Gisenyi, Rwanda July 9, 2024 At the northern end of Lake Kivu is Gisenyi. A small town whose chief importance is the proximity to the DRC. Goma is literally across the street past immigration but given the current problems in eastern DRC, it does not see much traffic now. Broad tree-lined streets see hardly any … More Bursting with Flavor
From Kibuye to Gisenyi, Rwanda July 7, 2024 Arriving at the bus station, I had no need to find the bus. A tout had grabbed my bags from the moto taxi and hared off while I followed in his wake. He would make sure I got on the right bus and likely get a small … More Not Quite a Muzungu
Kibuye, Rwanda July 6, 2024 One of the largest freshwater lakes in Africa, Lake Kivu is shared by Rwanda and the DRC. Pretty though it is, the Rwandan shores at some spots are dotted with hotels and resorts and are incorrigible tourist traps. A strip of sand barely a foot wide is the “beach” at … More On Lake Kivu
Rural Rwanda July 4, 2024 I headed to the bus station through the snarl of traffic and was instantly engulfed in chaos. Buses, minivans, moto taxis, private cars, people vending food and touts swarmed around the place. It was far removed from the spic and span streets of town. I am headed to Kibuye, on … More Over Hill and Dale
Kigali, Rwanda July 2, 2024 Re-inventing itself after the horrific genocide of 1990s, Rwanda markets itself as the Land of a Thousand Hills and the name seems apt. Set at an average of 1500 m above sea level, the capital Kigali is spread out over hills and dale as far as the eye can see. … More Land of a Thousand Hills
Luanda, Angola June 30, 2024 By most lists and statistics, Luanda consistently ranks among the top ten most dangerous cities in Africa. Sometimes it even makes the top five list. So, it was with bag of common sense firmly in hand, hackles at attention and alarm bells ready to ring that I ventured forth. The … More On the Streets of the Big Bad City
Luanda, Angola June 28, 2024 Built on the highest point in the vicinity in 1576 CE is the Portuguese fortress of Saint Michael, meant to defend from marauding French, Spanish and Dutch. In its lifetime it has morphed from the original rectangular shape to its current polygon and has been a self-contained town to a … More Fortress of Sao Miguel
Benguela, Angola June 25, 2024 On the shores of the Atlantic, Benguela wears a tropical air. With it straight palm-lined streets, houses with tiled roofs and colonial architecture, it feels familiar and akin to so many locales around the world. The grandest buildings are the governor’s palace and a domed one that is now the … More On the Coast
Huila Province, Angola June 24, 2024 I’d thought the bus from Lubango to Benguela would take the road down to Namibe and then follow the coast. I was wrong and delighted to be so. Taking an inland route, the bus headed north through the highlands of Huila before turning to the coast. We were going … More Where Baobabs Stand Tall
Lubango, Angola June 21, 2024 In my random wanderings around town, I had met Franklin, who works at the TAAG office in central Lubango. He spoke excellent English and was a fount of information to boot. There is no public transport to places out of town and it was he who suggested a friend who … More High Above the Plain
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 