So I was travelling for few days to meet my friends all over Kenya.
This time I took the real and big bus this time as the memories from my last longer trip are still fresh. My first matatu driver was sleeping and woke up only when there was a hole in the road (luckily there's no problem with those) and I was really afraid of my life, I stopped the matatu and left. While I was waiting for the second matatu, a lot of young men came around me and tried to "help" me - that means to earn money from my presence. If a matatu stopped, they made some kind of deal (they thought that they are making it secretly)- they were basically selling me to the driver telling some price that he should ask from me in the and and what I had "agreed" with them. I was so annoyed, that I even did not want to ask the price that is obvious thing to do before sitting in. I decided that I will pay the amount according to the distance.
Well, I sat in and this matatu had no breaks. I was angry. I was sick. I was tired. And I was sure that with the "luck" I had that day, the next matatu will be worse. So I hoped that the town comes soon. And it came, too soon for the price that was asked from me. If I refused to pay, the driver said that the men had said him that this is the price I pay. I got angry. I said that many people can tell him many things. Then I said that he should repair his breaks, he asks "so what?", I said I could go to the police, he got very angry, asking: "Are you threatening me, let s go to police." I said that OK, let s go. I guess this was not the answer he expected and instead of taking me to the police station, he just drove the opposite way to the Nairobi highway. Then he stopped. I said that this is not the police station. The co-passengers said that "you arrived safely, why do you complain." I was wondering, how people care about their lives so less and just said that: "I hope that you reach to Nairobi still alive. Anyway, I was sick and tired, paid the money and left.
So, this time I took the real bus and the trip was really uneventful, only in Kisumu some people had created some kind of road block and were running around and jumping from car to car and putting some plants to the cars. I was not sure about what was happening, people closed the windows and all bus was quiet. But our bus driver was a real macho. He just held the leg on gas and drove through all this while a lot of cars had stopped and got stuck. Later on I heard that people are protesting because of the bad situation of the roads. Yes, they have a good reason for that - the road from Kakamega to Kisumu is kind of awful, consisting of only holes and the drivers drive on the side that has less holes or on the sidetrack of any line. Sometimes the sidetrack has 30 degrees angle or something similar, so the trip is an experience for sure.
---
One of the best moments during my trip to town is always eating.
I just discovered that I have got used to the Kenyan/Luhya village people way of eating.
Morning equals to the chai (tea). Sometimes I have also some bread, butter and tomatoes.
Lunch time equals to no food or sukuma and ugali (maize flower mixed with water and boiled and some green vegetables).
Dinner means ugali and sukuma. Or rice and cabbage if I'm lucky. Or sometimes even some potatoes. But that's it. No cheese sandwiches or pasta :) No meat. Ugali. Ugali. Ugali.
I wouldn't tell that I can't get food. But there's no variations. And also some important components (for me) are missing. So if I get to the town, I go and order everything I want and EAT. It feels really good. But even in smaller towns it's sometimes difficult. But I just eat my vitamins and if I reach back, I EAT!
:)
This time I took the real and big bus this time as the memories from my last longer trip are still fresh. My first matatu driver was sleeping and woke up only when there was a hole in the road (luckily there's no problem with those) and I was really afraid of my life, I stopped the matatu and left. While I was waiting for the second matatu, a lot of young men came around me and tried to "help" me - that means to earn money from my presence. If a matatu stopped, they made some kind of deal (they thought that they are making it secretly)- they were basically selling me to the driver telling some price that he should ask from me in the and and what I had "agreed" with them. I was so annoyed, that I even did not want to ask the price that is obvious thing to do before sitting in. I decided that I will pay the amount according to the distance.
Well, I sat in and this matatu had no breaks. I was angry. I was sick. I was tired. And I was sure that with the "luck" I had that day, the next matatu will be worse. So I hoped that the town comes soon. And it came, too soon for the price that was asked from me. If I refused to pay, the driver said that the men had said him that this is the price I pay. I got angry. I said that many people can tell him many things. Then I said that he should repair his breaks, he asks "so what?", I said I could go to the police, he got very angry, asking: "Are you threatening me, let s go to police." I said that OK, let s go. I guess this was not the answer he expected and instead of taking me to the police station, he just drove the opposite way to the Nairobi highway. Then he stopped. I said that this is not the police station. The co-passengers said that "you arrived safely, why do you complain." I was wondering, how people care about their lives so less and just said that: "I hope that you reach to Nairobi still alive. Anyway, I was sick and tired, paid the money and left.
So, this time I took the real bus and the trip was really uneventful, only in Kisumu some people had created some kind of road block and were running around and jumping from car to car and putting some plants to the cars. I was not sure about what was happening, people closed the windows and all bus was quiet. But our bus driver was a real macho. He just held the leg on gas and drove through all this while a lot of cars had stopped and got stuck. Later on I heard that people are protesting because of the bad situation of the roads. Yes, they have a good reason for that - the road from Kakamega to Kisumu is kind of awful, consisting of only holes and the drivers drive on the side that has less holes or on the sidetrack of any line. Sometimes the sidetrack has 30 degrees angle or something similar, so the trip is an experience for sure.
---
One of the best moments during my trip to town is always eating.
I just discovered that I have got used to the Kenyan/Luhya village people way of eating.
Morning equals to the chai (tea). Sometimes I have also some bread, butter and tomatoes.
Lunch time equals to no food or sukuma and ugali (maize flower mixed with water and boiled and some green vegetables).
Dinner means ugali and sukuma. Or rice and cabbage if I'm lucky. Or sometimes even some potatoes. But that's it. No cheese sandwiches or pasta :) No meat. Ugali. Ugali. Ugali.
I wouldn't tell that I can't get food. But there's no variations. And also some important components (for me) are missing. So if I get to the town, I go and order everything I want and EAT. It feels really good. But even in smaller towns it's sometimes difficult. But I just eat my vitamins and if I reach back, I EAT!
:)
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