Cabs and minibuses

February 3

I'm not sure how much I've told you about transportation so I'll just share everything I've learned.

For us students, there are really only two modes of transportation: cab and minibus. When we first got here, a few of us tried taking the minbus. They are definitely an... interesting way to travel.

Minibuses are akin to pale blue and white minivans. They congregate in what could loosely be called a haphazard terminal in town. When you walk by these buses, the driver or copilot will usually shout their destination for you. (Shop Rite! Shop Rite! Limilunga!) If you're planning on going to Limilunga, which passes through Malingwa, where we live, then you might be in for a wait. This bus only leaves once it is full. And not full like, we are out of seatbelts (there aren't any) but full like, there is literally no more room on the seats or floor and, shouldn't you buy me dinner before we get this close? kind of full.

The buses going to Shop Rite, however, leave at any given time because they are sure to pick up more passengers on the way. Once you pay your fare (rarely more than K3000 or 0.60USD), the minibus, with biblical quotes splashed across the windows, is off! (Usually the quotes on the bus will indicate your fate upon boarding - "Go to Jesus!" "Have fate!") Staffed with a driver in the front and a copilot squashed next to the sliding door on the left (door functionality may vary), the buses zip down the road. As you pass by pedestrians - and there are a lot of pedestrians - the driver will tap on the horn for each one. Either the pedestrians will keep on walking or they will flag the bus down. The door swings open (or falls off), the person embarks, and you're off yet again. Even though I have taken several of these minibuses, I never quite shake the feeling that I'm on a roller coaster with no safety harness.

Our other option for transportation is the mostly trusted taxi. I say 'mostly trusted' because we've only been driven to a poorly lit abandoned warehouse once. All the other times we have managed to find our destination. Unlike in Canada, being a taxi driver isn't just a job - it's a way of life. The only requirement for being a taxi driver here is to have a four-door sedan (again, functionality may vary). They don't seem to work for a central dispatch or anything of the sort. Instead, their business is based on their personality and trustworthiness.

Like the bus 'terminal', there are many places through town where taxis congregate. Drivers will yell at you, honk at you, and even run over, take your hand, and walk with you.

Here's the protocol: Walk to a flock of taxis, ignore the competitive shouting, call out where you're going, ask how much it will cost, decline the grossly inflated makuwa-price, and secure the local price. You see, the cars aren't outfitted with those red counters that indicate how much money your fare is. Instead, you agree on a fare beforehand. One person may pay K50,000 where another might just pay K15,000. Don't get too ripped off! But also, don't sweat the small things. A difference of K5,000 is really just a dollar.

Our favourite cab driver (we have his mobile number, of course) is Calvin. Calvin is this incredibly reliable driver that comes to pick us up from anywhere. When he takes us to Shop Rite - "Calvin! It closes in thirty minutes, will we have time?" "Yes, I know a shortcut" - he will actually wait outside to take us home. He loves asking us questions about Canada and was shocked to learn that, despite our differing heritages, that we were all Canadian. He is saving up to purchase a new car and we're hoping that our regular business helps him along his way.