Riding a Boda Boda

So I mentioned the boda bodas in my earlier post. They are everywhere here and besides the buses and taxi vans (which have been known to cram 20 people, not including kids into them) they are the cheapest way to get around. They are also by far the fastest because they can weave quickly between traffic. Probably quite unsafe, but this is Africa! And I enjoy riding them. It is nice to feel the air blowing, and the adrenaline rush is invigorating I have got to say. They are rather gutless so going up hills is painfully slow. I think the biggest ones here are 200cc.

When you are getting one to take you where you need to go you most often have to barter with the driver to get a far price. Being a muzugu they think that you have money to spare and you should pay them a little extra, but they come down easy enough once you state what you are willing to pay. Riding double on a boda boda quickly takes away whatever barriers you had with personal space. The first time I rode one I was was in the middle hugging the back of the boda boda drive. This was not because I wanted to be so close to him I smelt his lack of deodorant even with the breeze, but because Amy was behind me on the seat. And the seats are not big!

Sunday evening until Thursday morning I live in Kampala. Thursday afternoon I head out to the land where I am until Sunday. The land, as we call it, is where the boys home are. To get there I take a boda boda to the taxi park where I get on a taxi van headed  towards Bombo. Once I get to my stop I catch another boda boda to take me down a winding dirt road to the village where the land is. The nice things about the boda bodas are that they double as dirt bikes! These things can pretty much go anywhere. Altogether it takes me a little over an hour to get from Kampala to the land. Coming back it can take me over two if the traffic is bad.