Whitewater Driving

I passed my crazy driving test in Bamako a few weeks back, and now have personal access to a vehicle in the town I am living in. I really appreciate and enjoy this access, allowing me to explore the area thoroughly at my convenience. At the same time I began driving however, the rains began pouring. Couple that with a town that has limited infrastructure (including only 4 paved roads) and this is what you get.

Driving in the Venice of Mali

This is NOT supposed to be a pond

I need to get to that restaurant on the left...

Needless to say, my car gets dirty as I splash through

Apparently my guard thinks so too. I found him giving my car a wash yesterday afternoon after I returned.

Car wash

Squeaky clean (not for long)

I’ve never had any type of home help before. I am the daughter of Polish immigrants….I was the house help growing up! My guards have been wonderful to me, running out to get me things I need, fixing light fixtures, taking out the trash, and now…washing the car! Do you think I should be giving them something under the table? I’m just worried it might open the floodgates. What do you think?

Pole Position Bamako…aka The Driving Test

They sure do throw you in deep water here.

I was under the impression that I was going to be driven around the city before I took the test, to familiarize myself with the neighborhoods and traffic. So I was a little surprised when upon meeting my instructor, he handed me the keys to a very large SUV and said, “Drive.”

I was initially pleased with myself that driving a stick shift came back as naturally as riding a bike, give or take a few jolting starts. However within a minute, I was crossing a major intersection that looked like a mosh pit: cars, motos, donkey carts, kids, goats, you name it! I kept on stopping abruptly for every soul while my instructor was shouting urgently and frantically motioning with his hands “Go, Go, GO!” (This scene repeated itself about 8 more times during the test). But every time I stepped on the gas, something and someone appeared in front of me! With my shoulders hunched over, my left leg pushing on the clutch so hard that I think I have an abnormally sized calf, and my high pitched squeals echoing afar, I finally made my way through, followed by his laughter.

While driving, motos were constantly weaving between lanes, between cars, so you literally have to ride on someone’s tail in order to move ahead. If you ever allow more than a foot between you and the car in front, you immediately lose your place in that lane, as hundreds of motos come storming in like rapids causing you to wait indefinitely before you can move again (to the hoot of a dozen horns).

I believe there were three times my instructor shouted “Attention!” at the top of his lungs; twice after I nearly caused 2 accidents to happen and once when I might have scraped the shirt of a motorist, as I was turning.

As we were returning to the office on the bridge that crosses the Niger River, traffic came to a standstill and people jumped out of their cars to investigate a spectacle that just happened. I ask, C’est Quoi?” What is it?, and without further ado my instructor jumps out of the car to check it out, leaving me to fend off the slow traffic on a bridge by myself where I managed to sneak in a short video snippet (as seen below).

From what I understand, someone fell/jumped in the river.

Despite all this, when we made it back to the office my instructor smiled and exclaimed, “Vraiment, tres bien Kash!” Really, very good job Kash!

I’m am however considering buying a helmet to wear in the car. Is that weird?