Travel in Kenya

I am no stranger to travel, before coming to Kenya I had my fair share of crazy transportation such as the time I accidently took the nightbus in Morocco and used their shared taxis or being on buses in Peru that had people and livestock hanging onto the side for dear life* That said I was totally unprepared for traveling in Kenya* For starters you have to negotiate prices* While the prices are insanely cheap when converted to US Dollars they can be steep for PCVs and it's also a matter of principle* Unfortunantly when I arrived in Kakamega my supervisor did not tell me the correct price for the matatu (picture an extremely overcrowded VW van or minibus) trip from Kakamega to Kisumu* During the day the price should be 150ksh ($1.90) but I was told the night price (200ksh or $2.40)* I learned from this costly error and now make sure that I have the correct price so that I don't get ripped off* Touts generally aren't thrilled that I know how much trips cost which can lead to some interesting discussions but it always seems to work out* Basically they decide that they still want my money and because there's always room for one more I am welcomed onboard* In theory matatus should only have 14 passengers (that's what's painted on the sides of all of them) in practice this almost never happens and when it does it's because about 10 people decide to exit simultaneously* Matatus allow for no personal space which I'm kind of ok with, most likely because I'm tiny and fit into crammed spaces well* I don't usually have a problem sharing a row with 5 other people, holding some one's kid (or in one instance Magan) on my lap although it gets challenging when you're not actually on a seat (once again Magan)* I believe that the most crowded matatu I was on had a little over 26 people on it (I couldn't see everyone from where I was sitting--back corner holding onto my bag that was half way out of the window)* Sometimes, especially in more rural areas, people hang off the back and ride on the roof (I almost fell out of one because they couldn't keep the back shut and I was trying to keep a mama's chickens from attacking me)* Buses tend to be a bit better than matatus, they certainly cost more* A bus to Nairobi costs at a minimum 1000ksh from Kakamega, a matatu would probably be around 700 but negotiable* That said I've had some issues with buses* Sometimes bus touts decide that they want to buy food at the market so the bus stops for a few minutes, or people are dropped off and need to get their luggage from under the bus, these things are annoying but common enough that I've pretty much gotten over it* When things faze me at this point it means something's legitimately messed up, like when the bus Magan and I were on hit a petrol truck not one but twice* The bus had some dents but it was still running so we kept going* Don't worry no one was hurt* Arguably the most frusterating experiance was when I was trying to get to Nairobi for a doctor's appointment* There had been a bad bus accident the previous evening so they decided to inspect buses, fair enough* Unfortunantly this meant that my bus was pulled over between Kakamega and Kisumu and we were escorted to the local police station to wait for the inspector* Three hours later the inspector arrived* An hour later my bus failed the inspection* Everyone who had been on the bus was livid, including the nun I had been siting next to* She had some choice words for the driver* We all crammed onto a bus from the same company that had passed inspection (all of the seats were already occupied) to drive a bit down the highway (past the inspection checkpoint) to meet a replacement bus* At this point the medical staff had decided I should get off the bus in Kisumu because it was going to be around 9pm by the time the bus would be arriving in Nairobi and we're not allowed to travel after dark* The bus driver told me we would be bypassing Kisumu to save a bit of time so I had to convince him to give me matatu fair* I arrived in Kisumu 6 hours after I left Kakamega, a trip that should take an hour and a half (It's about 30 miles, roads in Kenya tend to be in bad shape)* I made it to Nairobi the next day* Other transportation options include piki pikis (motorcycles) which I refuse to ride because I've seen one too many accidents and drivers in Kakamega tend to be aggressive and often drunk, the same goes for boda bodas (bicycles)* Kenyans will be the first to tell you that piki pikis and boda bodas aren't safe and then proceed to use them anyway because they're cheap and available* Time isn't a priority, neither is space when the majority of the population is unemployed and living with 5+ children in tiny homes* Hence the embracing of matatus* I wouldn't say that I look forward to journeys in Kenya but sometimes you meet nice people and you can be assured that they're never boring*