MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It is a beautiful country. Very green, lush vegetation abounds everywhere. A walk in the hotel gardens is breath-taking with the diverse shrubs and trees, some flowering, others just greenery. Birds are loud and everywhere. The street fronting the hotel is also nicely landscaped with sidewalk trees and a narrow centre boulevard of trees. I understand that this part of Kigali is new as compared to the city centre so can’t comment on the other areas. The people, while they appear as curious onlookers, have friendly smiles. But I guess when you see a great big guy with his white ‘winter tan’ among the darker complexions; it would make most of us take a second look. There are however numerous whites at the hotel, some obviously tourists (I hear French, German and English accents) as well as business people. Many locals converse in English but with a heavy French accent not unlike what I’m used from French-Canadians.

The above is a view from my hotel balcony