On the road

Most of the roads between towns are straight, with
gently rolling hills, but a lot more used than this one

This week was kind of crazy, with scheduled work at three camps during the week and surprise work at two other camps over the weekend.  I have always liked driving, especially long distance, so I was happy.

Driving here is exciting.  Here's a little sampling of the kinds of things you have to watch out for between towns when at the wheel:  

• Taxis - almost all 1980s model Toyota Corollas, painted the official city taxi color (green for Daloa) and often decorated with some pictures or text that's meaningful to the driver.  In Daloa they include "007", "Obama", "In Sh'Allah" and "Merci Maman".  They follow a fixed route and will stop for as many people as they think they can fit (which is more than you might expect), so they pull over at a moment's notice.
• Massa - minibuses driven between towns, but stopping at villages along the way (unlike the big intercity coaches).  These are usually old white Mercedes vans, often with the face of a famous person painted on the back - often a pop star or famous footballer, but sometimes a more political figure, like Che Guevara or Nelson Mandela.



You might be surprised by some of the
people that have been celebrated on a massa

• Trucks - especially lumber trucks.  It's probably better to be crossing them than trying to pass them, because they invariably belch lots of black smoke, making it extra hard to see the oncoming traffic.
• Motorcycles - thèse don't carry whole extended families like they used to in India, but they can easily carry 2 to 3 people, sometimes even with helmets.  Their drivers are usually pretty sensible, but they sometimes pass you from unexpected angles, especially if you've slowed down to work your way through a set of potholes.
• Bicycles - most nerve-wracking when ridden by young boys, because they tend to change direction unexpectedly without checking for other traffic.  Can be difficult too when they are carrying wide loads, like piles of wood, because they take up a lot more space than otherwise.  Cyclists often get off and push their bicycle + load up the hills.  I have only seen one cyclist with a helmet since I got here.  He was in Abidjan.  He was black, but I bet he was foreign.
• Pedestrians - people walk to market, fields or forest in single file along the side of the road, with their tools and wares or purchases on their heads.  Women and girls carry babies on their backs, and men sometimes carry children in their arms.  Now and then they'll be accompanied by a dog.  Toddlers often walk too, a little erratically, so you honk as you approach to let whoever is in charge of them know you're coming.  They often stop and step into the bushes as you pass even if there is no oncoming traffic, just in case.
• Cows - large herds are walked along the roads, apparently from Mali to the cities nearer the coast to be sold.  The cowherds are young men and sometimes boys, and are impressively good at getting the cows to stick to one side of the road when you're passing.
• Potholes - these can be anywhere, and come individually or in packs.  Sometimes you can tell the really bad ones because there's grass growing in them - a dead giveaway.
• Breakdowns - often triggered by the mercenary potholes, and usually hidden just behind a bend where they can take full advantage of the element of surprise.  If they aren't equipped with reflective warning triangles to put out they often tear out clumps of grass and put that in the roadway.  Drivers think it might be a really bad pothole and slow down - very effective!

The kind of timber truck you hope
not to have to pass on the road

In the villages, in addition to all the above, there are children playing, passengers getting on or off the massa, people selling snacks or toiletries to the massa passengers, people loading and unloading goods onto the massa, people deciding they should cross right then without looking, and farm animals.  Chickens regularly decide to cross the road, for whatever reason, as do pigs and goats and sheep.  It seems that where there are no fences the grass is always greener on the other side of the street.

All of this definitely helps keep you awake while driving.  I really like it because I get to see village life a bit and how people interact and work together.  It's stressful, but it's fun!

Arriving in Daloa - the green cars are the taxis