Notes from the back of a bus ticket

I was in Lusaka again last weekend; it was an unplanned trip ... I went for a funeral for the wife of my former boss. Funny; five years ago, I would have found an excuse not to travel 1,400 km in three days. Now, it seems like the natural thing to do.

Sitting in the back of the Barotse Express bus, I jotted down a few notes on the back of my bus ticket:

1. Traveling with commodities: What we've become so used to in the States is never seeing goods (foods, clothing, housewares, etc., etc.) outside of the store or in our own house. This is not the case in Zambia. Buses are carrying people and their katundu, which includes commodities they might be selling in Kaoma, Mongu, Senanga, etc. You see, prices of goods in Lusaka (wholesale) are remarkably cheaper; if you can carry a bunch of goods with you on the bus and sell it, so much the better. Therefore, there were large packages of laundry soap bars perched precariously overhead for much of the trip, next to what appeared to be women's handbags. On rougher buses, esp. the old Tatas and the smaller buses, you find that you share space with poultry; on trucks, this can encompass all livestock. I once spent a horrifying few minutes dodging a boar that had loosed its bonds on the back of an ore truck ... ah, but that is a tale for sometime or never.
   
2. Obama America: People's eyes tend to glaze over whenever they hear America. It's not that they are drugged or tired; it's simply the same reaction most Americans have whenever I mention Zambia (Africa). Americans generally visualize natives with spears, loinclothes, jungles, the Serengeti, hungry children, etc. It's no sin ... they are simply reflecting on what they've seen in popular media. Reverse the situation: Zambians watch movies that feature lots of Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone, and Randy Travis; everyone has cars, money, and guns. Also, there is little understanding of America as a diverse nation; it's perceived as white, Christian, powerful, rich, etc. For example, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are perceived as a result of America as a whole, i.e. the people are indistinguishable from the government. George W. Bush, therefore, enjoys a mixed rating in Zambia; people generally dislike the idea of any war here, but liked his dedication of PEPFAR monies to fight HIV/AIDS.
   ;; The election of Barack Obama hasn't really changed much of that, with the exception of the shift in the perception of America. This doesn't mean most Zambians are familiar with Obama's politics; I fancy they could care less if he was a Tea Partier, a Libertarian, Natural Law, or the It-Saturday-Lets-Party. It's more the idea that someone with African roots could be the President of America ... it enhances the possibility of America. I wonder if the shirts, belts, etc. that sport his face and name are therefore in celebration of Obama or for that possibility.
3. Call boys: When you are a young man and have no gainful employment in Lusaka (or Kitwe, Ndola, or any town), you'll take any work you can to get by. One common profession is that of a call boy. Call boys congregate around transport; the minute you approach the Intercity Bus station in Lusaka, a hoard of call boys surrounds you and subjects you to an interrogation regarding your destination, your luggage, which bus you should ride. The idea (I think) is that they get a pittance for guiding people to a particular bus. They also perform tasks like helping cars and buses back up, washing buses, mock fighting utilizing martial arts skills gleaned from hours of low-budget kung-fu flicks, and generally adding the spice of inebriated confusion to an already chaotic situation. Amazingly enough, the minute you get a ticket, you become a non-entity to them. Somehow, they just know ...
   
4. Quotes: Last but not least, I saw some lines on the backs of buses that got me wondering: The Juldan Motors bus between Jo-burg and Lusaka features a rather chilling statement "Only the Strong Survive". For those who taken the Kafue - Chirundu route through the Zambezi Escarpment, these words are too true. In fact, it could be the motto of Zambian buses. Red Bomber (my antagonist from two weeks ago) featured a slightly lighter note: "Taking Transport to Another Level". Funny, that could be a higher or lower level.
5. Lastly, the back seat: great if you like to ride with the windows open (Zambians dislike wind blowing on them); not so great if you are taller than 4'6" and have two rambunctious young girls engaged in a hair-pulling contest in the seat next to you.

I reflected on why transport is so lousy in Zambia and the simplest answer is likely the best. People who make decisions regarding transport don't have to ride the buses.