Arrived safely in Lusaka last night, and I can safely say now that I really do miss Kigali. Rwanda might be a lot smaller in square kilometers, but I think its character fits me a lot better, so far at least. The Internet is decent, here, though, so keep your fingers crossed about the potential for some pictures posted soon! Must go to bed, but here are a couple quick updates!
Conversion Rate: 4779 Zambian Kwacha = $1
Cost of a loaf of bread: 3800 Kwacha (cost of living is still quite high, but lower than Kigali)
Interns at the project: 8-10 (vs. 2 at Kigali)
Time to loading a webpage: equivalent to tea-making time (including boiling water, steeping and flavoring stages)
Roads: muddy and definitely not as well maintained as Kigali (lot of crater-sized potholes and giant trenches for flooding, etc.)
Avocado price: $1/each (vs. $0.16 in Kigali)
Social Reform Issues: decidedly less progressive, based on what I've heard
- Did I mention that Rwanda has a national tradition called "umuganda" in which every last Saturday of the month, the whole country is basically shut down from 8-noon in order to promote community building workshops and is considered a day of community service? (And they really stick to it!) Ahh....pretty great.
Local Languages: Nyanja (complex) and Bembe (even more complex?)
Local lab staff: really wonderful!!
Distance to IAVI lab: just two buildings down the road which is going to be really convenient
What it's Known For: Nearby Livingstone - Victoria Falls! (Going to check it out next weekend for the lunar rainbow! Hopefully will also make it out to Chobe National Park just across the border into Botswana for the weekend, but plans still pending.)
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