AFRICA

I wish I were a talented writer. But I'm not. I am living in Central Africa. I love it here. There are so many great things about living in Africa. I see things that shock me all the time. I see beauty. I see nature. I see poverty. I see disease. I see death. I see life at it's hardest. I see a beautiful culture of community. I see wealth, more wealth here than I've ever seen in America. I see animals. I see bugs, bugs, bugs. I see things that literally shock me all the time. I am excited and I am going to try to blog about things I see and experience here.

Since it's expensive to have cars here, most people take taxis. In Seoul, taxis were the most expensive way to travel and I only did it as a luxury. Here it is common. The average taxi ride is about .40 cents.
I like riding in taxis because it's a good way for me to meet and see different people. It's a very communal experience. I ALWAYS meet interesting people in taxis. Some of the best conversations happen in taxis. Sometimes in French but I'm starting to follow along.

Basically, getting a taxi here is like a gamble each time. You stand on the side of the road with the other travelers. The taxi pulls up and starts at the end of the line. He honks, the first honk, and this means, "Where are you going and how much do you want to pay?" You then state your destination and price. The driver will then think about it for a few seconds and then honk, the second time, which means get in. Or if he is going somewhere else he just moves on to the next person.

The driver has a destination which is determined by the first passenger. If you are on the way or if he can drop the first passenger on your way then you will be honked at the second time to get in to the taxi. Now, there are many variables. If you wish to pay more this can usually influence the driver to go out of his way and drop you, much to the dismay of the other passengers. If this happens, they (the other passengers) will not hesitate to let you know of their displeasure. If you offer about 3 dollars, which is quite high then the taxi will kick everyone out of the taxi and take you directly to your door.

On my commute to work it's common to have more than five different passengers with me in the taxi. Three passengers in the back and two in the front. Then as people get dropped off the driver will inevitably pick up more people. These taxis are desperate to fill the taxi.