The Wheels of Africa

Two Bicycling readers, Tom Ritchey and Gary Boulanger, directors of Servant Leaders Outreach, took a 7 day bike journey to Rwanda, Africa. Read their blog and enjoy a ride on this amazing journey.

No. 7, Vol. 1 - Heart of Africa: Wheels of Hope

Rwanda, Africa, is 0.7 degrees below the Equator, and is Africa’s most densely-populated country, with nearly 8 million people sharing space the size of Maryland.

According to the Rwandan government website, Rwanda is a land of great diversity and beauty. Popularly known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” Rwanda has six volcanoes, twenty-three lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the great River Nile. Spectacular volcanoes and dense tropical forests dominate the north of the country, while gentle hills and valleys, calm lakes and turbulent rivers in both savannah and dense tropical vegetation dominate the rest of the country. Rwanda boasts a wide variety of wildlife. The Parc National des Volcans, in northern Rwanda, is home to the world’s largest number of endangered mountain gorillas. Numbering in the hundreds, the gorillas live in a protected area, free from poachers. The gorillas can be viewed in their natural mountain habitats at a fairly close range.

Best known for its wealth of primates, Rwanda also has one of Africa’s richest bird life. A staggering 670 different bird species have been recorded in Rwanda. For botanists, the gorgeous wildflowers of the forests and mountains are capped by more than 100 orchid species in Nyungwe alone. The Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda is teeming with wildlife both large and small. They range from lions, giraffe, elephant and hippopotamus to hyena, impala and gazelle. There is a rich variety of bird life at Akagera as well. Rwanda also has water bodies, which according to the Rwandan Tourism Board are ideal for water sports and fishing, particularly Lake Kivu in the west of the country and Lake Muhazi in the east. Lake Kivu also offers beautiful beaches, jutting peninsulas and an archipelago of beautiful islands. Rwanda, in a nutshell, is a nature lover’s paradise. We were told by those who had visited before us that Rwanda is also one of the friendliest countries they’ve experienced. A warm welcome is complemented by comfortable facilities, fine food and a rich cultural heritage.
December is the beginning of the rainy season, and our American crew was visiting this war-torn country to assess its economic and structural needs. Our intent was to see the country from the vantage point of a bicycle saddle. This blog details our journey into the Heart of Africa: Wheels of Hope.

December 6 – Landing in Kigali

After meeting Dan Cooper, Tom Ritchey, TC Johnstone and the rest of the group from California at the Brussels airport, we arrived in Kigali, the capital city, nearly nine hours later. The weather was a warm 75 degrees, and the rainy season didn’t seem to be a factor yet. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel, less than a mile away from the place where the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, calls home. After a stomach-filling meal of goat and rice, we checked into our rooms and settled in for the night, not sure what the next day would bring.

December 7 – Visiting the Past: Ntarama Church Memorial Site

Tropical weather aside, it was time to put our trip into perspective with a visit to the Ntarama Church Genocide Memorial Site, 45km south of Kigali. Many of the major massacres of the 1994 genocide occurred in parish churches where people had sought refuge. In many instances, the killers knocked holes in the masonry of the crammed buildings and lobbed in hand grenades until all that was left was a pile of corpses. They then threw in tear gas and clubbed or hacked any that moved. Ntarama Church, the site of such a massacre, has been declared a genocide memorial. Around 5,000 Tutsis were killed at the spot in April of 1994.

Our group was somber, to say the least. As we were to discover on the rest of our trip, the image of the skulls would have a deep impact on our hearts as well as our minds.

December 8 – Meeting the Team

We met Rwanda's Minister of Sports and the Rwandan Bicycle Team at the hotel. We were amazed at the condition of most riders’ bikes: outdated steel bikes with a mix-match of parts, it was apparent the team had needs. The plan was for Tom to ride with the group on the mountainous road to Ruhengeri, to connect and discuss their goals and aspirations as cyclists. Our guide, John Kayihura, told us that most Rwandans travel by bicycle due to its efficiencies and faster pace than walking. The primary mode of transportation, both on road and off, was a singlespeed tank of a bicycle imported from India or China, with steel frame, rims, front and rear racks for hauling (both people and product). John said this was a simple contraption that was easy to fix and a reliable workhorse for its owner.

Our rag-tag group of committed Rwandan bicyclists proved their mettle as they mostly maintained a respectable pace with Tom, who was riding his titanium mountain bike prototype with 26x1-inch slick tires to level the playing field. After 94km, we arrived in Ruhengeri, where we stayed the night as guests of the Rt. Reverend John Rucyahana, Bishop of Syria Diocese.

One of the riders rode through the night on his 25-year-old Motobecane to join the group as they climbed the first mountain out of the Kigali region. His determination did not outlast his exhaustionand the heat, though, and he crashed before reaching Bishop John’s place, bending the rear dropout and non-drive side crankarm. He was so downtrodden after crashing that it took several questions through our interpreter before we realized his dismay: his Motobecane, worth no more than $2 at a thrift store in the U.S., cost him nearly $300, and he was quite despondent over his dilemma. How could he possible afford a replacement?

This episode was the first of many to open our eyes to the plight of most Rwandans. As Bishop John described over breakfast the next morning, “poverty is expensive.” There are no railroads or efficient transportation means in Rwanda, so the importing and exporting of goods is exceedingly more expensive than that of neighboring African countries. As Bishop John reminded us, Rwanda, after the 1994 genocide and the continued fighting through 1999, is just a six-year-old country in need of assistance, focus, and a “rebranding” of sorts in the minds of the rest of the world. His restoration efforts include the Sonrise Orphanage down the road from his compound.

According to the Rwandan government website, the 1994 genocide was a carefully planned and executed exercise to annihilate Rwanda's Tutsi population and Hutus who did not agree with the prevailing extremist politics of the Habyarimana regime. One million lives were lost in only 100 days. It is the fastest and most vicious genocide yet recorded in human history.

The 1994 genocide was by no means the first time that the then government of Rwanda attempted to annihilate sections of the population they believed were opposed to their politics. Throughout the 1960s the government of Rwanda launched vicious attacks on Rwanda's Tutsi population, resulting in a mass exodus into neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Congo.

For the first time in Rwanda's six century long history, a large portion of the people of Rwanda became stateless, and were denied the right to live in their motherland. For the first time in Rwanda's long history, the Rwandan leadership preached a message of division, hate, and violence to the population, resulting in repeated cycles of genocide.

Other cycles of genocide occurred in 1973 and 1979. In 1990, after the commencement of the struggle by the RPF to liberate Rwanda, the government launched yet another cycle of genocide. Between 1990-1994, the bagogwe people of Northern Rwanda were targeted by the Habyarimana regime, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. There were similar attacks orchestrated against people of Kibuye, Butare and elsewhere in Rwanda. On assuming power in July 1994, the Government of National Unity made it among the highest priorities to apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes. Thousands have been arrested and await trial, while some have already faced justice. The Government of National Unity believes that the people of Rwanda should reconcile after many decades of division and hatred. However, it is pertinent to the reconciliation process that Rwandanese feel that justice is being done. There can be no reconciliation without justice.

The sheer bulk of genocide suspects and cases due for trial have placed severe strain on Rwanda's criminal justice system, which is already crippled by poor infrastructure and the death of professional during the genocide. Rwanda's prisons are heavily congested, and the cost of feeding and clothing prisoners is a drain on the economy. The lack of an adequate number of prosecutors, judges, and lawyers to try cases exacerbates the already bad situation. At the present rate, it would take over 200 years if Rwanda were to rely on the conventional court system to deliver justice.

The Government of National Government decided to ease pressure on the criminal justice system by categorizing genocide suspects according to the crimes of which they are accused. Category 1 - the 'planners, organizers, instigators, supervisors and leaders' of the genocide numbering 2,133, will be tried in the conventional courts. Categories 2-4, where involvement was slightly less serious, will be tried in traditional community courts or GACACA courts. This new process will significantly speed up trials and sentencing.

The GACACA courts also have the advantage of involving the community in the trial and sentencing process. The Government of National Unity believes that involving the population in the trials can also contribute significantly to reconciliation. The government has also made it a priority to develop the criminal justice system. Special training has been provided to Magistrates and Judges, while courts around the country have been renovated. A national police force has been created and charged with civil security matters and criminal investigations.

December 9 – The Road to Shyria or Paris-Roubiax?

After our breakfast meeting with Bishop John and wishing the Rwandan Cycling Team well, Tom, Dan, Mark and I set off for our day’s journey to Shyria Hospital. It was Tom’s second day in the saddle, where he feels right at home. Dan, Mark and I were nervously excited, to say the least. Dan had ridden these parts on his last visit in October, so we kind of knew what to expect.

The biggest challenge was riding the lava road to the base of the mountain’s singletrack trail. For bike-racing enthusiasts, the famed Paris-Roubaix is a spine-cruncher, and our lava road experience was no different. I was the sole non-suspended rider on the trip, and I paid for it today! After navigating around the many local bicycle and motorcycle taxis and water carriers, we arrived atop the hospital compound mountain in Shyria, where we were greeted with a native dance and singing presentation. It was very colorful and quite an honor! We slept well after our four-hour bike ride. We also met Moses, an abandoned infant adopted by an employee of the hospital. Our days were filled with people of faith, weaving their fabric of unconditional love for the orphaned children. Their courage and the miles of smiles on our journey were inspiring everyone in our group.

December 10 – 8 Hours in the Saddle to Gisenyi

We were greeted by heavy fog as we prepared our bikes for a very long day - eight hours in the saddle. Our destination was the Kivu Sun Resort in Gisenyi via the Gasiza road. Our friend, TC, is a documentary filmmaker. He spent most of the trip on top of safari trucks and on the back of a motorcycle with his camera, filming our trip.

After some crack mechanical adjusting and tuning, we set off for Gisenyi. Words cannot describe the feeling of riding on one of the remotest trails in the world, only to see children and woman appear out of nowhere, carrying sugar cane, bananas, water jugs, and corn stalks. We were reminded just how densely populated this special country is, and how many orphans are being cared for by so many people of faith. Their determination to survive inspired us to push on as well, and it was our joy as well as theirs to interact and hear them scream musungu! (white man) as we rode by. Many children would call out “Good morning! How are you today? Fine thank you!” or “Bonjour!” Rwandans speak a mix of French, English and their native tongue, Kinyarwanda. My high-school French was slowly coming back, and it was fun to connect. My rear end wasn’t having as much fun, though, but we pressed on nonetheless. A highlight was watching Tom test ride a Rwandan wooden bicycle; its owner gladly let this tall, moustachioed foreigner wheel his way down the path.

As the miles rolled by, it was quite apparent that Rwanda, a very young and densely populated country, is working hard to rebuild its image from the inside out. The streets were lined with families walking to draw water from the lakes and rivers. Children no older than the second grade were hauling sugar cane stalks and loads of bananas on their heads, totally unfazed by the swirl of heat, dust and traffic all around them: this certainly wasn't a typical scene found in Exurbia, USA.

Eight hours after setting our sites on Kivu Lake, we rolled into the gates, promptly descended off the saddle, and collapsed into a cool glass of passion juice before dinner – a buffet of goat, steak, salad and various desserts to line our stomachs as we discussed what we'd seen from the saddle that day.

December 11 – Napoleon Dynamite Lives!

Our 23-year-old American host, Sam Dargan, grew up in South Carolina. He lives in the hospital compound in Shyria. He organized our trip, and decided to ride his bike with us to Gisenyi. Sam is very tall and lanky like Napoleon Dynamite, so we called his bike the "Sledgehammer." Sam arranged for a boat ride across Lake Kivu to Kibuye. We took our bikes, some water, and set off for a three-hour boat ride along the coast. The Congo was on one side, Rwanda on the other. Everything started off fine, but then the weather turned bad and we were tossed around a bit in our little boat with its 25 horsepower motor. We made it safely to shore, and stayed at a neat little place called Bethany Hotel. We were now on the western-most side of the country.

After dinner, we reflected on what we’d seen so far, as local fisherman pushed their oars into the cool waters of the bay. TC interviewed us for the documentary. It wasn’t hard articulating what we’d experienced, riding through the country, but the challenge was how to handle the emotional severity of the thousands of children running along side these musungus, clad in bicycling clothes and flying along on bikes they’d never seen before. I was struck by the sheer joy expressed on their faces in light of their situation. There was an innocent joy, really, that didn’t seem to affect their spirit. Bishop John said it best when he reminded us the importance of experiencing Rwanda firsthand, and how God will make it abundantly clear what our mission will be for Rwanda after the dust has settle from our journey.

December 12 – Taking Flight

After a breakfast of eggs and toast, we rolled down to the soccer stadium in the heart of the village. Locals noticed our colorful jerseys floating by, and curiously chased us into the stadium. In a matter of minutes, hundreds of children descended into the stadium, asking to ride our bikes on the choppy, grassy field. Tom was purely in his element, giving priority to the youngest children on the top tube of his bike.

But the village was in for a real treat: we arranged for a helicopter to pick us up in the stadium and transport our crew to the far eastern portion of the country. TC wanted to film the country from the air, and asked us to get out and ride down a mountain for the camera at the midway point of our flight. As adrenaline coursed through our veins, we hopped out of the helicopter, clipped into our pedals, and raged down the mountain as the camera whirled. It was quite thrilling! My tool bag flew off the underside of my saddle, and thank goodness Sam was adroit enough to scoop it up for me. We hopped back into the chopper as the blades whirled overhead, and excitedly settled in for our final destination - the Akagera Game Lodge, where baboons roam freely, on the edge of Lake Ihema.

December 13 – Wildlife, Indeed

What would a trip to Africa be without seeing some wildlife? The Akagera Game Lodge is just a few minutes drive from a game preserve, where we saw elephants, zebras, wild boars, giraffes and some very chubby hippos. Tom and I were delighted to find “the crazy elephant,” who has a bipolar history of letting tourists rub his trunk one day, then terrorizing blue hairs from England in their vehicles the next. We also discovered that this particular elephant is in its 49th year, just like Tom.

December 14 – Goin’ Home

Our trip wrapped up with a return visit to the Intercontinental Hotel, where we regrouped with Dan and the gang from California. We checked our emails, sprinted into the market for souvenirs for our families, then spirited off to the airport for the long trip home.

There was much to assimilate after this journey, and 20 hours of flight time would help me gain re-entry into my world in Dayton, Ohio. Tom was touching ground in California long enough to fly to Oregon for his daughter's college graduation a few days later.