Is This Who You'd Want Your Children Taking Driving Lessons From?

After a very long silence I've decided to start sharing my musings once again.

As you might have guessed by the extended silence, the last few weeks have been quite busy. I left Sudan on December 20th for a whirlwind 13 day vacation. 27 hours in the air in 5 days. I flew all the way to LA from Zurich to finish packing up my apartment there, get it loaded and shipped across to a storage facility in the hometown Skarhead and Freddy Madball.

Once that was taken care of the remaining days were great, spent seeing family and friends. Very short stay given the amount of effort required to get home, nevertheless I appreciated and enjoy every second of being able to grace our fine country's shores with my presence. I really appreciate living there now, let me tell you. You get used to the simple way of life and the hardship that comes with living in a place like Juba, Sudan, but that doesn't mean you like it, or would trade it in. No way, no how.

Like my trip to Khartoum I transited through Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi is an ok town, kind of like the LA of Africa, minus the film industry and the beach and the mountains. What I mean by the Los Angeles of Africa is that it is quite sprawling so, while many rave about its beauty, it is rather difficult to get a real feel for it because there is so much sprawl. Oh, and the traffic is perhaps worse than LA's. Yeah, it is that bad. Apparently, I am hearing this second hand from a taxi driver, past governments and possibly the current one, pocketed money that was to be used for infrastructure improvements like highways. Instead everything in and around Nairobi effectively travels on city streets.

The drivers are somewhat better than in Sudan, but the distinct lack of lines on the road results in a positioning free for all, and while traffic lights appear to exist, they don't seem to be in use or heeded.

The other days whilst driving downtown to get a multi-entry visa I spied the above photo which should help you understand the type of driver one can expect to encounter here.

The traffic is so bad, it is hard to get more than one thing done per day and there is no alternative but to take some form of an automobile, preferably not one of the mini buses that dart in and out and al over. I had the uncomfortable fortune of trying one out the other day. They are their own thing, the are painted up, emblazened with rappers' visages or soccer team logos and blare loud music. This is mass transit here and interestingly folks from across all walks appear to use them, unfazed by the bass thumping.

I ended up sitting all the way in the back on top of the bass in the particular mini bus I entered. This was not good and not for the more obvious of reasons. Firstly, you are far from the door, which personally bothers me. I want to be able to get out when I want to get out, I don't want to be encumbvered. Secondly, when you are behind or on top of the rear wheels things are naturally bumpier and less comfortable. The real issue, however, was head room. I was sandwiched in there like a sardine. Of course as soon as I realized this I wanted to make a bee line for the door, but it was too late we were in motion. I literally had to sit leaning forward into the seat infront of me much to the delight of the middle aged female there. Not understanding at all.

I thought, ok, this isn't fun, but I can deal. That was before my esteemed chauffeur decided to get all Travis Pastrana on his passengers and go rally racing. Nairobi, being fairly bucolic in nature is not without dirt and grass. Well, my esteemed chauffeur took it upon himself to make use of all available surfaces and space to make his way around the city. This was not fun. Try to imagine offroading in an old VW van jammed with people. Not designed for such activities.

After what seemed like an enternity, I finally mananaged to get the driver to stop and tripped my way out on the roadway. Phew. I started the walk back up to the area where I am staying. Not too far and far more pleasant than staying inside that pinball machine. Amusingly, the guy passed me a short while later with a bemused look on his face. Why was he looking at me that way when he was driving in the opposite direction from where he was supposed to be going? I should have been giving him that look. These guys just cruise all over trying to stay full. When I got out there was room, schedules be damned, he was gonna check the hood for a new passenger.

This wild ride and semi-tear gassing while downtown as they dispersed an anti-Israel protest were two unique experience during the course of an otherwise fairly normal day in a fairly normal place.

More later, forgot my adapter.


Went to the Nairboi National Park yesterday afternoon.

Only taxis in this land from here on out.