Transport

Here in Kenya you can get from one place to another in many ways, some better, safer and a lot more comfortable than others.

1. Walking only works with short distances and is not really safe due to it being written in our foreheads that we are muzungus.

2. Biking I would never do here but a lot of Kenyans get to and from work in that way. The traffic on the roads is usually chaotic and unlike the drivers in Copenhagen drivers here don’t watch out for bikers and wouldn’t really care if they accidentally hit one.

3. Matatos are strictly forbidden for us students, mostly because there are rapports every day about the accidents they are in. Matatos are vans which have been striped of everything inside them so that a couple of extra seats can be squeezed in, making the car a metal shell without any possibility of not crumpling to a metal ball in case of a crash. These cars are driven by people trying to make some extra money, they “stop” at the same places where the city hoppas “stop”. You just hop on when they’ve slowed down enough and pay 20 shilling (2 kr) and tell the guy sitting in the seat by the door where you want to get of. Matatos always have more people than seats in them, no air-condition and the driver usually has the stereo on full volume so it is not really a comfy way of traveling.

4. Citty Hoppas are the busses here in Kenya, a bit safer than the matatos but just as hard to get on and of. These we are allowed to go in and today will be the first time for me when I’m going with a couple of other girls from school to try boxing not to far from toy market. Just as the matatos they cost 20 shilling but unlike them they are supposed to be a lot more comfortable and usually not filled to the breaking limit.

5. The train I’ve already told you about.

6. Swedken is the only taxi company we are allowed to travel with. It is owned by a Swedish woman and all their drivers know the Swedish School so it is supposed to be the safest way to travel for us.