The city used to be known as Kin la belle, but is definitely more poubelle now. Most of it is a work in progress, because very few construction projects seem to make it to the completion stage. There is rubbish everywhere, cars everywhere and people everywhere.

On the main boulevards its foot flat to the floor and at the intersections which don't have police manning them - its who blinks last wins. Actually, that also applies to junctions where there are police.

The main railway station is closed, (because they have no working locomotives) so everyone travels by car and bus - the vast majority of ordinary Kinois in a variety of the most battered old Mercedes vans ( with holes cut out for windows) and minibuses. Most panels are bashed and bent, many drive along at a jaunty angle because one or more shock absorbers have given up the struggle with perennial overloading and most windscreens are barely in one piece.

There are bubbles of "civilisation"/ security for white people - the hotels, restaurants and other venues favoured by those with money and the vehicles used to travel in between. But outside these bubbles it can be quite intimidating.