Land of a Thousand Hills!

Rwanda is called the "Land of a Thousand Hills" because of its numerous hills. I like to call it, "Land of No-Name Streets", simply because I have yet to see a street sign. On my first real day in Kigali, I had the chance to tour the city and see some of its famous hotels and landmarks. Knowing where these places are gives you an idea of how to get around to other lesser known places. For example, instead of saying that you live on a particular street, you would say, I live three hills down from the Gorilla Hotel or near the UTC Center, etc. It can get pretty confusing at first, but after my first full week, I am starting to get the hang of it. 

My days have been consumed with work from 8am to 5:30p with a break for lunch from 12:30p-1:30p. Since the entire office dines in, buffet style, I have been well fed thus far. Rwandan food is similar to the food of the Caribbean Islands, consisting of plantains, cassava and rice with beans. In the evenings, I am usually back home taking a nap. Now that the jet-lag is wearing off, I am free to do more and see more of Kigali and its neighboring villages. The only places other than my apt and work that I have ventured to is, to Heaven Restaurant and Bourbon Coffee. One thing to note about Bourbon Coffee is that they have three locations in Kigali, one at the two malls in town and one at the airport. Bourbon Coffee is the Starbucks of Rwanda, using the famous bourbon coffee beans grown in Rwanda to make their signature coffee drinks. The business has made a name for itself in Rwanda and has recently expanded to Washington DC and NYC. Yes, you too can get your fill of Rwandan coffee at their new location in Union Square.

 So that has been my exciting life so far. If you're not entirely convinced that all is well, here are some pics of my first week in Kigali. Enjoy! 

 THE LANDSCAPE

THE FOOD 

THE PEOPLE

That's me, hard at work.

Some of my co-workers with their Pfizer swag

All Staff Meeting

Dinner with Linda

Lunch with Peace Corps Volunteers