Transportation around Kenya

I've been wanting to post this on my blog for a while, but needed the pictures to supplement! (I will be adding them in as I can capture them with my camera!) The ways people find to get around never cease to amaze me, and in Kenya, where resources are so low, people have been especially creative (and brave!) with their transportation.

Let's start with walking. Have a load to carry, why not put it on your head and walk gracefully through crowds? I tried this down the hallway at the hostel, and it didn't go well . . .

If you're lucky to still be a kiddo, your mom might snuggle you close to her back and carry you around with her.

Now we've come to the many splendored activity of bicycling. You can ride by yourself, with a lady sitting sideways on your back cushion, 3-deep, or carrying wood, generators, hundred-pound bags of feed, whatever you fancy!

Add a motor to your two-wheeled friend and you've got an even speedier, and more dangerous, mode of transport. The scariest thing I've seen is a man driving a motorcycle with a lady holding on behind him and a toddler smushed in between them on the seat - all with no helmets! (I'm not sure how they got this motorcycle on top of the bus!)

I'm not sure what they call this next step up from a motorbike, a motor-trike? These things are mostly out in the country, and they get pretty good speed on those dirt roads.

Now we're getting to the boring but necessary for completeness simple automobiles. You can drive one of these if you are lucky enough to own one, or just decide to drive others around as a taxi. The names of cars over here are great, the Toyota "Corona" is my personal fave.

Finally we come to the Kenyan classic, matatu's. These are in-between a taxi and a greyhound. They are personally-owned small vans that seat anywhere from 1-30 passengers (11 actual seats) and have great names like, " " or " ". Some are tricked out with neon flashing lights and decals, while others keep it simple. We are not allowed to ride matatus by rule from IU because their drivers are notoriously awful, but some students have snuck onto a few here and there. The rule is, it isn't a matatu ride if (1) there isn't at least one chicken in one person's lap and (2) there aren't at least 15 people squeezed into 10 seats. Bonus if you're on the matatu so full that the extra passengers hang on with the sliding door open (see above picture closely).