Rwanda is becoming a hub for expanding tech companies • Hacker News Board

Re: Rwanda is becoming a hub for expanding tech companies

#41

Post by donretag » Mon, Jul 18, 2016, 5:06 PM UTC

iamjeff wrote: post #35

donretag wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must mention that I did not go to Kenya or other neighboring countries. I started my trip in Uganda and worked my way down. The difference between Rwanda and Uganda/Tanzania as an outsider is immense. The roads are in good condition and there are no speed bumps because the drivers are not reckless. Bodaboda drivers will give you helmets! (granted, they probably are so old that offer no protection). Little trash on…

>The difference between Rwanda and Uganda/Tanzania I have had little opportunity to travel to other countries myself, but I imagine that infrastructure quality is something that sticks out almost immediately. If you do come to Kenya (Nairobi in particular), the 20 km journey from the airport to the city center peels away a lot about the country: the notoriously in-your-face drivers, the defiantly corrupt traffic poli…

Tourist activities were expensive. The gorilla viewing was $750, much higher than in Uganda or the DRC (the section of the DRC with the gorillas is definitely not recommended going to). In Kigali, locations regarding the genocide are a must see (museum, UN base). Not that Rwanda was boring, but I just enjoyed other countries better. Lake Kivu was nice, but Lake Malawi was incredible. Malawi is in undiscovered gem.

Re: Rwanda is becoming a hub for expanding tech companies

#42

Post by iamjeff » Tue, Jul 19, 2016, 2:06 PM UTC

donretag wrote: post #40

iamjeff wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>they would simply sweep up everything and put it out on the street Yes, this has been my experience. It is simply hilarious. >Konyagi Yeah, ain't that a sight. By "bags" you surely meant plastic bottles, no?

Bags, definitely bags: http://i.imgur.com/W1hL4Tx.jpg I only saw them in East Africa. The streets were littered with them. Very cheap and poor tasting. Basically ethanol and flavoring. Konyagi & juice. Disgusting, but I wish I was back on the beaches of Zanibar having a few.

I remember the very first time that I saw those bags. Some young guys fished a bag each out of their pockets, squeezed whatever was in them right into their mouths, and let this horrendous cry for help (at least that is how I saw it; that stuff surely 'looked' bitter). I have had the chance to taste that stuff and I must say, poor tasting indeed.

Re: Rwanda is becoming a hub for expanding tech companies

#43

Post by iamjeff » Tue, Jul 19, 2016, 5:00 PM UTC

donretag wrote: post #41

iamjeff wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The difference between Rwanda and Uganda/Tanzania I have had little opportunity to travel to other countries myself, but I imagine that infrastructure quality is something that sticks out almost immediately. If you do come to Kenya (Nairobi in particular), the 20 km journey from the airport to the city center peels away a lot about the country: the notoriously in-your-face drivers, the defiantly corrupt traffic poli…

Tourist activities were expensive. The gorilla viewing was $750, much higher than in Uganda or the DRC (the section of the DRC with the gorillas is definitely not recommended going to). In Kigali, locations regarding the genocide are a must see (museum, UN base). Not that Rwanda was boring, but I just enjoyed other countries better. Lake Kivu was nice, but Lake Malawi was incredible. Malawi is in undiscovered gem.

>Malawi is in undiscovered gem

I have heard similar things said about the country. During the 2010 Football/Soccer World Cup held in South Africa, a number of Kenyans (and expatriates) took several road-trips and came back with news of just how cool some of those places were. Malawi was always mentioned as this 'virgin' and exotic hinterland- and this coming from fellow Africans. But $750 for Gorilla viewing is maybe a little pricey. Here in Kenya, the Giraffe Manor charges upwards of $500/12-hour stay for the boarding experience and the intimate interaction with on-site Rothchild giraffes [1]. Of course, these prices are way beyond what the average Kenyan [2; 3] could afford and I suspect the $750 asking price for gorilla tours in Rwanda is equally limiting for residents there. Although prices are usually lower for natives/residents/citizens compared to tourists, most of the former rarely get to enjoy their own natural heritage and history (parks, historical sites, etc.). For instance, park entry fees at the famous Kenyan Maasai Mara National Reserve is $10 for citizens and $70 for non-residents. Add that to a $4 charge for vehicles and $100 for campsite reservation [4], the logic of going for such a trip quickly crumbles. Furthermore, this is in a country where the average hourly income (for those that are employed) is about a dollar. That said, the novelty of seeing animals in the wild can be lost to people that live near these parks: where is the point of paying to see an elephant when they routinely savage your farms and drink your alcohol [5; 6]. [1] http://www.thesafaricollection.com/properties/giraffe-manor/ [2] Here is a fairly accurate picture of what it costs to live in Nairobi: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country... [3] Here is an equally accurate estimate of minimum wages across Kenya: http://www.wageindicator.org/main/salary/minimum-wage/kenya [4] http://www.maasaimara.com/entries/park-fees-2 *USD 1= Kshs. 100 [5] http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Sh18-4m-released-for-animal-att... [6] http://www.livescience.com/24678-is-every-single-elephant-a-...