Kuuliza si ujinga

Transportation is a problem here. To get to the nearest town, I have to take a land-rover filled with up to 17 people. It moves slowly and bumpily over the dirt roads. The roof is loaded with everything from spare tires to bags of grain to peoples' purchases from town. And so far, we've had to stop on nearly every trip I've taken to change a flat tire.

I wouldn't say it's particularly dangerous, because we drive slowly. We have to. The road is fortunately dry right now, but it's rocky and bumpy. When it starts raining harder, we'll be struggling through mud and puddles.

In the U.S., you don't really think too much about going to town. Here, I have to remember to buy all the things that aren't available in the village: carrots, green peppers, oranges, plastic buckets, pitchers . . . either we don't have them or they're more expensive due to the transportation costs. Then I need time to use a computer, to go to the bank, to fax forms to the Peace Corps. All between our arrival in town at 11 am and our departure at 4 pm. It can be done, but it's hectic. And it really reminds you that you are living in a small town, in a rural area, when you go to the local market for tomatoes and they tell you you'll have to return in the evening after the truck from town arrives.