Life in Kigali

I have now been in Rwanda for just over a week and in some ways it feels as if I have been here for months. Arriving at Kigali airport, the first impression is one of neatness and order, the streets are clean and you get a definite picture of modern development and compared to other large cities I have been to in Africa there is an air of wealth. The traffic is orderly, plenty of 4x4’s to be seen driving about alongside the hundreds of moto taxis which are to become our main source of transport.

On our second day we were taken on a tour of the city, which is sprawled out over 4 ridges and valleys at a height of 1600m but as they all look the same it is hard to get your bearings and know exactly where you are. During our walk down town we learned that it is not customary to eat or drink in public, as we slugged back our bottles of water, Rwandans feel that food and drink is something which should be shared and therefore if you have something to eat or drink you either share it with everyone in the company or have it in the confines of your own home. However it does account for the tidy and litter free streets and pavements.

The temperature has been for the most part pleasantly hot, although some of our group from south of the border say it is quite cool for them! A sheet has been sufficient for me to sleep under at night and once the mosquito net has been securely tucked under all corners of the mattress you feel quite cosy. Throughout the week we have also had some torrential downpours which immediately fill the gullies that line the sides of the road and account for the rutted state of the non tarmac roads. One of our group fell into one of the rain gullies the first night we were out, remember there are no street lights, and spent several sessions at the hospital getting x -rayed and bandaged up. Forever after know as Dave’s ditch!

So far there has not been much evidence of mosquitos and no one is suffering from bites as yet but the whole of Rwanda is malarial and I suspect once we get out country the story will be very different.

On Sunday some of us decided to go to church so I swallowed my fear and took my first moto taxi ride but not without first having learned the phrase “gendo buhoro” - go slowly! I have to say I really quite enjoyed it! The service, in English, was really inspiring with musicians performing alongside the most amazing  choir but the most poignant thing was the theme of the service which acknowledged the 10^th anniversary of 9.11, linked to forgiveness, something which Rwandans are clearly still coming to terms with.