I see a lot of crazy things when I drive down the main street in Bukavu. I thought I had seen strange and fascinating things on the streets in Kampala, but Bukavu takes the cake. It is almost impossible to describe; you truly do need to see it to believe it. And I don’t think I can put it together in elegant prose, so you will just have to settle for point form:
• Pot holes big enough to loose a car in…OK not that big but pretty close! It is incredible the number and size of the pot holes. And this is on a paved rode. It is fun to watch and to drive as cars swerve around the holes into oncoming traffic. What is not fun is being the passenger or God forbid be sitting in the back of the Landruiser while going over said potholes. Most times you will have a car coming at you in your “lane” and they will honk/flash their lights at you like you are in their way.
• And speaking of lanes…there are no lanes. Cars go wherever they want. You stick to your side of the road, but the middle is first come first serve. I spend a lot of time driving down the middle…one to avoid the holes and two, because the taxi’s go super slow along the side honking to pick up customers.
• And speaking of taxi’s honking…it is constant…all day honking. The taxis here are just regular guys with a car. Sometimes they have a taxi sign on top but mostly they don’t. They drive like maniacs; you can’t be too close behind them as they will suddenly pull of the road right in front of you. Or worse, they pull out in front of you with no warning. Turn signals…what’s a turn signal.
• And speaking of driving like a maniac…everyone drives like a maniac. Even the NGO drivers; even me sometimes.! There really aren’t any rules and everyone is impatient. While there are not a lot of cars on the road, it seems like a lot as everyone drives so badly. The roads are so bad that in most places you can’t go fast. But in those places where there is un-potholed pavement…the faster you can go the better. (Me too!)
• Another thing you see on the road…two wheeled carts carrying wood or rebar being pushed/pulled down the road by a group of young men. It is an odd site and a job I don’t envy. Bukavu is rather hilly and it always pains me to see them struggling to get the cart up the hill. It is a delicate balance as the two wheels are in the middle of the cart. But, it is also funny to see them going down hill with someone riding the load and the rest running to keep up with the cart and keep it balanced.
• Fridays….how I hate Fridays on Patrice Lumumba Avenue…and Saturdays too. These seem to be the days that people get married. Many people! And the custom is to drive your wedding party down the road with the cars all decorated and maintaining a constant rhythmic honking. And the best part…they drive really slow so everyone can join in on the parade.
• It seems like life in Africa takes place on the side of the road. At least the Africa I have been too. In Bukavu it takes on a new meaning. On the side of the main road you can buy everything from running shoes to purses, from cell phone accessories to pirated movies, from thermos’ to kids toys and even Hawaiian lays. There is hardly anything you can’t buy along the side of the road. And this isn’t in a shop. People set up right on the dirt track that passes for the sidewalk or in front of an unoccupied building.
• It is always the noises that strike me as I drive to work; the constant sound of thousands of people going about their lives. But the one thing that always stands out to me is the boys who walk with metal buckets filled with soda bottles. The bottles are lined up around the bucket and they run the bottle opener around the bottles. It makes a musical sound. But combined with the noise of horns honking, police whistles blowing and general city noise it combines to make an often times ear splitting cacophony.
There is so much more to see along driving down Patrice Lumumba Avenue. Everyday there is something new and often I think of something I want to write about but forget by the time I get to where I am going. I think I need a bigger purse to keep a small notebook inside so I can jot it down as I see it. I guess a visit to the vendor with the purses I see on the side of the road is in order!
Bloggers note: And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was Dr. Seuss’ first published children’s story
• Pot holes big enough to loose a car in…OK not that big but pretty close! It is incredible the number and size of the pot holes. And this is on a paved rode. It is fun to watch and to drive as cars swerve around the holes into oncoming traffic. What is not fun is being the passenger or God forbid be sitting in the back of the Landruiser while going over said potholes. Most times you will have a car coming at you in your “lane” and they will honk/flash their lights at you like you are in their way.
• And speaking of lanes…there are no lanes. Cars go wherever they want. You stick to your side of the road, but the middle is first come first serve. I spend a lot of time driving down the middle…one to avoid the holes and two, because the taxi’s go super slow along the side honking to pick up customers.
• And speaking of taxi’s honking…it is constant…all day honking. The taxis here are just regular guys with a car. Sometimes they have a taxi sign on top but mostly they don’t. They drive like maniacs; you can’t be too close behind them as they will suddenly pull of the road right in front of you. Or worse, they pull out in front of you with no warning. Turn signals…what’s a turn signal.
• And speaking of driving like a maniac…everyone drives like a maniac. Even the NGO drivers; even me sometimes.! There really aren’t any rules and everyone is impatient. While there are not a lot of cars on the road, it seems like a lot as everyone drives so badly. The roads are so bad that in most places you can’t go fast. But in those places where there is un-potholed pavement…the faster you can go the better. (Me too!)
• Another thing you see on the road…two wheeled carts carrying wood or rebar being pushed/pulled down the road by a group of young men. It is an odd site and a job I don’t envy. Bukavu is rather hilly and it always pains me to see them struggling to get the cart up the hill. It is a delicate balance as the two wheels are in the middle of the cart. But, it is also funny to see them going down hill with someone riding the load and the rest running to keep up with the cart and keep it balanced.
• Fridays….how I hate Fridays on Patrice Lumumba Avenue…and Saturdays too. These seem to be the days that people get married. Many people! And the custom is to drive your wedding party down the road with the cars all decorated and maintaining a constant rhythmic honking. And the best part…they drive really slow so everyone can join in on the parade.
• It seems like life in Africa takes place on the side of the road. At least the Africa I have been too. In Bukavu it takes on a new meaning. On the side of the main road you can buy everything from running shoes to purses, from cell phone accessories to pirated movies, from thermos’ to kids toys and even Hawaiian lays. There is hardly anything you can’t buy along the side of the road. And this isn’t in a shop. People set up right on the dirt track that passes for the sidewalk or in front of an unoccupied building.
• It is always the noises that strike me as I drive to work; the constant sound of thousands of people going about their lives. But the one thing that always stands out to me is the boys who walk with metal buckets filled with soda bottles. The bottles are lined up around the bucket and they run the bottle opener around the bottles. It makes a musical sound. But combined with the noise of horns honking, police whistles blowing and general city noise it combines to make an often times ear splitting cacophony.
There is so much more to see along driving down Patrice Lumumba Avenue. Everyday there is something new and often I think of something I want to write about but forget by the time I get to where I am going. I think I need a bigger purse to keep a small notebook inside so I can jot it down as I see it. I guess a visit to the vendor with the purses I see on the side of the road is in order!
Bloggers note: And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was Dr. Seuss’ first published children’s story
1 comment:
Thanks for writing this.
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