Transportation

Taxi-brousses are the primary form of transportation in Madagascar as the great majority of folks don’t own a car, bike, or motorcycle. These are dilapidated vehicles sent from abroad. Frequently these vehicles will break down or need an extra push in the back to get moving. This is one of the reasons why the mpaneira (freight collector) sits close to the side door. Here is a recollection of one of my more interesting rides. My vacation started off with me dozing off in the front seat of a taxi-brousse. Before I knew it the dashboard started to emit toxic fumes, then comes the voice of the driver through the smoke screaming at me to get out, and then the push which caused me to jump out of the vehicle and run to safety with the other passengers. “Just another regular taxi-brousse ride,” they said with their eyes as they grabbed mangoes and snacked on them while the mpaneira and the driver took out their tools and went to work. We hopped back in and before I know it a zebu (humped back cow) attempts suicide by running adrift from the rest of the herd across the street right into the hood of the car. It knocked over. No worries, it just brushes itself off and meanders back to the others. Another two hours is spent between the herders and the driver arguing over who deserves compensation. The headlight is smashed to bits and the herder thinks his cow is hurt. We’re on the road again. Oop, passed a fellow volunteer who is carrying water in a bucket on her head near the road. We wave at each other. I’m in a van that is meant for fifteen passengers but is miraculously seating thirty, and I’m logged right smack in the middle. Passengers are passing around quat leaves in order to make the ride more tolerable.