A view from the top

Disclaimer: the content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps, or the South African Government.

One of the perks of Peace Corps service is the occasional weekend away from site, which allows the volunteer to visit neighboring volunteers and/or towns in the country of service.  Over the final weekend of June my weekend away was spent in Graskop, a small town in the Mpumalanga Province that is in close proximity to natural wonders such as God’s Window and Lisbon Falls.  This trip did not disappoint.

I began my journey with a series of taxi rides on those public taxis about which I have written. This particular journey required three taxis to reach my destination.  I travelled without incident on the first two taxis, but on the final taxi the men sitting next to me decided it was time to put down a 6-pack of beer…it was 9am.  The bottles from their beer were rolling around on the floor when I reached my destination, and I kept stepping on them and falling over while trying to disembark.  I have no doubt that my fellow passengers assumed I had joined in the party when I was unable to stand up straight or dislodge my bag from under the seat.  It is best that one learns not to embarrass easily when taking part in a new culture…still working on that one.

My stay was in an old train car that had been converted to a backpackers (hostel) which was awesome, but rather chilly when the temperature dropped to about 39 degrees at night.  Luckily the lodge provided plenty of blankets for us to bury ourselves under.  At one point some of our fellow travellers locked themselves in their room and the decision to leave the warmth of the blankets to assist them became a tough one.

An arrangement was made with a driver so that we would be able to see as many sights as possible in one day.  The driver was so knowledgeable about the area, and made sure we had plenty of time to see everything and to take plenty of pictures.  I definitely got a workout hiking to the best vantage points, but was it ever worth it!  The views were breath-taking, and the stillness was soothing to the soul.  At the entrance to each of the wonders there were vendors selling curios such as woodcarvings and scarves.  Amazingly enough none of the sights were very crowded, so there was ample time and space to really enjoy the views.  The day ended with a stop in Pilgrims Rest for beef stew with samp, followed by a stop for pancakes (which is the hot item in this area).

After a weekend packed with activities I made the taxi trip home, this time requiring four taxis.  Sunday is not the day to travel by taxi, and about 4.5 hours of my travel time were spent waiting for taxis to fill before they would leave.  I had a fairly uneventful journey until I reached my shopping town, where I purchased groceries before boarding a taxi to take me back to my village.  While I was waiting in a half full taxi a man approached and began asking the other waiting passengers for 7 Rand, to which everyone said no.  He then asked me for 20 Rand, to which I said no, and then 50 Rand, again I said no.  He then proceeded to reach into the taxi to take one of my grocery bags from my lap, at which point the gogos (grandmothers) waiting on the taxi with me went nuts.  They threatened to beat the man within an inch of his life, and chased him away from the taxi.  A word to the wise, don’t pull shenanigans in front of a gogo, they do not tolerate bad behavior!

Taxicab Confessions

Disclaimer: the content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps, or the South African Government.

The mode of transportation that I most commonly use here is the public taxi, also called a kombi. These taxis can hold 12-15 passengers, and are the often the most convenient and cost-effective way to travel to shopping towns and other villages in the area.  In the village one can signal for the taxi to stop by pointing the direction he or she wishes to go, if there is room on the taxi and it is going the direction indicated it will stop to allow the passenger to board.  In the shopping towns there is a taxi rank in which the passenger will look for the taxi that is going to his or her desired village.  The public taxis have become one of my teachers during my time in South Africa.  Following are a few of the lessons I have learned so far. 

The most important lesson taught by this transportation mode is patience.  The taxi will not leave the rank until it is completely full, which can take some time.  During training several volunteers and I waited for a taxi to fill for two-and-a-half hours in the taxi rank. We didn’t dare leave the taxi during this wait, as once the taxi is full it quickly leaves.  Luckily we were waiting in a bigger city, so vendors were selling small luxury items such as grapes and plums.  Not only is there a wait for the taxi to fill, but often there are frequent stops to let passengers on and off.  Basically, being in a hurry and having any type of control over the situation go out the window when travelling this way.

Another important lesson is not to carry too much baggage.  Passengers on the taxi are forced to sit very closely with limited leg room.  Whatever you bring with you must fit under the seat in front of you, under your legs, or on your lap.  Carrying items on laps can be extremely uncomfortable during the summer, when the heat and humidity make the taxi feel like a mobile sauna.  This makes grocery shopping super fun, taking into consideration how heavy your items are and how much you can fit in one reusable bag while filling your shopping cart.

A third lesson is to know how to politely refuse marriage proposals.  For some reason there is almost always at least one man at the taxi rank who suggests that he and I should get married.  I have a fairly low tolerance for such behavior, but I dare not risk upsetting someone who holds the power to throw me off of the taxi (no way I am walking home!).  I find that pretending I don’t understand what is being said is a pretty effective way to discourage, while not offending, the would-be paramours. 

A really big fourth lesson is if there is a seat near a window, grab it!  Even in the summer many passengers do not like to have the windows of the taxi open.  I have heard some say that it is because many believe that they can catch tuberculosis or the flu through open windows.  During the winter months closed windows aren’t so bad, but in the summer it is unbearable!  Imagine being squished between two people with a lap full of groceries and absolutely no air coming in for forty five minutes…you exit the taxi soaked in sweat!

A fifth lesson that I learned just last week is to not sit in the front seat.  That extra leg room is certainly enticing, but sometimes it is better not to know what is happening on the road.  I had the misfortune of a front row seat when a bakkie (pick-up truck) in front of the taxi I was riding hit a dog.  I was a little traumatized, and possibly made a sympathetic sound.  The death of animals does not seem to have the same effect on people here that it does on people in the United States, and I definitely received some strange looks in response to my reaction.  Since you have no control anyway, better to ride toward the back of the taxi and stay blissfully ignorant to what is happening on the road in front of you. 

These lessons are just a few of the lessons that I have learned while using the public taxis.  I found them overwhelming and confusing at first, but am becoming increasingly more comfortable using this system for my transportation needs.  It can almost be a fun way to travel…as long as you aren’t going too far!