There are places you stop at for convenience—and then there are those that feel like familiar punctuation marks in your journey. Imigongo Art Center is the latter for me.
I was on my way back to Kigali from Ngoma, where I’d spent a couple of days exploring the often-overlooked gems of that quiet corner of Rwanda. Those stories will find their place elsewhere on this site. But on this particular stretch of the road, between the slow hum of the car and the silence that lingers after a fulfilling trip, I took a short break and grabbed a cup of coffee.
Imigongo wasn’t new to me. In fact, it rarely is. I’ve written about it before—its bold geometric art, its creative spirit, and the subtle way it merges culture and comfort. Some of my books even sit on its shelves. A while back, I had the honor of partnering with the center to donate books to the local community library, a gesture that remains close to my heart.
But this visit wasn’t about any of that. No meetings. No exploration. No interviews. Just coffee.
A simple cup, sipped slowly on the terrace. A pause, really—nothing more, nothing less. And yet, these quiet moments have a way of stitching themselves into the fabric of travel. A gentle interlude before the road bends again toward the city.