Giporoso corridor: One long shady avenue

Some people tell you horrifying stories about a particular place just to warn you never to go there. This was a different case. This warning they gave me just made me curious and I had to check out a street known as ‘Corridor’ in Giporoso.

Friday, May 31, 2013
The infamous Giporoso Corridor.

Some people tell you horrifying stories about a particular place just to warn you never to go there. This was a different case. This warning they gave me just made me curious and I had to check out a street known as ‘Corridor’ in Giporoso. Corridor is a dusty street in Giporoso close to the traffic lights right behind the MTN and Tigo offices. It’s not a very significant street but if someone listed the activities that happen there, you would think it’s a large town. Because of the terrifying stories I was told about the place, I left my watch and phone back at home for security purposes. I was even warned against going to the place well dressed. Dressed in some old and faded t-shirt, I hit the street. Even with my lousy outfit I was by far one of the smartest people. There were many people walking on the dusty road that is mainly comprised pot holes and stones. I was welcomed by a group of men who stood outside a small salon. One of the barbers named Fred pulled my hand and shoved me inside for a cheap hair cut, promising that there will be a woman to wash my head and massage my neck and shoulders at Rwf 700. "This is one of the best and cheapest salons around this place. We really pay attention to our customers and give them a relieving upper body massage after. You can’t come with dusty shoes and go back with them clean. That is how much we care,” Bigira said. The salon was small with a black curtain that separated the washrooms from the shaving area. I saw tiny restaurants filled to capacity. One thing I noticed about these restaurants is that they are hidden from view. They have curtains at the entrance and to notice any kind of action, you have to enter. Felix Nsengimana, one of the business men in this place, charges phones for a living and says he enjoys the place. "This street is basically a town; everything can be found here. And as you can see there are many restaurants but you will be shocked at night because there are many bars too. All these restaurants clear up and turn into bars with a dancing floor. You can’t get enough of this place,” he said. I entered a restaurant called Flora Bar and Restaurant, for a meal and brochette  for Rwf 400. That got me worried about the quality of the food but when it came, it looked absolutely delicious. Aside from the hidden restaurants, lodges are the next most prevelant thing. When someone mentions lodges, the next thing to come to mind is prostitutes. As I checked out the prices at different lodges, at one particular one, prostitutes lurking around asked me if I needed company. One girl in particular wore a short black dress and had used a  cheap perfume, giving me no interest in listening to another word from her. There was an attendant seated, waiting while listening to evening news on a radio. It was a Saturday night and couples flocked in and out of the rooms as the workers walked in and out with bed sheets. Manzi Kamanzi, the lodge attendant, showed me the cost sheet of these rooms for a night. "A room is Rwf 3000 a night but we can bargain. The beds are quite big for two people. We also have breakfast as part of the package,” he said. I was certainly sure they had no reason not to give breakfast as most people just use the rooms for an hour or two and leave. This street isn’t as long as one would think and the bars are very small. But one thing they pay attention to is the size of their music speakers. One of the bars I entered had speakers that almost covered the whole place. When I peeped inside, I was shocked to see students (in their uniforms) dancing as men cheered. That was when I concluded that the street was bad news. Aside from the bars, lodges and restaurants that have extremely cheap and nice food, there is nothing more to write about this place.