Rwanda Recap

Rwanda is totally underrated.

The Scenery
The landscape here has blown away my expectations.  It's beautiful.  Rolling, terraced hillsides; lush, banana plantations; large, picturesque lakes; massive, looming volcanoes that are home to the last remaining mountain gorillas on the planet. 

The People
Yes, it has a nasty past, but it is very stable now and no one should be scared to visit this place.  I've been harassed WAY more in Italy and Cabo than I have been in Rwanda.  Granted, I've gotten a lot of stares, smiles and giggles, but none of them have been threatening.  People are just curious and are trying to muster the courage to say hello to the mzungu.  You get used to it after a while.  Still expect to get mzungu pricing on stuff, but if you insist on paying half of what they quote you, they will smile in agreement and tell you that you're a good customer.

I have experienced many random acts of kindness and people that will go completely out of their way to help.  My favorite was Sam, a guy in Kigali, who escorted me over to the Hotel Auberge where he asked to see a room and made sure the shower and toilet worked before he gave me a big, smiley hug and went on his way.

With each new friend, warm reception and generous act, I am beginning to wonder if the less-touristy parts of the world (excluding war-torn destinations) are much friendlier than those on the beaten path.  In which case curiosity rules out over the desire to scam.  On the flip side, the lack of infrastructure certainly adds an element of difficulty.  I will have plenty of opportunities to test my theory, so I'll let you know...