift, and Red-eyed Dove. Not bad for the first day in country. I also managed to get a decent picture of a Pied Kingfisher hovering.

Pied Kingfisher hovering over its target.