While running errands in Kigali, I felt the pull of a coffee craving and wandered into Kivu Noir. The aroma of roasted beans was a warm invitation, and I settled into a quiet corner with a cappuccino in hand.
From my bag came a book borrowed from the Kigali Public Library: Africa by Road by Bob Swain and Paula Snyder. I hadn’t checked the publication date. Thirty years old. My first thought was to close it and return it. Yet curiosity won.
Flipping through the pages, I found a guide focused less on sightseeing and more on the art of moving across Africa. Bus routes, ferry schedules, border tips—the practical advice was surprisingly relevant today. Unlike many travelogues, the authors didn’t center themselves; they shared tools to help travelers navigate the continent with ease and awareness.
Sipping my cappuccino, I realized how travel has always been about connection—connecting with people, places, and history. The book transported me to a slower, deliberate era, while the coffee anchored me in the present. One was the past, rich with insight; the other was now, full of flavor.
In that quiet corner of Kivu Noir, I experienced the rare joy of being both present and transported—tasting Rwanda’s finest beans while imagining roads and rivers traversed decades before. Sometimes, all it takes is a cup of coffee and an old book to rediscover the magic of travel.