Back in da Mothalan

The title comes from my African-American buddies (yes, I can be PC) who refer to this continent as the Motherland. I just kind'a spelled it a bit slangish. But what it really means is that I am back in Africa. I guess, as scientist currently believe that this is the start of human civilisation, it is my motherland too!

So since last Thursday I am in Kigali. For those of you who care more about my suitcase than about me, it arrived with me! That's twice in a row now! I'm on a roll! The flight itself was uneventful. The e-ticket promised a Boeing 777, meaning on demand in-flight entertainment even in cattle class, but it turned out to be an old 767 with just a single movie on a black & white projector screen. And they played the same silly Michael Douglas flick I had seen the week before, while returning from the Big Apple. How tough can one's life be?!?

Well, there I was on Kigali airport hugging my suitcase. First action: get a cab to the hotel. Already here the first differences with Mozambique became very apparent (obviously, I tend to compare Rwanda with Mozambique). The taxi was actually a real car! One from this century! And the roads? Excellent! Maputo's roads are a challenge, even for NASA's Mars explorer, but Kigali has well paved roads, with sidewalks, functioning traffic lights, road signs and people that actually drive decently. And this country is supposed to be poorer that Moz!

And apart from taxi's, also here you will find the mini-buses. The big difference here is that they actually stick to the maximum number of people that legally fit in that thing. Next to mini buses, the road is also full of moto-taxi's. Those are motorcycles with a driver wearing a green helmet and jacket. His cell number is splashed all over his helmet. You can stop one, jump on the back, put on the spare helmet and he'll take you wherever you want (or need) to be. However, I strongly recommend to review your travel insurance, medical insurance and testament before hopping on one of these. You might want to make sure that you paid the premium for the first two and included my name in the latter...

Kigali is a very hilly city. Or actually, Rwanda is a very hilly country. The country's nickname is Le Pays des Mille Collines, the land of the thousand hills. This makes the city quite beautiful. The city is splashed over 6 hills or so and is situated some 1.500 meters above sea-level, so there's a great view from almost anywhere! Ever wanted an affordable place with a mountain view and a great panorama? Come and buy a shack here! Land prices are still ridiculously low.

Talking about that nickname: Right in front of the bank is a hotel called Mille Collines. However, most of you actually already know this hotel... from a movie.... yes! Hotel Rwanda! The actual hotel is right in front of us. Quite strange to see it if you've seen the movie. It is currently again a fully operational 4-star place.

My hotel (Serena) is nice. Well actually, it's a luxury hotel. Probably the most luxurious (and most expensive) in town. However, I do intend to switch hotels as the Novotel has a better atmosphere, food, price, gym, on-site shops and nearby restaurants.

Wow! I have so many first impressions, I think I need to write a few additional blog entries this week. Well, the first week is always the most impressionable. Especially if on day 2 you already get invited as a VIP to an African Champions League match. That story will follow soon! It was a blast!

Getting back to comparing. Overall there are actually not that many similarities with Maputo. Yes, you see things here you would also see in Maputo, but life-style, people, food, atmosphere, scenery, city scaping, land scaping, climate and almost everything else is different. I hope to find enough time to write about these in the coming 6 weeks. But for now, I need to end this article as my colleague is downstairs waiting for me. Chow time!