Staying in ALL the stylish accommodations....

So we have lucked out bigtime on this trip to be able to stay with so many friends and family. Even luckier, is that all these people who were kind enough to host us live in SERIOUSLY cool spots!

This is my cousin Andrew's (actually his girlfriend's, but close enough) place in Manhattan. This is in the Flatiron district, lower east side I guess... about two blocks from the Flatiron building. It's a 2BR/2BA condo owned by his girlfriend's family.



You've already seen our room on the Queen Mary 2. After that, we arrived at Konstantin's flat in London's Kensington district. This is an area of London, as Jodi already mentioned, where you see crazy expensive cars driving by, or better yet, just parked on the street in front of someone's flat.

We saw a number of Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, etc. Konstantin is pretty much slumming it with his Mercedes! ;-)

Anyway, here's his place. Another 2BR/2BA.

Then we moved along to Ingrid's adorable house in East Pattock, just outside London. (still didn't look up the correct name.) It's a wonderfully charming 2BR/1BA with garage and backyard lawn and garden. Ingrid is currently doing a small addition out back to have a combo office/artsy studio space. She makes jewelry for a hobby.

I have to come visit again just to try out that tub!

Needless to say, the situation in Rwanda is clearly very different from what we have in most of the Western world. This is a country and region of Africa that has hundred of years of history of tribal fighting, lack of infrastructure, lack of clean water, etc. Clearly Jodi and I are just happy to have a friendly place to lie down and it would be a lot to expect that Jill and Scott could put us up in the style we've become accustomed to here in the middle of Africa.....

In case you're still interested though in what Kigali, capital of Rwanda, looks like today, here is where Jill and Scott have been for a year and a half. The first thing you notice is they only have a two car garage. But we have to remember they are making sacrifices to be here and this is just one of them. (please enjoy my continued tongue-in-cheekness. Thank you!)

Here's the back yard. I could only get half the back yard in the frame without the house looking tiny, sorry.



This is the view off the back veranda/patio area.

Kitchen 

Dining Room. Don't worry, there's a leaf to expand that table.

Living Room

Guest bedroom (ours!)

Scott and Jill's room

They have seating for only 7 outside on the patio. I mean, on this patio. There are three more patios!!

Only one hammock, though.

Okay, enough of my cheekiness! Please understand that the US State Department has stringent standards in terms of neighborhood and safety for its employees. Scott and Jill certainly don't personally require a place like this, but hey, if it's what the government wants them to live in, who's complaining? It IS a big sacrifice to be away from home for two years to come here and do what they're doing. They have signed on for a second two-year term, which will be in Senegal. They are here in Kigali for a few more months.

Below is a photo of some of the surrounding neighborhoods. This is one valley over from Scott and Jill's house. NONE of this was here ten years ago.... back then it was all wild bush still. The city of Kigali existed, but none of this 'new town' had been developed. In the photo below, you could just as well be looking out at some valley in Italy or the south of France.



One major difference, of course, is that they haven't got all the roads paved yet over there among those particular houses. And it's not like the whole city looks like this. But they are improving. Jodi and I had a city tour yesterday, and today we went out again with the same guide to see more stuff.

Rwanda has become the one bright spot in this part of Africa. They have ended the tribal differentiation they used to have and now everyone tries their best to just be Rwandans. They have a master plan for the city of Kigali, which they hope to make look much like Singapore. Can they do it?

They already have a good deal of foreign investment coming in. Their per capita income is about triple that of most of their neighboring countries. Their life expectancy is higher. They believe they can do it, or at least that it is worth it to try.

I'm massively impressed, at this point. Many of the Rwandans who left before, during, or after the terrible events in 1994 have come back. The person who owns the house Scott and Jill live in is one of those people.

Today we saw where many Rwandan women work together in a company founded by another re-patriated Rwandan to make bead jewelry, intricate baskets, mats, etc. These items they export to Macy's, Anthropologie, a couple of fancy super high end designer boutiques in New York City whose names some of you would know (but I'm a guy so I forgot.) It's very impressive what they've been able to accomplish so far here. I'm excited to see and learn more.

Looks like I have to go to bed....... Today we visited where they make bricks in a factory. We also visited where they make bricks by hand, and quarry stone by hand. I got amazing pictures all ready to put up, but I better get some sleep.

Tomorrow we leave with Scott and Jill to visit some other parts of Rwanda. On Sunday we hike to see the Gorillas, and Tuesday, I believe, we begin our two day climb of Mt. Karisimbe. Not sure if we will have blogging access until after that. Thanks for reading!