Akagera Safari

June 3, 2007

It may not be Kenya, but Rwanda is still in Africa. Therefore, the safari excursions still have some “street cred” in my books.

Eight of us spent a wild afternoon in Akagera on safari. We paid two drivers to take us all to the protected reserve, about two hours northeast of Kigali.

Our biggest collective disappointment was that we didn’t see elephants. We also didn’t see lions or alligators. What do you expect? Despite being able to drive in the park for seven hours without looping back at any point, Akagera is one of the smallest game parks in Africa.

My biggest regret was the way I spent the night before leaving. In a way, however, I had so much fun that I can’t say I’d have done things any differently given a second chance.

The night began with Kyla, Shelley and I having drinks at La Fiesta (Mexican restaurant across the street) with some Rwandan friends before heading to a house party down the road. We continued to celebrate late into the night, before proceeding to the MTN bar (about 10 minutes away by car) for a few more drinks, until we finally arrived back at our respective beds around 3 a.m.

We left for Akagera at 5 a.m., all of us. Needless to say, I napped in the car.

And, I really can’t complain about the safari itself. The giraffes were majestic, the hippos were great (but shy), the impalas were beautiful and the zebras were a treat to see in the wild.