May 23, 2018
After a short walk to the airport from my hotel, I went looking for the rental car counter, without success. Asking three different people led to the same perplexed response, until I showed someone the paperwork I had and they called for me. The car rental company does not have an airport location, but will pick you up there.
They sent a guy in a jalopie to pick me up. I then discovered that they intended to rent me this beat up old car. I was uncertain whether the car would make it across town, let alone halfway across the country (1), so I let them talk me into a 4-wheel drive pick up truck. I later realized this was a really good choice (and gave me street cred in Rwanda).
The two hour drive to Ruhengeri (in Northern Rwanda) was up and down some very big hills. The drive was not dull, with pedestrians walking everywhere (2), and bicycles and motor scooters all competing for limited space on the road. I saw two bicyclists hanging on to the back of a dumptruck for a lift up one especially long and steep hill. I arrived safely at Ruhengeri and settled in for the night.
(1) The car also had an automatic transmission, which I find confusing to drive.
(2) Rwanda has a very high population density, and it appears that much of the population routinely takes to the road on foot. Even some distance from any towns, there are still many pedestrians on the roads.
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