Well, there’s no Whole Foods in Kigali, but there is Nakumatt and while browsing the store the other day I noticed a very small natural foods section. It’s true that I had seen this tiny kiosk before, but I always thought it just sold vitamins. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something that challenged everything I thought I knew about Africa - Tom’s Deodorant. I mean, even in the US it’s not like this is a standard product at most supermarkets outside of California, New York, and college towns. And it’s not even Tom’s most popular and original product - toothpaste. Instead, it’s deodorant that doesn’t even really work well for $18. Eighteen Dollars?!

Luckily, I brought a year’s supply of this stuff. If I have some left over when I leave, looks like I can make some decent pocket change.

By the way, Rice Dream? $10. Good thing I’m vegan around here.

That was all I saw in the way of American health food store goods.

Oh, and by the way, the headline comes from Lewis Black on The Daily Show who, after showing a clip of a CNN reporter in Zimbabwe buying 3 cans of beans for 1 Trillion Dollars back in August exclaimed, “I didn’t know there was a Whole Foods in Zimbabwe!” (Zimbabwe has 600 million percent inflation).

Well, there’s no Whole Foods in Zimbabwe either, but there may very well be a Nakumatt.