Kigali, Rawanda

Traffic is so orderly: cars stop at crosswalks and motos yield to pedestrians. The streets are impeccably clean: we saw a woman cleaning dirt and throwing it out; and women sweeping the streets - but get this... the brooms have handles! What is this place? Where am I? Despite the orderly nature of the streets, I've been in several near traffic accidents. Eventually I realized that they were driving on the right side of the road. It feels so strange. I felt strangely comforted when a moto refused to yield.

Everything is so chic. It's Easter weekend - so we're seeing the best people have - but there are true signs of opulence here. Everybody seems to have a stylish cardigan to throw over their immaculately clean tailored shirts. Children wear three piece suits. Billboard advertisements for online banking? Really? In stark contrast, I'm unshaven and my white shirts are regularly soiled on the minute-long walk from the clothesline to the tent.

I'm moving at the pace of a man who's been on vacation for three months and I suspect it's maybe a bit slow for Shann. We spend most of our time sitting and eating, or preparing to sit and eat in a new place. Kigali has no shortage of venues for fine dining - even gas stations have nice restaurants with French, Italian, or Indian on the menu. We sat, played cards, and drank beer at the Hotel des Mille Collines and shared a somber moment on the rooftop overlooking the lights of Kigali. Two long dinners at Indian restaurants have been tasty and fabulously relaxing - but we can't quite seem to shake the stress of paying the "absurd prices" - costs comparable to home.

It's always neat when your expectations for a place are so thoroughly in contrast with reality. Its nice here, but I feel strangely unsettled by the luxuries. I'm self conscious of being so incredibly and illogically frugal - though I feel that Ralf was maybe right when he phrases it living efficiently. If the small luxuries of Rwanda irk me so, what will it be like to return to the wealth and luxury of Canada in just one week? It feels like it's all drawing to a close too soon.


[Edit: 8/4/10] In retrospect: although I seem to want to consider myself some sort of luxury averse wilderness explorer, in sober truth I'm craving comfortable beds, marathons of Seinfeld episodes, dinner parties, and lots and lots of time with friends outdoors. I'm really in the mood to re-watch familiar movies.