Sharing the road

When I first got to Malawi, sharing the road with walkers, people on bicycles, ox carts, goats took some getting used to. The scene on the road as we approached a settlement of any size with market stalls an/or stores was unreal. There would be many more walkers and bicyclists than in rural areas. And I’m not talking about two lines of people walking down either side of the road. There would be people walking two or three abreast on each side of the street, along lines of minibuses disgorging passengers, bicycles darting in and out of traffic, and walkers making the "mad dash" across the street. Our drivers were very adept at navigating through these busy areas.

On the outskirts of the towns and in rural areas, there were the ever present goats that would dart in front of our van. Neither Luzu nor Don hit a goat. Walkers were always present, although in rural areas they would walk one or two abreast, often on dirt paths that ran along the road.

I lived in urban areas for about seven years in my twenties. In New York City where I lived the longest, I rode a bicycle sharing the road with cars, trucks, and buses. Not necessarily minding my manners, but getting away with it. If you are driving near a dairy farm in a rural area, you may have to stop while the cows cross the street to or from a barn or a field. You may have to slow down to follow a slow moving piece of farm equipment until it is safe to pass. Visitors to some National Parks in America and elsewhere may have to share the road with various types of indigenous wildlife. Nothing I had seen to date in America prepared me for what it means to share the road in Malawi.

About half way through our trip while I was riding shotgun with Luzu, he commented to me that “in Malawi we share the road.” Roads in Malawi are for everybody, not just cars, vans, and the like. There will only be something resembling “sidewalks”Only in larger towns and cities such as Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Zomba were then anything that resembled "sidewalks."

When I came home and drove around my town, I immediately noticed how quiet the streets were. Even crowded American interstate highways have taken on a new meaning.