A ride in a minibus

January 15, 2011
Riding the minibus
I have been nervous about riding the minibus – mostly fearing I would end up somewhere and not know where I was. However, if I want to be able to get around on my own I have to learn and today was the day. I called Regina and told her I was planning to ride the bus home from downtown and she told me where to go to catch the right one. (I keep getting confused because everything is on the opposite side of the road). Anyway after I called her I carefully stowed my phone in my pouch and a good thing too because she called me back at once and to say she’d come get me because she was afraid I’d get lost but I never heard the phone in all the noise. I am glad because I might have chickened out and missed the adventure.
I walked across the street from Shop Rite to where some minibuses were pulling up and asked for the one to the main bus “station”. The “station” is actually a series of dirt lots where the minibuses deposit their riders and the wait for the bus to fill before they proceed to their destination. Once deposited at the “station” one has to walk around to find the buses with the right placard in the window. I live out towards the “Bunda turnoff” so I had to find the bus that said “Bunda or one that says Mchinji” (same direction). I walked quite a way and finally found a bus with a “Bunda” sign. Regina’s daughter had already told me it should cost $100 Kw about 70 cents so I was ready with an appropriate note. There were already 4 people in the 12 passenger bus when I got in. By the time we were ready to leave there were 16 (17 if you count the baby) – four in the front, five in the second row – two people sitting on each other’s lap, and three in each of the back rows. One of the guys in the second row was the money collector but he didn’t collect until we were on the road. While we sat waiting for the bus to fill vendors came by selling water, juice, popsicles, lollipops, newspapers, and used clothes. Once the bus was over- full the driver tried to start it but it wouldn’t turn over so the money collector and a couple of young guys on the bus got out and pushed until it started. Then we sat in the minibus traffic jam as we wended our way out of the minibus area onto the highway. About 4 km out the money was collected and an older woman in the back asked me where I was getting out. I said I didn’t know the name but it was across from the Dongoloso furniture company past the second market. “Oh”, the man next me said, “that is Caphiri, which means small mountain”. So we rode along packed together in a bus with no shocks, on seats with no springs on tarmac with lots of holes and wavy pavement until we reached “Caphiri”. As we reached there I noticed for the first time that there was a small mound of stone a few km behind the market. The driver didn’t stop at the market, he went on and stopped directly across from Dongosolo to let me out which was very nice. Some of the people on the bus were worried because they thought I didn’t know where I was going – perhaps because you can’t see Regina’s house from the road- but I assured them I did know where I stayed. Regina said she thought they were wondering what a Mzungu was doing living way out here! I thought they were very kind. They let me off and I caught a lucky traffic break and made it across the highway before they left.
As I walked down the little dirt track to our house, I encountered a herd of cattle being managed by two little boys of about 6 years (see pictures). They had little sticks that I guess they were using to direct the cattle. (Only one of the boys would let me take his picture so you only see one). As I was going to our gate, an older boy came running, I think to help the little ones. Quite an adventurous day!

Pictures of all of this and Regina tomorrow!!