Letters from West Africa
Day 36. Transportation
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Bush taxi. A common transportation method between cities which also suffers a questionable reputation. The residents share their experiences of being packed into a car like sardines in a can, sometimes finding themselves in the back seat next to a chicken or a goat. Cars smelling of gasoline. Holes in the floor. Seats that break in the middle of the drive and the classic - aggressive and careless drivers.
I took my first ride on a bush taxi the day of the arrival in Cotonou and the experience was none of the above. The car was in good shape and the driver was a polite young gentleman who even carried my luggage to the hotel, for a small fee of course. I have taken a few more rides on bush taxis since and found out that such great customer service is not always the case. There is some truth to the horror stories after all. But with a careful approach, it is possible to navigate the wild wild world of bush taxis.
How do you find a bush taxi? You don’t. The bush taxi finds you. You can recognize a taxi from its orange plates and rickety appearance, often there is also a bunch of people sitting inside. But don’t worry, there is always room for one more, or two, or even three. You will find that a normal-sized Volkswagen can actually fit easily a total of 8 people - 3 in the front, 4 in the back and one in the trunk – and still pass the inspection of the officials stopping it for a random check. Despite the number of passengers, the drive was smooth but based on the appearance of the car and its broken windshield, it has seen a few less successful rides too. I held my breath during a few risky, high-speed passings on the opposite lane as the driver seemed to be more concerned with sending heart emojis to his girlfriend than with the road. On the plus side, his relaxed approach scored us an extra stop at an African drive-through – ladies with buckets of snacks next to the road selling fried cheese, fish and cookies through the window.
The bush taxis are for long distances but there is a two-wheel version of a taxi for the quick inter-city transport, zem. The helmets are recommended but optional, and so is the driving license. Still, I find myself enjoying the zems and take any excuse to jump on one. The drivers are often experienced locals who know every pothole and turn on the road. The feeling of freedom is intoxicating and the small surprising bumps of the road make the ride to the market a ton of fun. Cheers, Anna
Bush taxi to Ouidah was a total party wagon.
This is how you fit 3 people in the front seat.
Bananas on their way to the market.
This bush taxi has had a hard life.
Driving around Grand Popo with Franjesco.
Green shirt of a zem driver.
Zem.
The safest and most comfortable way to travel is with Villa Karos' car and it's responsible driver Serge.