I Get Around

Due to the state of the roads in Kenya, getting anywhere is always a bit of an adventure. When there are no charity vehicles running to town, the quickest way of getting there is to jump into a Matatu - and I literally mean jump, as they will rarely come to a standstill, so you've got to run alongside them and fling yourself in. The drivers are usually rather crazy and overtake in ditches, in front of lorries or even around bends if it's dark.

Inside gets pretty crowded...

Matatus are basically privately owned, shared taxis that will stop or drop you off anywhere and can range from standard four-seater cars up to minibuses. Most will be decorated with some wacky interior and/or exterior designs and have RnB music playing at ear-splitting volumes; something I definitely approve of. There is one running along Ngong road called "Gucci Mania", which has the craziest, loudest music I always look out for.

The owners like to name them after famous songs or celebrities. I have taken one called "Single Ladies" (playing only Destiny's Child) and another with a massive caricature of Mariah Carey on its side. Sadly, taking pictures can be difficult as flashing a digital camera or BlackBerry around is not the best move here.

Coming back from the Rift Valley, I had to take one similar to this:

Not with quite so many people, but I did have to sit on top of a pile of logs that started falling down halfway up a hill. Who needs themeparks in Africa when you can just take a matatu?