Everyone always dreads the morning commute to work. All of the traffic, waking up early and those crazy people you can’t help but yell at from your car who cut in a swerve.
Well my commute to work is a little different. It starts by me walking down to the boat. Shoving the boat off of the banks and then hoping it starts as I slowly start drifting down stream. Then I have to monuver around the crocodiles, hippos, turtles and giant water hyasin plants (that can get caught in the engine and cause havic). After crossing the river I have to tie up the boat on to the dock making sure the engine end is tied well in case a freak storm rolls in I don’t want it to drown our engine.
Once the river crossing part it through I have to wait for my bike taxi. What is a bike taxi you may ask, well it is a bicycle with a cushion on the luggage rack. So once the bike taxi arrives, you climb on to the back, inches away from the man that is pushing the bike. More often than not, the man pushing can’t weight more than 110 pounds and if you’re lucky he is young and fit; however, you don’t want the pusher too young because then you have a 10 year old pushing me on a bike which has happened.
After I climb onto the bike we are off through the national park. Most days we see the occasional monkey or baboon stealing a coconut or playing around on a dead tree however the day we all fear is the day we cross the elephants on their way to the river. When elephants are on the path, there is nothing you can do but wait and pray you are unnoticed. But that has only happened once.
The bike taxi ride in total is only about 10-15 minutes depending on heat and fitness level of the bike taxi driver. This is great time to practice my Chichewa and amuse all the village children. Then I arrive at the school and about 8 hours later do the trek back home.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The morning commute
Everyone always dreads the morning commute to work. All of the traffic, waking up early and those crazy people you can’t help but yell at from your car who cut in a swerve.
Well my commute to work is a little different. It starts by me walking down to the boat. Shoving the boat off of the banks and then hoping it starts as I slowly start drifting down stream. Then I have to monuver around the crocodiles, hippos, turtles and giant water hyasin plants (that can get caught in the engine and cause havic). After crossing the river I have to tie up the boat on to the dock making sure the engine end is tied well in case a freak storm rolls in I don’t want it to drown our engine.
Once the river crossing part it through I have to wait for my bike taxi. What is a bike taxi you may ask, well it is a bicycle with a cushion on the luggage rack. So once the bike taxi arrives, you climb on to the back, inches away from the man that is pushing the bike. More often than not, the man pushing can’t weight more than 110 pounds and if you’re lucky he is young and fit; however, you don’t want the pusher too young because then you have a 10 year old pushing me on a bike which has happened.
After I climb onto the bike we are off through the national park. Most days we see the occasional monkey or baboon stealing a coconut or playing around on a dead tree however the day we all fear is the day we cross the elephants on their way to the river. When elephants are on the path, there is nothing you can do but wait and pray you are unnoticed. But that has only happened once.
The bike taxi ride in total is only about 10-15 minutes depending on heat and fitness level of the bike taxi driver. This is great time to practice my Chichewa and amuse all the village children. Then I arrive at the school and about 8 hours later do the trek back home.
Well my commute to work is a little different. It starts by me walking down to the boat. Shoving the boat off of the banks and then hoping it starts as I slowly start drifting down stream. Then I have to monuver around the crocodiles, hippos, turtles and giant water hyasin plants (that can get caught in the engine and cause havic). After crossing the river I have to tie up the boat on to the dock making sure the engine end is tied well in case a freak storm rolls in I don’t want it to drown our engine.
Once the river crossing part it through I have to wait for my bike taxi. What is a bike taxi you may ask, well it is a bicycle with a cushion on the luggage rack. So once the bike taxi arrives, you climb on to the back, inches away from the man that is pushing the bike. More often than not, the man pushing can’t weight more than 110 pounds and if you’re lucky he is young and fit; however, you don’t want the pusher too young because then you have a 10 year old pushing me on a bike which has happened.
After I climb onto the bike we are off through the national park. Most days we see the occasional monkey or baboon stealing a coconut or playing around on a dead tree however the day we all fear is the day we cross the elephants on their way to the river. When elephants are on the path, there is nothing you can do but wait and pray you are unnoticed. But that has only happened once.
The bike taxi ride in total is only about 10-15 minutes depending on heat and fitness level of the bike taxi driver. This is great time to practice my Chichewa and amuse all the village children. Then I arrive at the school and about 8 hours later do the trek back home.
The elephant that knocked down a house
When the rains fail everyone suffers. The food supply you saved from last year has run out and the cost of food in the market has risen 400% while you are still trying to feed your family on a dollar a day. Family and friends constantly ask for loans or gifts of food if you are lucky enough to still have maize. Also because of extreme malnutrition and starvation you and your entire family keep falling sick. Thankfully however the local clinic distributes free medicines, when they are in stalk.
But that is still not your biggest problem. Everyone fears for their lives and fields when the elephants are near. Elephants like humans are drawn to maize when times get rough and are drawn out of the park and tempted by maize fields.
A herd of elephants can clear a maize field in less than a night, which is your main food source for the next year.
Recently a friend and college of mine had his parent’s house demolished by elephants and they ate their entire field of maize. Leaving them homeless and at the mercy of friends and family for the next year until they can re-plant. My friend, Stephano, asked for a loan of $12 because that is all he can afford to pay back so he can assist his elderly parents by buying them a goat and a small bag of maize. These two small gifts along with opening his house up to them are all he can do to help his parents to survive for the next year. So now Stephano is supporting his six children, wife, and two parents on a salary of $18.40 a month along with any extra tin (he is a tin smith) he manages to sell.
But that is still not your biggest problem. Everyone fears for their lives and fields when the elephants are near. Elephants like humans are drawn to maize when times get rough and are drawn out of the park and tempted by maize fields.
A herd of elephants can clear a maize field in less than a night, which is your main food source for the next year.
Recently a friend and college of mine had his parent’s house demolished by elephants and they ate their entire field of maize. Leaving them homeless and at the mercy of friends and family for the next year until they can re-plant. My friend, Stephano, asked for a loan of $12 because that is all he can afford to pay back so he can assist his elderly parents by buying them a goat and a small bag of maize. These two small gifts along with opening his house up to them are all he can do to help his parents to survive for the next year. So now Stephano is supporting his six children, wife, and two parents on a salary of $18.40 a month along with any extra tin (he is a tin smith) he manages to sell.
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