Muraho!
Kigali is a relatively small city by international standards, but transportation has still proven to be a difficult. We live in an area called Remera, but work about 5 kilometers away in Gikondo. Thus far, our co-workers have been kind enough to pick us up in the morning and drop us off after work. This has worked out ok for the first couple of weeks, but I think that its time that we look into a more permanent form transportation for two reasons. First, co-workers have been extremely helpful as we've settled into our new home and I don't want to overburden them with picking us up every day. Second, I feel that we're completely dependant on them for any type of transportation. We don't have a reliable way to getting around town at other times of day. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that we don't speak Kinyarwanda. Bottom line, we need to become independent. Here are a few of our options.
Moto taxis are a common form of transportation in Kigali. You can find them waiting to pick up fares at high traffic intersections and parking lots for popular attractions (malls, clubs, etc). You tell the driver your destination, negotiate a price ( you can usually get anywhere in the city for 2000 RwF or less), he hands you an ill fitting helmet and then you're off. The motos weave in and out and make the craziest NYC taxi drivers look like Sunday drivers, which is exceedingly convenient during rush hour gridlock, but sometimes terrifying. We've taken them a couple of times and while they can be exciting, I'm not particularly fond of them. Additionally, they're probably not the best choice if you have to travel with a large package or if its wet outside. This is a picture of a moto that I saw while driving. Maybe I'll post a video of one of my rides sometime.
Car taxis are less common and can become quite expensive. We discussed the possibility of hiring a taxi to take us to and from work and the driver gave us a quote of 100,000 RWF (about $200) a month. They would cost way more if we were to use them on an ad hoc basis. The cars are usually white sedans from late 80's or early 90's of Japanese or Europeans make. Sorry no pictures yet.
Public Busses are probably the most affordable way to get around town. We will probably learn how to use them at some point, but its pretty difficult to navigate without knowing how to speak French or Kinyarwanda. Another concern is security. A bus parks was one of the targets of the bombings earlier this year. I'm not paranoid about security, but I want to avoid areas that are potential targets of violence. If we take the busses, I'll stick to routes where I can avoid the bus parks.
The last option is to buy our own transportation. Its certainly the most economical and convenient way to get around in the long run. One of our coworkers drove us to a shop so that we could price out scooters and motos. The one in the picture below has a 70cc engine and retails for about 600,000 RwF. There's also a vespa-esque option with a bigger engine that goes for about 850,000 RwF. Either way, I would feel more secure being in the driver seat, rather than on the backseat of a moto taxi.
I think that sums up our transportation issues and options. I'll keep everyone posted on what we end up doing.
Turongera,
Chris
