accommodation arrangements

Hi

For those of you interested in the practical details of living in a developing country, here is some info for you. Accommodation for expats living in Kigali is plentiful, because of the massive inrush of NGO's and other aid agencies here after the 1994 genocide, which a lot of people - probably correctly - ascribe to the collective guilt of the rest of the world which stood by and watched while the genocide happened. So, there are all sorts of accommodations, depending mainly on your budget. The lucky expats here are paid foreign salaries, so they can afford to rent out huge mansions, with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, sweeping views, walled gardens, resident housekeepers, gardeners, guards etc. The rest of us - ie those on local salaries, are still well catered for and can find plenty of shared accommodation in those places mentioned above, or more modest abodes - apartments, bedsitters etc.

Anne-Marie and I are lucky to have found a place only 10 minutes walk from work, which is good as we don't have a car, unlike most of the (rich) expats, and we don't trust the moto taxis - I think I've mentioned them in a previous blog. We are on a bus route though, so that's an added bonus. And we're within walking distance of some local supermarkets amd the big local fresh food Kimironko market.

The apartment is in a block of 6. Ours is 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom (which means there's a guest room there for any of you thinking of visiting) for US$1000 a month, which includes cleaning and water. We pay extra for electricity and gas (about $10 a week), and for our laundry to be done ($6 a month). The apartment complex has a guard and various handymen and a manager, so we're very well looked after. It came fully furnished, which was great - we've only had to buy a couple of odds and ends.