Well, this past week had it's ups and downs...

On the up side, we found a "health club" to join so we can maintain some level of fitness. The closest and most obvious was the "Serena Maisha" at the local 5 star Hotel Serena. Ok, so it's totally decadent, but it's a wonderful treat to meet up with Paul in the late afternoon, lay-out and go for a swim in the bracing water. The waterfalls are so peaceful. We deserve it!

Fresh fruit juice is included in our membership!

I've taken 3 spinning classes so far. A word about the spinning...bikes are ok, they are very much like the original spinning bikes I started on about 15 years ago- but so what, they can still kick my butt!! There are also plenty of free weights, machines and a circuit to keep us busy. I'll try one or two other classes now that my cold is about over.

Before I go on about our Kinyarwanda lessons at the Embassy today or the traditional African Buffet Lunch we sampled on Sunday let me give you a run down on the people here. They are very friendly, kind and are very welcoming. For example when we get on buses sometimes the whole bus is involved in a discussion to make sure we get out at the right stop, at the grocery store people make sure we find everything we need and if we're walking down the street and even look like we don't know where we are going, people stop and ask if we need help. So, we feel very comfortable with the people we've encountered everywhere. Even the building guards, carrying automatic weapons, smile and say good morning as we jog by or walk past.

Guards are at the entrance of every building

Did I mention that this city is has tons of "security guards" hired by banks, hotels, schools, shops, apartment houses, etc. . They kind of remind me of a doormen, only in khakis and machine guns! It's a very safe neighborhood with security every 50 yards.

As we walk around town people typically don't pay much attention unless it's to say Mwaramutze! (good morning). Usually we greet passersby first with Muraho (hello) or Mwaramutze!  Everyone greets us with a smile in response to our Kinyarwanda and the response by almost everyone  includes Amakuru? (how are you). Once we get past the first few words of greeting we're done. But it's ok, they appreciate our effort to speak their language and they often respond with a few words in English as well.

The range of people I see on the streets is varied for sure. Up around the banking area, KIST and Hotel Serena women are dressed in Western business type attire, or traditional Rwandan outfits-- which favor large, bright prints with some variation of ruffles and usually a head piece. Most men wear slacks and long sleeve button down shirts, even some suits in the banking district.



 As I walk down the hill, away from the school and into the smaller streets, there are hundreds of shops everywhere, and the dress is more casual with jeans on the guys and ladies wearing what looks like less formal African wear or western skirts/tops or pants. It's funny, lots of clothes must be second hand, and I've noticed tons of street vendors hawking everything from fake Rolex watches to underwear, including all sorts of used clothing and everything in between. Today I passed 3 somewhat grizzled older Rwandan men all wearing the same tee-shirts- "pure-blonde"(LOL) and a woman dressed in a lovely printed wrap skirt with a jacket that had mickey mouse on the back. America has made it's mark.

lots of motoscooters which are a common method of travel

As I walk further down and closer to the real commercial district, which I call "Canal Street" there are more poor people, many with injuries like missing limbs and birth defects that are in the crowd. There are also a fair number of woman who carry their children around and sit outside of restaurants asking for money. It's hard to know what the story is, but I've been told there are many women who were made widows in the genocide who have babies, and those children have babies. I think there is more to it than that though. ( I would like to organize those women into some who work and some who watch all the kids. Seems like it could work.)

Still amazed at what is carried on the head

Here, in the commercial area, people sit/stand outside their shops or spaces and talk, argue, trade and spend their day trying to earn a living. In general it's very lively and as I pass by and say Muraho to the crowd they are very nice and don't try to force me to come in and look at their wares. I appreciate that. The shops are usually tiny with merchandise stacked from floor to ceiling and spilling into the street. It's not unusual to see a porcelain bathtub, racks of clothing or rolls of rugs framing the doorways of their respective shops.

A woman carries clothes for sale over her arm

a wide range of baskets, drums and gourds

  In general there are stores like Nakumatt which is the Kigali version of Sam's club carrying everything from washing machines to bread and vegetables, but shopping in the markets and city streets is pretty third world with lots of haggling and enticing buyers to come and look at the wares laid out.

A handsome lad I ran into!

Dynamic Edge in Kigali- I bought a lovely carved bowl here so they let me take a photo!

Commerce Ave, dubbed Canal Street

So where we live, near KIST, (college of science and technology) is more or less on the top and everything falls below us on all sides. As we go down the hills most streets are well paved, lucky for us because it is pretty steep! with deep trenches (up to 2 feet at least) on either side for the water to run down. Of course EVERYTHING is down a hill somewhere so we're getting plenty of walking, going just about anywhere whether it's to the health club, buy water or get a coffee. I'm going to need another pair of sneakers/tennis shoes for sure.

Well, I'll end here, this is getting long and probably a bit boring and the internet is pretty sketchy these days, but I wanted to give you all a picture of what it's like to go for a walk down the streets of Kiyovu and say something about the friendliness and kindness of the people around us.

Deb