Second Day in Rwanda

In these first few days I am entranced by everything: the new smells; the feel of the temperature and climate on my skin; the colours and the light here; and the faces of people. I cannot stop looking and questioning and wondering.

The first thing people tell you about Rwanda -- besides its tragic past -- is how different it is from elsewhere in Africa. Plastic bags are banned and monthly "umuganda" clean-up sessions bring the whole country out onto the streets to clean the streets, or work on community projects. The roads are good. Crime is low. Health insurance works. And over the last decade it has managed steady and impressive economic development.

The thing I was not so prepared for, is just how beautiful it is. Kigali is built on beautiful rolling lush hills. The main streets are well paved and weave over the hills, while smaller roads in cobblestone or mud curve seductively into neighbourhoods and gardens. Everything feels spaced out and at 6pm every day there is the most beautiful (but short) sunset. Being so close to the equator, the days length hardly varies at all and from almost everywhere you can look out over other parts of the city on an opposite hill, lights twinkling in the distance. That is, if there are lights. I arrived to a 24-hour blackout.

Much to my delight after years in Asia make-doing with terrible bread products, there are bakeries here ! Croissants and multigrain bread. Coffee and avocados. You can also see the influence of Europeans elsewhere. If people don't speak English, French is the next most likely language on the tip of their tongues, after, of course, kinyarwanda.

We will be based in Kigali, the capital and largest city and so far, in terms of the comforts of a good life, I think we will be very happy here.