Yesterday I received delivery of, among other things, my
bicycle. After an hour of
construction, trips out for tools, and a decent amount of profanity I was ready
to hit the mean streets of Pretoria.
Setting off from the gas station across the street I immediately came to
two significant realizations; first I had forgotten traffic flows in the
opposite direction and second that my bike cost a mere R800 and was
African-quality “Made in China”.
Speeding in and out of traffic ranging from brand new Peugeots to minibuses
filled with underpaid workers and old jalopies without doors…my bike seemed to
fit right in. The only thing that did not was the rider.
I have always had a bike wherever I’ve gone; they offer the
agility and dexterity of being on foot, while giving security in speed. However, as a white American biking the
4-lane highway of Hillcrest and Brooklyn, I was quite the sight during the
afternoon rush.
In a city where public transportation is not the safest for
the “public”, it’s hard to get around.
My neighborhood is pretty safe, but if you want to go shopping, see the
sights, or just get out and about you need to play it smart. There are local
mini buses that pick up day laborers, but no white man has ever been seen after
stepping into one. The safest way to get around is to hire a driver to take you
around, but that can be costly. Thus the bike is the best option, as long as
you don’t stop to often to give anyone a chance to steal it. Needless to say between the lack of
licensed drivers and the speed of traffic, my next purchase will surely be a
helmet.
The center where my classes will be.
The male weaver with completed nest
Male weaver with completed nest and female on above branch.
Hopefully I'll have some pictures of the actual city and campus soon. It's not a typical tourist city where you can just walk around with a camera out. Next week I start "classes" by going on a week long excursion, expect some great wildlife pictures the following weekend.
Totsiens!
