When the idea to visit all 30 districts of Rwanda was conceived, I picked up a pen and wrote down their names. My list had 29 districts. I couldn't name the 30th one. After scratching my head for a few minutes, I gave up and turned to Google. The missing district was Ngororero.
Weeks later, I prepared a tentative itinerary. Again, Ngororero was left out of the first draft. Even during the much-anticipated tour, I almost bypassed the forgotten district.
After covering the Northern Province, I was scheduled to visit Nyabibu, followed by Rubavu and the rest of the Kivu Belt districts. It was until the eleventh hour when I realized I was about to skip Ngororero.
It also occurred to me that I had never visited Ngororero before. Even after spinning around the country for seven years, I had barely set foot on Ngororero's soil. I know there is a stretch of the Muhanga - Karongi road which is within Ngororero, but driving through the periphery of the administrative area doesn't count.
Having remembered that Ngororero exists, I made it my first sub destination in the Western Province. From Musanze, I twisted the throttle adjacent to Mukungwa River all the way to the popular Nyabarongo River. From there, I spun my spokes to the headquarters of the district my mind was still struggling to register.
Upon arrival, I checked into KVETNA Hotel, set up on the main wing of the building that houses Ngororero's branch of the Bank of Kigali. After dinner, served on the rooftop, I went to my room and slept without a slight idea of what I would do the following day.