Biking the streets

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!