Matatus

October 29, 2010

Something I realize I've never mentioned - but surely need to - is MATATUS. Matatus are a mode of transportation in Kenya (and a lot of Africa, I think). The Matatu is kind of like a bus, in that they follow a fixed path all day but unlike a bus in that there are no set stops or real schedule of any kind. For example, my friend Emily takes the same matatu (the #106) to and from town every day. But sometimes she waits half an hour for one, and sometimes (if she runs fast enough) she can catch one just as she leaves her house. And the driver doesn't stop unless it's picking someone up, or you tell him you need to get off.

Matatu drivers are RIDICULOUS in the driving arena. They completely ignore most traffic laws. At first this was scary, but then I realized that Nairobi drivers, as a whole, tend to drive wrecklessly - and they all know this, so they're good at creating little actual mayhem.

Anyways, there's this guy who's always in the matatu aside from the driver. He's called the "taut" although I don't know what his real title is. He's the guy who communicates to the driver when to stop and when to keep going: by hitting on the side of the matatu with some coins to make this "coin-on-metal" sound. He's also the one who collects your money. The taut mostly just sits in the matatu, but sometimes he's hanging out the door, which is open, while the matatu is driving, yelling at people to get them on the matatu. Sometimes when there's a big jam (traffic jam that is) he gets out of the matatu and scurries around looking for passengars.

The "taut"

Matatus are really cheap, generally. The rate generally goes anywhere from 20shillings to 60shillings I think - depending on where you're going.** (Although I don't take matatus to get into town, so I'm not sure how much that is.) To pick up a matatu you kind of just flag them down and then get on, but sometimes traffic is stopped and you just kind of hop on one. The music in matatus is always SUPER LOUD. I've heard a lot of reggae and a lot of hip hop. But Megan said she had a matatu driver who sang along to A Whole New World one time - so the genre really could be anything, ha-ha.

That's all I can think of to say about them. And - Mom. Dad. We will be taking matatus. Get ready!! (If only to ride one for fun because it's kind of a cool experience.)

**Note: It's good to memorize how much it costs for you to go from point A to point B, if you do that trip a lot because drivers will try to cheap you out on the occasion.