My Thoughts On Kigali-part 1

I have now been in Kigali for a little over 3 weeks, and even still it is hard to describe the city. Since I will be living here for a year I figure I have time to get a really good description down, but I know that till then some of you are wondering what Kigali is like, so here are my first impressions.
The city just seems massive. Now I know that sounds funny condsidering I have spent time in cities like NYC, Chicago, DC, London, and Rome, but none-the-less it seems massive. The city is spread out over several hills so when you lookout all you see is city all around you. Kigali is also packed with people. At most times of the day it is surprising how many people are out and about(on foot).
Transporation: So there are tons of vehicles on the road. Many of them are fancy cars and SUVS, while many are also good old junkers that are running on their last lives. Then there are the taxi drivers that are always asking if we need rides. There are also moto taxis, which as you most likely can guess are motorcycles that you hop on and use like a taxi. The drivers are clearly marked because they have to wear specific vests and have not only a helmet for themselves but also one for their passenger. The next step down are the minibuses. They pack 18 people into a very small place. Generally they hot and sweaty. I am thankful I am not a very tall nor broad person, because I see some of the guys on the trip in them, and they truly look uncomfortable. Believe it or not there are also a good number of bikes around. And finally there is also a boat load of foot traffic.
For those of you who have not had a chance to look at a map of Kigali: Kigali is divided into districits, so when you want to go from one area to another you go to the minibus stop and you have to wait for a bus that goes to that district. When first explained I had thought it would be crazy, but the system actually works very well. I have learned already that it is really all about what minibus you get on. Unlike in the US when a bus stops at a stop and it takes on whomever is there and then moves on, the minibuses here do not go till the minibus is full. So if you get on at the beginning when the bus is empty you might sit around from anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes waiting for the bus to fill; the key is to hop on the bus as one of the last people. Also all minibus rides are 150 rwf, which I like,while the car taxis and the motos you have to negotiate before you get in/on. Obviously I am planning either on going with the minibus option or just hoofing it. Though I have already gone in a taxi and on a moto once. The taxi because the minibuses do stop running late at night,so taxi/moto are the only options, and there is no way I would go on a moto in the dark(streets are not all lit). I also went on a moto once just to have experienced it. I will admit that it was faster than taking a minibus, but it is more expensive...aka don't think I will be doing that too often. haha.
On the topic of money, I want to describe where I have been living the past 2 weeks. We were staying at St. Paul's Mission. It is a church that on its grounds they run a guest house(motel). Each room has two beds and a sink. Then there are shared bathrooms that include showers (think dorm bathrooms). To be honest this place is really nice and we are all hoping that this is not going to spoil us. St. Paul's is located right below the heart of 'Town' (called ville), which is one way the locals refer to the district. Although the area is very nice and has a lot of good places nearby, the big banks, 24 hr store, american-like internet cafes, it also then means everything is very expensive in comparision to some of the other districts. Also the neighborhood directly across the street is where President Kagame lives, so yah as you prolly can guess its an area where a bunch of wealthy people live. BUT, if there is one thing that I have learned here, there is a huge disparity between very close places(distance wise). Literally there will be huge Malibuesqe homes and then less that 50 yards away there will be more shanty like homes. At times it is very strang to see.
The next thing that I think surprised me greatly was the air quality here. It is not that I assumed the air would be great,but I don't think I would have expected it to be so smog like. I have never really experienced true smog(I will have to inquire with my mom), but I am pretty sure that on certain days the hills are blanketed in a smog, not a fog or a mist. It is also very noticeable when you are walking up a street because a majority of the cars and motos and minibuses have literally BLACK exhaust coming out of them.Yuck. As one girl I met said,"I will never complain about having to have my car checked out." Because of this I find myself waving my hand infront of my face a lot of the time when I am walking and I always try to put myself farthest away from the road.
Now on to roads--> they are great. Everything they say in travel books about the conditions of the roads are true. At least they are in Kigai and from Kigali to Butare. I will of course report back later on the year when I go elsewhere in Rwanda.
My last impression that I want to leave you with is how I believe the Rwandans view us. First of all don't come here if you are not okay with being stared at. We get stared at all the time, by almost everyone, not only children but adults too. Now if you want to make these people have a huge grin just saying hello in Kinyarwandana works. Unfortunetly many of the people here also think that we whites are all rich so everyday at some point whilst we are walking around we get begged and followed around for money. As much as I would/do want to give them money I know that it won't stop them for asking me for more, if anything it will cause others to mob me (not to mention the fact that I am not made of money). But other than that I have found no problems with the people here. They are so humble and gracious and polite that they put most Americans to shame. Even when they are staring they are only doing it out of curiousity, hence why they get happy when we talk to them.

I think for now this will do as my first impressions. As the year goes on I plan to add more and possibly amend whatever I have said here if I discover it is different.