Surviving Rwandan Roads

Over the last few days we’ve spent many hours in a car –some of the roads were in excellent condition and others were less than ideal. ;-) Most people would not believe the road system here and how it functions without apparent rules, but somehow vehicles and pedestrians alike manage to navigate the roads without harm. I haven’t seen another country where the roadside (even highways) are the place to stop and talk to friends, for kids (often as young as 2yrs) to play, where business is conducted, and where vehicles of all sizes fly by often honking their horn to warn pedestrians ahead. The bustling streets and highways of Rwanda are filled with action at all hours of the day and despite having a dividing line to indicate which side to drive on, nobody actually follows it. We experienced this first hand as we sped around mountains and cut corners on the inside lane, and passed vehicles in front of us with a blind spot straight ahead. There were a few moments were my heart slowed and I definitely stopped breathing as I clung to the console!

Getting directions and altering your order in a restaurant. Yes, I realize it may seem strange to have these two, seemingly non-related topics together; however in Rwanda I believe the result is similar. Rwandans are very hospitable and helpful but trying to get directions or alter your menu choice is equally as difficult and causes a lot of confusion and much discussion. The infrastructure here isn’t as organized as Europe or North America and there are no addresses so landmarks are paramount when asking for directions, and good directions are hard to find. Changing your order or requesting something “special” is equally as difficult and we’ve found that it’s best to order a menu item exactly as it’s described and not ask for anything more or anything less, not even warm milk for your tea/coffee. How would the majority of the North American population function if we weren’t able to modify our choices?!

On another note, welcome Elizabeth, James and AJ who arrived late last night.

This morning we woke at 4:30 to drive 3hrs east to Akgara National Park, which borders Tanzania. Most of the animal populations were killed after the genocide so park officials have reintroduced elephants, lions, hippos, etc.

Tomorrow we are going to the site of the new Faith Victory Association’s orphanage, school and lodging and then to our friend Sam’s for a BBQ. Sam is a young entrepreneur from North Carolina who has lived in Rwanda for about 5 years. He supplies solar energy to rural areas in developing countries because over 90% of houses don’t have electricity.

The internet connection is fickle so my posts are probably going to be quick over the next week, and don’t be surprised if I jump from topic to topic but I want to try provide a good overview of my trip.