Cadillac - no photos, sorry

Play before work is the name of the game. Thursday is the first day of work for the six of us here. Until then, it seems like we are set to get a taste of as many aspects of Rwandan life as possible, including the clubbing scene.

After showering, changing clothes and “30 seconds” of the girls putting on makeup, we set down the long winding dirt and cobble stone roads for a 20-minute walk to one of the biggest Kigali nightclubs, Cadillac.

At 1500 Francs (3 bucks) to get in and 1000 Francs for each bee (or water), the outing was a bargain compared with the cost of going to most Canadian clubs. The atmosphere—Kyla and I agreed—was closer to that of a stripclub—black lights, glowing patterned carpeting surrounding the dance floor and mirrors on the walls/columns/ceilings. A front projection TV was tuned to sports highlights, big fans oscillated at every corner of the room and the music was a steady mix of African something, reggae, hip-hop and American popular.

Approximately 90 per cent of the club was male, interestingly enough, perhaps less so towards the end of the night—we left at 3:30 a.m. or so, but it was open until 6 a.m.

Great fun, friendly people, good times. I think I may have gained some new respect among the locals, having been seen dancing with six Muzungu (a ubiquitous Kinyarwandan word for white) girls at a time. Many suggested that I was obligated to share them. To this I would simply smile.