Daily Routines
I am a person who loves a routine. I had some strange
rituals at home but here my health depends on my daily routines. Every morning along with breakfast I have my
anti-malarial (doxycycline), women’s multi vitamin, probiotic, ADP and pop a
couple of scoops of vitamin C powder into my water bottle. The diet here is pretty nutrient deficient (I
would kill for some green veg) so these supplements though nice to have in
London are essential here.
At the end of the day my routine is more physical as I
remember to apply my mosquito at dusk and tuck in my mosquito net before clambering
through a small space into bed. I have
deet with me but I hate it so am using a local repellent cream which seems to
do the trick. Mosquitos aren’t too bad
at the moment but will be much worse in the wet season when pools of stagnant
water are everywhere. The hardest part
of this routine is that there is invariably something I need outside the net once
I am inside so have to try and creep out with disturbing too much. So
another checklist: headtorch, book, watch and have I set alarm on phone?
Public Transport
Poda Poda
On a bad train day in Surbiton I would stoutly refuse to enter an overfilled carriage for the journey to work. Here the equivalent is the poda poda (a small 12 seater minibus) which is never ready to leave until it is overfilled. I had to use them regularly while I was still in the hotel. It was quite an experience to see people throwing themselves in through the back window rather than pushing and shoving through the door. No regard is taken for age or gender with every man/woman for themselves. On day three I was actually pushed on by my fellow passengers as they had taken pity on me. They are a great way to improve your Krio by listening to all the conversations going on around you. There is a driver and his apprentice. The job of the apprentice is to shout out the window or open door where they are going. I often here “Aba, Aba, Aba” from those heading to Aberdeen. He also has to make sure there are as many people on as possible, take the money and make sure everyone gets off at their requested stop all of which they seem to manage very well.
Taxis
Well looked after black cabs have been replaced by ramshackle
yellow taxis. These are shared affairs
with you shouting where you want to go through window and seeing if driver is
going that way. No meter here rather set fare stages. One way is Le1,000. Being an opoto (read
white girl) I am often asked to pay two way for a journey the locals would pay
one way. If you want the luxury of
having the cab to yourself you first have to find an empty one and then ask
“cha cha”. It is much more expensive at
Le 10,000 to 20,000 depending on the time of day but you are guaranteed to be
dropped at your door rather than the end of the street which is preferable if
you are out after 11pm.
I was initially pretty nervous of taxis as there is a scam
whereby if you are the last person to get in the other passengers will tell you
that your door isn’t properly closed. As
you turn to check they will quickly pickpocket you. The whole taxi is in on it as the driver will
suddenly say he isn’t going your way after all.
You are let out of cab and at that point discover what has been taken
while being stranded on the side of the road.
My strategy for dealing with this is to not get in a taxi if
I am the last person or try to travel with someone. After 5 weeks I am now much more confident
and am hopping in and out as they are more readily available than podas. There is another form of public transport but
I shall save that for the next instalment…
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