Mornings in Africa

While still in Bukavu I walked to our workplace along a red dirt road with occasional views of Lake Kivu, and realized what a “muzungu” (white person) I’d become. I passed at least 50 people on the 10 minute walk and was startled to realize that I’m out of the morning greeting practice. You see, in countries like DRC or Bolivia, whenever you pass someone (stranger or friend) you tell them “good morning” (“jambo”, “bonjour”, “buenas dias”, etc.) Also I was reminded that pedestrians do not have the right of way. The cars drive “erratically” here in order to preserve their suspension and avoid potholes. This can be deadly to the unsuspecting pedestrian with no shoulder or embankment to scurry on to!