Night driving

All the advice you can read about Africa says not to drive at night in the countryside. It is wise – I would say the same myself and avoid it wherever possible. Sometimes, however, given the approach to time (i.e. mostly ignoring it) and the insistent hospitality, it is just impossible to get away early enough to arrive home before dark. A double difficulty then arises : taxis seem to drive faster at night and early evening is the busiest time for pedestrians at the side of the road as people return home. In most parts of Rwanda you will find pedestrians at the side of the road for the whole duration of your journey. It is much easier to drive around 9pm, by which time things are a lot quieter.
There is the occasional reward, however. On our recent drive from Gisenyi back to Ruhengeri, we left as darkness fell, but had a wonderful view of the volcano Nyiragongo as the road climbed away from the lake. This is situated in the DRC, close to Goma and caused a lot of damage and several deaths when it last erupted in 2002. There is still a very noticeable red glow from the top, which is only visible at night. It’s an emphatic reminder of the beauty and power of nature.