Wrapping it up - List of Tens, , , , well around ten :-)

Ten ways I know it's time for me to go home from Kigali:

1. I've decided to strangle the next person who calls me muzungu
2. In a conversation with an American I answer "Oi and merci" instead of yes and thank you
3. All the mulberries are gone
4. My food supply left in the cupboard/refrigerator consists of a bag of salt, some margarine, 5 tea bags, some stale couscous, and a box of hot breakfast oatmeal.
5. The water goes out for two days and I have a blow-out with the house boy - Philbert
6. My $10 of Skype credit is getting close to zero
7. Matatas - I can actually understand the Matata drivers, conductors, Can rapidly assess the quality of each matata, Look forward to the rides and The people (ticket agents and beggars) @ Atraco bus lines know be by name
8. I realize I haven't had a single solid stool in the past 60 days
9. I can walk up any hill without getting out of breath
10. I start making a top ten list
11. I'm able to quote food prices at @ Kimironko market

Ten Things I was most happy to have: (Either brought or acquired) (with input from Terry Loughnan)

1. Kodak EasyShare DX6490 Camera - With 2 Gb SD Card & docking station
2. My own pillow
3. A cell phone that worked in Rwanda
4. Laptop with wired and wireless connections, Skype with a headset and video camera on both ends of the earth.
5. Fresh, clean and crisp, 2004 and newer $100 bills
6. A nice large day pack
7. 2 Mb USB Jump Drive
8. Electrical Adapter Kit + Extra adapters
9. Storage trunks
10. Leatherman Tool
11. Audience Response system for teaching
12. I-Pod with speakers, my music and charge kit (Terry Loughnan)
13. A big Sudoku book (Terry Loughnan)
14. Light clothing and light hiking boots rather than heavy (Terry Loughnan)

Ten things I should have left home:

1. Inflatable Thermarest sleeping pad
2. Direct box for connecting autoharp to a sound system
3. PDA
4. Rolaids chewables - 3 packs
5. Spare batteries
6. $20 US bills (Terry Loughnan)
7. Jacket (Terry Loughnan)
8. Taste for coffee, because I didn't have a good cup whilst here (Terry Loughnan)

Ten things I really wished for while in Kigali

1. Having Shaloy with me
2. Petting a pet
3. My own transportation
4. Safe water from the tap
5. Water for showers
6. My kitchen and it's utensils
7. Better maps of Rwanda/Kigali
8. A smaller laptop
9. My church/Sabbath School support group/friends
10. French lessons before arrival in Rwanda

Ten Restaurant reviews in Kigali, Rwanda

1. Serena Hotel - The Mongolian Grill Buffet on Wednesday evening is the best value in Kigali. All you care to eat buffet with a salad bar, 1st drink, Mongolian Grill, hot bar with multiple choices, desert bar and fresh breads in the most upscale location in Rwanda. It feels like America for only 8,000 FRw or $16 US
2. Indian Khazana The atmosphere is exotic with a wait staff dressed in fantastic Colonial Indian garb. The menus is extensive with many options for vegetarians. The staff is attentive without being obtrusive. The food is delicious and authentic but you should expect to pay between 8 - 10,000 FRw or $16 - $20 US. A great place for a birthday.
3. KBC - The best lunch buffet in town is a hole in the wall on the north end of this complex of shops. Next door to the African gifts is a small shop with no external sign but from 12:30 - 2:30 some of the best lunch food in Kigali is served here. Expect to sit wherever there is a seat as the place will be packed. A great selection of well prepared local fare with multiple meat dishes which always had options of beef, chicken and fish. an assortment of salads, potatoes, greens rice dishes with some fruit and a glass of juice for 1,800 FRw $3.60 US. Food is cooked elsewhere but brought in for lunch only.
4. Africa Bite - In the Kimihurura district two blocks down from Rue 1. This is a hopping place at lunch time with a great buffet of tasty authentic African dishes for 2,500 FRw or $5 US. 1 drink and a fruit desert included. A good value @ lunch time it changes character in the evenings as a quite reserve from the hubub of a Kigali day. The quiet garden seating is a great place to spend a few hours quietly visiting with friends. A limited menu in the evenings but the kebabs are a great value and the weekend chef specials would be your best options.
5. Ice and Spice - Tasty Indian cuisine in Mumunge. It's a little less expensive than Indian Khazana but has none of the class. Expect to pay 6 - 8,000 FRw. ($12-$14 US)
6. KIST Canteen - The cafeteria service of Kigali Health Institute (KHI) and Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) provides a wonderful meal value to the faculty and students. Traditional African fair at a very reasonable price. Nothing fancy about the atmosphere but it's close, good flavor and cheap. The secret is that there are options but you've got to ask. These include Kinyomoro juice, fresh pineapple desert, chapats and African tea are all extra but you'll leave with having spent between 1,500 & 2,000 FRw ($3 - $4 US)
7. King Faisal Hospital Food Service - Hit and miss but mostly miss. Expensive for what you get. It's only saving grace is that you don't have to leave to eat. My suggestion, , if you have time , , leave to eat. There are a couple of small restaurant options on the road approaching the the hospital. They are all better and cheaper.
8. Flamingo Oriental Food - just down the street a few hundred meters from Africa Bite. Upscale dining hidden in a a neighborhood. You won't wander wander by and find this place by accident. Call ahead to get seating upstairs for a great view of Kigali by night. Service is above average with hot steaming, minted towels given before eating and to refresh you. The combination of atmosphere, service and good oriental dishes makes it a good option if you're okay spending 6 - 8,000 FRw ($12 - $14 US)
9. Karibu - Just down the street from CHK hospital and around the corner a couple of blocks from KHI is a good value for lunch. 2,500 FRw ($5 US) is a great lunch buffet with outdoor seating in a gravel courtyard. Drinks are extra (standard prices) but the fruit desert is included. The best part of this restaurant is the options. It's standard African fare but there will be around 18 different dishes prepared and available.