Nature Call(ed)

Oh hay, so I had a few first-in-my-life experiences yesterday.



One would be, well, I had my first moto ride. Moto being the motorcycle taxi that is ubiquitous in Kigali. I know, I know, how they HELL did I manage to stay in Kigali for so long without taking a moto? That’s like saying I walked without legs. Or swam without water. Answer is: the analogy is both and poor and apt, because you CAN walk without legs (per se) and swim without water (per se). There are only a few neighborhoods I need to go to on a regular basis in Kigali—one would be downtown (ville, or mumugi), which I usually walk to, the IBUKA office, which is a little too far to take a moto (in my experience, as I don’t really want to show up to an interview covered in red dust), some neighborhoods where my friend’s live (like Nyamirambo and Kimihurura) where I either take the bus to (which is pretty cool too), or need to take a taxi because I don’t know exactly know how to get there, and thus can’t really explain to the moto driver (this mostly applies to Nyamirambo. Since I usually end up going there for dinner, I have no idea how to get anywhere in that area, so a taxi driver who speaks English/understands my broken French is essential). So yeah, bottom line is I never really needed to. On top of that, I am not so good with speed, and hills, so combined, it was rather scary. So unless it was absolutely necessary, I was going to stay away from it for the time being – besides, NOT riding a motorcycle was part of my grant contract anyways. Law-abiding citizen at your service.



But yesterday, covered in dust, tired, sweating like a pig, I started to walk and three steps after, I was like, eff this. I am not moving another step. So I hopped on a moto, and somehow decided I had picked up enough kinyarwanda to haggle the price in kinyarwanda (oh fatigue inspired delirium!), and miraculously did. Hilariously, the driver was delightfully mislead to believe that I understood kinyarwanda, so he proceeded to talk to me non-stop throughout the drive, and I just politely laughed when I thought appropriate and chimed in a few ‘yego’(yes) here and there. I’m not sure if he totally bought the act, but he kept on patting my back like ‘good job’ after I got off, so at least he enjoyed my fake-fluency.



Did I love it? I can see how I would enjoy such a ride after a long day. But I definitely do not want to show up to a senators office with matted hair from the helmet and dust all over my shirt. And I had visions of somersaulting over the driver every time he hit the breaks abruptly. (For the record, I’ve been taking them quite frequently after the experience, but mostly POST interviews where I don’t have to see anyone. Still really not into the slightly-coated-in-dust look. Does not work for me).



The other first-time experience: Safari. Rwanda is not known as a safari hot-spot, because well, it is not a safari hot spot. Mountain gorillas, yes, but this tiny country can’t compete with the vast, diverse beauty of Tanzania or Kenya (not that I’ve been, but so I’ve been told). But considering the last time I saw animals, save a few pigeons, cats and dogs, was say, when I was about 10 (you all know how much I love nature. I revel in the wilderness of the cities, and homo sapiens are totally my favorite species.) it was super exciting for me.


The Akagera National Park is about 2 hours away from Kigali, so totally do-able as a day trip (especially the kind that you kind of hop on after getting a call from a friend of a friend you’ve never met in person). It is a not-so-vast expanse of dry savannah (is that even the correct term? Matt Bird I need your help) with acacia trees, populated with antelopes, bush bucks(?), fish eagles, hippos, baboons, monkeys of different sorts, zebras, warthogs and lots of giraffes. Oh the giraffes. I loved the funny looking creatures too much I think, and I got to see them up THIS close (‘this’ being like 30 cm distance. NO JOKE.) I had the constant urge to narrate the event in the National Geographic channel-esque voice, but considering I had never met any of my safari-friends in person before the trip, I kept the narration internal.



After a few super super hot, arid hours of safari-ing, I returned to my reality that is Kigali. I have actually not been able to eat much since my minor bout of food poisoning (I am all better now), so the Indian food I had for dinner was pretty much heaven. Well fed, well entertained, and finally NOT tearing my head apart because I have no idea what I am doing in terms of research, I had a pretty good nights sleep. Thanks for the diversion, pumba & co.