Top Gun....Mumbai Style

After Kigali we ventured to Gisenyi, a place that the guidebook describes as, “where rich Rwandans come to play.” The bus ride there alone was worth the trip; it meandered up the mountains and right past Parc National Des Volcans, home to the famous mountain gorillas. We planned to explore this resort town, on the beaches of beautiful Lake Kivu, before crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo to stay with a friend of one of my fellow interns for a couple days.

While walking down the street in Gisenyi, we were stopped by three Indian men driving a UN Land Cruiser. Somehow mistaking us for fellow UN employees (I don’t think we quite looked the part, but they must have), they offered us a ride to a local restaurant. Apparently they are pilots in the Indian Air Force and are stationed as UN Peacekeepers flying helicopters for a year. They were all wearing Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, and after talking with them for a few minutes, I concluded that they could star in the Indian version of Top Gun. When they dropped us off, I exchanged phone numbers with the Maverick of the trio, and he told me to call him if we needed anything while in the area. I never imagined I actually would.

Flash forward to two hours later when we were denied entry into the DRC. We were told that the border policy recently changed; to get a visa now, one must write an official letter of introduction to the Congolese immigration director (in French by the way), and then wait two days for approval. So, of course, my first thought was to call Sanjeev for help. He arrived and marched us back across the border to make our case in front of the Congolese Border Patrol. Evidently they have not seen the Tom Cruise classic, because Maverick’s powers of persuasion were not well received.

After two more failed attempts, we decided to give up for the day and planned to meet the Indians for dinner. Over drinks and Indian ramen noodles (which were delicious), we sat around talking about Top Gun, India, and listening to their war stories.

It was a blast, and yet only a glimpse of things yet to come!