Rwanda

My visit to Rwanda has come to an end. It had been on my list for a long time and the visit has been very rewarding.

What is different about it? We all have heard about some of the differences.  It is indeed amazingly tidy. There seems to be an ethic abroad in society that work should be done with great care. I have seen people dig out tiny weeds from cobbled roads and others scraping dirt from brick surfaces. There are decorative plantings everywhere and people are forever pulling weeds out of the lawns. Sweepers swish the leaves off roads and pathways. There is no plastic strewn about, mostly because plastic bags are banned. During Umuganda, often groups just go out and pick up litter.

The country has also felt very safe. People seem extremely friendly and willing to chat. I have felt quite safe walking around after dark. There are low key random police checks out on the country roads but no heavy military presence is evident anywhere. 

The scenery is magnificent everywhere I have been. It is indeed the Country of a Thousand Hills. The countryside is green and lush even at the end of the dry season. Rivers look clean and water is plentiful. Everything that is stuck in the ground grows. The temperature has been surprisingly moderate and varies only between 25 and 30 degrees perhaps year round. It is cooler than neighbours because it is so high up, even though very near the equator.

The only cloud on the horizon seems to be the large population (12 million) in a very small area. Families still tend to be large although there is now new emphasis on family planning and often it is economic pressure and education for women that reduces the birth rate. Rwanda has the highest rate in the world of female political representation in parliament - 65%.

If life is kind, I will be back. There are many adventures still to be had here.