Rwandan Early Impressions

The first thing I noticed when getting off the plane was, like in Kazakhstan, the smoky air situation. I don’t know whether its because of the hilly landscape which traps smoke in the valleys (as was the case in k-stan), the burning of trash, or lack of air quality regulations. I would imagine it’s a combination of the three. Despite the poor air quality, the rest of the city is extremely clean. Much cleaner than anywhere I’ve been in the developing world, or New Orleans for that matter. Maybe this wasn’t always the case because apparently plastic bags are illegal here. That’s right. No paper or plastic debate over here. A couple of years ago, the government banned the use of plastic bags as they were piling up and becoming a nuisance for disposal. Hmm…not a bad a idea.
Second thing of note is the Western presence here. Whereas in Kazakhstan I would do a double take every time I heard someone speaking English, today as I was briefly walking around the city I saw at least 25-30 Americans or Europeans. Most are either missionaries or are working/interning for NGO’s. As such, Rwandans are used to seeing foreigners and I don’t feel like there is a ton of unwanted attention. Unlike K-stan I have not, nor am I likely to give any autographs here.
Food thus far has been delicious and plentiful. Buffets are quite popular, though you can only go through one time (which is probably a good thing given my dietary habits while living overseas of the past…). Apparently, there was an article written in the local newspaper last week advising people about how to pile the most food on your plate. Will have to get my hands on the article for pointers. Something about starting with a good starch base that can support the rest of the food???
Anyway, my buffet lunch consisted of several plantain dishes, beans, rice, beef, potatoes, a bean and carrot salad, cream of spinach, fresh avocado(!!), and a coleslaw of sort. All fairly flavorful.