09.08.07
Roadsigns: Speaking of Travel…
And for those Kenyans who are not in the road there is a faster means of travel that brings the same “I may die any second” life on the edge kind of thrill.
May I introduce the infamous “Matatu”.
The means of travel for 95% of Kenyans…and any and all extreme sports tourists that visit the country. Matatu drivers are known for their skills in forging paths where no vehicle has ever gone before…
And in paths that no vehicle should ever even consider going (ie. Sidewalks, jogging trails, driveways, any place that there is no formidable barrier).
The funny thing is that most of them have stickers on the back that say “be a courteous driver, please give way”. Most Matatu’s are a 14 passenger Toyota van.
There is a driver…who does the driving. And the conductor…who collects passengers, collects money, and when all the seats are taken hangs off the side of the van hollering for more passengers to come aboard. There is now a law against overloading Matatu’s but in the not to distant past (and not all that uncommonly now) you could see one of these wild rides stuffed with twenty plus passengers. Each Matatu is generally a privately owned vehicle and the décor is of utmost importance…
The general goal seems to be to take some western/American/Christian/Musical slogan and plaster it in sticker letters to your van. The result is often humorous and sometimes puzzling.
Here’s a few we’ve caught as they whiz by:
“God is Able” – Good thing cause without Him you may not live through the experience.
“Snipers” - Very appropriate as the goal seems to be to take out as many other moving objects on the road as possible.
“Bruised and buttered” - ????????????????? No joke, we see this one all the time.
“E=MC2″ – Ok, must be the smart people bus.
“In God We Trust” – Once again, it’s a very good thing cause He is your only hope on this ride.
“Divas” - This one comes complete with ear-piercing music videos. You can see the people inside vibrating along to the bass.
“The City Hoppa” – These are actually a company and are a bigger, comfier, safer ride.
“Half-Baked” – As in you must not have spent enough time in the oven if you’re climbing on this machine. Seth just asked Rahab what other Matatu’s she’s seen. She just looked at him like he was a crazy person and told him that she had never noticed that they said anything other than where they are going…
To answer the question now burning on all of your lips: Yes! We have ridden on these contraptions…and lived to tell about it. I have actually only been on about 5 Matatus. Seth has been on them numerous times and oh, the stories there are to tell…
Coming soon to a church near you…if you live in WA or MN. : )
~Roadsign of the Week~
Sign on a tanker truck “Foul Drainage Sub-contractors”. HHhhhhmmmmm. I can only guess at what this means. As observed before Kenyan culture is a very polite and discreet culture…
~Food Find~
Bag of guts. Yes, in the meat case at our local Uchumi you can get (along with your chicken and sliced ham) a bag of innards….and I don’t just mean kidneys, heart, ect. This is more like intestines. To go along with that grilled goat head.
I may be a proficient cook but I have yet to find a use for this meaty treat…somehow I don’t think Seth would go for gut stew.
P.S. pictures wouldn’t come sorry all…