mascot and roads

So I live in ntinde district of kampala. The guys I live with consider it a very safe area, so I have been going on walks down the street to get the feel of this country. Very different, let me tell you. If I smile at the people I pass, their face usually breaks into a wide grin. Otherwise I just get stares and “muzungu” with means white person. Also, I get offered rides constantly by the public transport.

On my way back from the market today I saw several men talking seriously together, all wearing bits of leathery skins. The scene reminded me strongly of colonial rebel meetings in early US history. They saw me and called me over with grins and asked if they could give me some of the leather stuff. At my skeptical look, they mentioned Burundi nation. Ah, they are the underdog party in the next election. I pointed to my skin, suggesting I couldn’t wear it cuz im white. They just laugh and kept asking if I would wear some of the stuff. We settled on an armband around my black shirt. All the way back to the house I got big smiles and pointed at. A white girl wearing their colors is a bit like a mascot to them. Immediately upon getting home, I asked the guys how dangerous it is to wear this armband. Not at all in this district, but might not be as welcome in other districts. So I have my first souvenir to take home, not wear.

So the roads are mostly red mud, but sometimes they have splotchy pavement from when the british were here. The back roads are the worst I have ever seen; ruts, potholes, random speed-bumps to redirect water. Going faster than a walking speed can literally wreck your car so no one does. The better roads you cannot go fast because there is usually a bad pothole not too far ahead. There are 4 traffic lights in the entire city but few pay attention. Otherwise there are traffic circles which have better success. i only know of one road that goes straight all the way thru kampala, the rest turn or end randomly. also, road signs are virtually non-existent. to get somewhere, you ask for the closest landmark or big store. oh, and btw, everything has 3 names; old african, new african, and english. good luck not getting lost.

I have found only two rules of the road other than driving on the left side which is only a guideline anyways. First, if your nose is there first, you have the right of way. This does not mean if you are GOING to get there first, no, you have to BE there to get the right of way. Everyone abides by this rule and the judgment is very obvious. That bumper is in front of that one, ergo he gets to go. This leads to almost no one looking behind them. But since everyone understands this rule, few accidents happen and few tempers get riled.

Second rule is if you are bigger, you have right of way. This is mostly a rule by pure physics since the smaller you are, the more you can move out of the way. There are trucks, then cars and taxi-buses, then bodas (motorcycles), then lastly pedestrians. Everyone is pushy. The taxi-buses are largish minivan things. They have a driver and a door-man and lots of signs on the outside. The rear window usually has the driver’s name and some motto about God. “God is good” “patience pays” the second I found amusing on the back of a pushy taxi. They can fit 10 people in those taxis and they are constantly honking at pedestrians to see if they want a ride. Bodas are more dirt bike than motorcycle really. They have a flat seat which can accommodate 1-3 people, but the record is 5. For a small fee, these can take you anywhere in the city, often faster than any other transportation. They drive between the pedestrians and the cars, but when the going is slow, they will thread their way between the cars. They constantly ask me if I want a ride. Im waiting for the guys to teach me how to pick a good boda driver before i take a drive. Bad ones are scary, but good ones are priceless. Ill let you all know how it goes.