APAC

I’m in Kigali, Rwanda, for the inaugural Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC).

In the midst of registration queues and opening plenaries, there was a heady mix of old and new faces, and certainly a heady cloud of travelling-through-the-night fatigue. Despite that the energy was high and it was great fun reconnecting with former colleagues and collaborators and meeting new people in my new capacity. The agenda of the Congress is massively packed so there will be countless interesting sessions, as long as we can navigate around the labyrinthine venue.

I was planning to crash but it was too tempting to hang with old colleagues with a few beers at their hotel. I haven’t let loose for a while, so it was time well spent. Plus the restaurant menu contained something called ‘chilli honey chips’, so how can this not be ordered when stumbled upon?

I eventually fell into a taxi driven by David, who was stationed near the hotel looking for stragglers. After depositing me at my hotel he texted ‘hello sir this David taxi driver from Lemigo thank you so much for everything you have done for me I wish to see you again’.

If sweet-natured taxi drivers are anything to go by, the week in Rwanda is going to be marvellous, with smooth travel logistics.