Wildkaffee on the road - we were in Rwanda to meet old friends, drink new coffee and have other exciting experiences. We also had the opportunity to meet new friends. You can read about everything that happened in Rwanda in Hardi's travel diary here.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 1
I flew from Munich to Kigali via Brussels. On the plane I made myself a coffee in a drip bag from The Roosters from Greece . I was here in Kigali for the first time in 2013, and this year it is my 4th visit to Rwanda's capital. The metropolis stretches across several hills in the middle of the country and has developed incredibly over the past ten years. It has become very modern. Eric Wright greets me when I land. It is nice to see him again.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 2
First thing in the morning, I go for a jog at a good 1,600 meters, or 1,567 meters to be exact, which is the altitude of Rwanda's capital. Afterwards, Eric, Chris from Tribe Coffee Roasting and I cup the new harvest from Community Coffee Rwanda . I am very excited... especially about the new lots and especially about the different fermentations of the Umusazi.
We drive on towards Mount Huye near the city of Butare in the south of the country. There we meet Mario. Mario is from Panama and a luminary in the field of coffee cultivation. He has been running cultivation and washing stations here in Africa for more than 15 years and supports many small and large farmers with advice and assistance. He also supported Eric in his early days with his incredible knowledge.
Mario practices a lot of organic, biodynamic and sustainable cultivation with his own composting and the cultivation of microorganisms for organic fertilization. He wants the cultivated coffee to be in harmony with nature and not to damage or exploit it. And he is happy to pass on this knowledge... so that more and more farms will cultivate in this way in the future.
We also have dinner with Mario. The night is warm, the drinks are cool and the conversation is lively. Even if the topic is rather critical: In recent years, the price of cherries has been at a good, high level. But because of the crisis, much less coffee has been sold, and some farmers and exporters are even still sitting on unsold coffee . Unfortunately, this has caused the price of cherries to drop sharply.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 3
In the town of Butare we visit the local roastery CXC Coffee Shop with a Probat 25 kg roaster and their espresso is amazingly good. Then we set off over bumpy roads and dirt tracks to reach Eric's farm. It is located in the west of Rwanda in the Karongi district in the Ruganda sector . The farm feels like it is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lots of small villages where coffee farmers live and work. We take a look at Eric's farm and meet the farmers. We talk about current developments, soil analyses and plans for the future. It is very interesting to hear about the challenges that small farmers face in the villages here in the middle of nowhere in Rwanda . Here, too, coffee is grown in harmony with nature. No chemicals, our own compost, microorganisms... a good mix of organic, biological and biodynamic.
We drive on. A short stop at a tea plantation... yes, there are those here too. Unfortunately, unlike coffee, tea is grown as a monoculture and is still sprayed with harmful pesticides.
We reach Lake Kivu and after a good dinner we go to sleep.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 4
The sunrise over Lake Kivu is beautiful . Time for a little workout. Then we head off towards Eric's Lab, where we naturally have another round of coffee. We continue north, one district further. Our destination is Eric's washing station in Ngororero .
We spend the afternoon here at the station. We meet the farmers from the area again and talk to them about current developments, challenges and plans for the future. Then we even set off and visit a few of the surrounding farms . In Rwanda in particular, the differences are very big: one farm has only 50 coffee trees and the next has 5,000. Eric Wright provides the surrounding farms with around 50,000 plants every year.
We drive back to Kigali , we are tired. Behind us are many kilometers on bumpy roads in temperatures of 30 degrees and more. After dinner we go to sleep.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 5
I went jogging again. The mountain air in Kigali is good for training. In the morning we tasted coffee from various farms and washing stations from other projects here in Rwanda. In the afternoon we went on an exploratory tour of Kigali and visited a few roasting plants and coffee shops. These included Question Coffee Gishushu and Rubia Coffee Roasters .
Eric and I also have a moment of free time and play a round of golf... on the only golf course in the entire country.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 6
We continue: We set off for the Burera district in the northern province. We visit the washing station of the Musasa Dukundekawa cooperative. Dukundekawa means "we love coffee". The cooperative not only has a washing station and many farmers who grow coffee, it also has its own roasting plant and a dairy. We taste the coffee from Dukundekawa. Not bad.
We then visit some of the surrounding farms before having dinner.
Travel diary Rwanda - Day 7
And I went jogging again. A tartan track was built especially for this purpose. In the middle of Kigali. We visited the bakery Baso Pâtissier . Then there was a cupping session at BufCoffee . I had already met Sam from BufCoffee on my first visit ten years ago.
Afterwards we visit the NAEB, National Agricultural Export Development Board . The station through which all coffee exported from Rwanda passes. The coffee is checked here and then exported. We are allowed to watch as the coffee from Community Coffee Rwanda is checked.
There is also a roastery on the NAEB site, Gorillas Coffee , which we visit. And then my trip is over.
After a hot and, for this time of year, far too dry week, I board the plane in Kigali. We take off in the heavy rain that was expected two months ago.
