School's Out

Posted by Chris on Saturday, 21 December 2013

This is homemade Christmas tree Mk.3.Chris's Christmas Tree (Click it to see it in all it's glory!)

School has broken up for the holidays and I've finally taken the plunge and begun driving.We signed out a Suzuki van and Phil gave me some helpful advice about using a diesel-powered, right hand drive van. Here are some additional pointers I learned along the way.

Remember the route - there are no maps or Satnav to provide assistance. Pull out to avoid potholes if possible. Other drivers rarely give way to the right, so a vehicle may drive round in front of you when you're turning to pull off a roundabout. It is safer to drive down the middle of your carriageway on a dual carriageway to avoid lumps of concrete, people who sit on the yellow lines, jump the barriers to cross etc... It's OK to undertake but leaning on the horn lets others know you are there. Keep as close as possible to the vehicle in front and squeeze out taxis that try to sneak in from the right. You can get really close to pedestrians walking in the road-they expect it. Whilst remembering all this DON'T GET DISTRACTED by the local sights.

I've been collecting a few happenings on the central reservation or at the side of the road - 

  • a man cleaning his teeth;
  • a woman washing her hair;
  • someone washing another's hair;
  • a man standing on his head;
  •  a sheep being propelled along the road back legs held (wheelbarrow style);
  • a sheep propelled, both front legs held behind the purchaser;
  • two sheep propelled one front leg of each held;
  • a man using a sewing machine;
  • a tiny goat sitting on a pile of dirt inside an abandoned tyre (so cute);

  • impossible loads being carried by trailers, donkeys or women;
  • also a few others which are rather too impolite or distressing to mention.

Here are some live sheep travelling on a roof rack - I'm sure they were smiling! (Click the image for the full picture.)

 

Tags: 
driving

Comments

Bethany (not verified)

Sun, 22/12/2013 - 21:14

Oh mum please be careful with the driving.  One of my favourite people-watching spots was a corner in town in Blantyre, Malawi. The things one would experience there were eye opening!! So I am sure there are many a hilarious observation on your daily travels.  Delighted to hear more of your observations. Worryingly Paul said "it all sounds so normal!" Haha

Paul G (not verified)

Tue, 24/12/2013 - 09:24

Many years ago I had a business trip to Libya and was driven by a taxi along a newly built dual carriageway that looked to all intents and purposes like any in the world. What differentiated it was (1) cars coming in the opposite direction (in the fast lane) before dodging through a gap in the central reservation - rather than going with the flow of traffic to another gap! Totally terrfying to a paasenger of a taxi driving at least at 80mph.. (2) Huge holes in the middle carriageway (large enough to swallow a small car and do terminal damage to anything bigger) which were marked just by having scaffolding boards sticking out of them. Mind you Europe is not without issues. Gill and I came off at a junction on a Motorway in Southern Spain to find that after half a mile the road simply stopped as there had been a landslide. There was no way of getting off the road other than reversing back onto the (thankfully empty) Motorway. There were no road signs or warnings at all!. Trust you both have a great Christmas.

vi parris (not verified)

Tue, 24/12/2013 - 16:18

Love to read your blogs. Makes us think more of our stay there and we will continue to miss it but we do realize we are now in the right place as well. We are spending Christmas with our family here in Calgary. Our younger son and his girlfriend from Whistler won't be joining us. We will possibly go and spend some days in skiing in Whistler later in the season. We plan to try out our skis and our bodies on Boxing Day and perhaps a day next week. John does his first day of Ski Hosting at Lake Louise on the 27th so he thought he better try out the slopes first.
Hope you have a great Christmas celebration--you will probably have two celebrations.
Chris you are brave to try out the driving but I think it a necessity if you are there for a long period of time.
 
 
 

Coral (not verified)

Tue, 24/12/2013 - 18:03

Thanks for sharing those Chris - never a dull moment I'm sure!