For me it has been extremely interesting to revisit a city which I have known since 1994, rediscover known and discover new places, and wonder at all the changes which have taken place since those difficult years. Christian will write about his impressions himself...
Electricity cuts and on-and-off water supply are a thing of the past, at least here in the capital. Traffic has increased dramatically, with a mind-boggling mix of old Ladas and western cars (of course the ever present old Mercedes cars, but also Landrovers and even Hummers!!!). This also means that air pollution is much worse than before and that traffic jams regularly occur, despite all the new and redone roads and tunnels. Crossing the streets is a horrific experience for the western pedestrian.
The economic situation has improved for most people, but stays difficult for some: a school teacher now earns approximately 200 USD a month (up from 50 USD ten years ago), and this is just barely enough to buy food for a family. However, many new shops and 24h supermarkets have opened, internet cafes are full of mainly young people communicating all over the world, and cafes and restaurants are busy.
In terms of the political situation, things are quiet, which doesn't mean all is OK. There is a lot of police and military personnel around the Republic square and especially the Opera. The government seems nervous about a popular movement continuing to express dissatisfaction about the outcome of the Presidential Elections, during which several people were killed. On Genocide Memorial Day on 24 April people (including us) were even prevented from accessing the Opera square, which had been the scene of demonstrations earlier. People seem to be quite disillusioned with the government, but life continues fairly normally despite all this.
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