So I was driving my moto the other day, and at a bad traffic jam, I saw a charrette (horse-drawn cart) pulling out at an intersection. The horse tripped a few times and then just fell on its knees. It got back up, but it had a difficult time getting across. I wondered if the owner was taking proper care of the horse. Before that, I had never seen a horse fall like that. Then, I was driving behind a car and something looked very off, very peculiar and for a few minutes, I couldn’t figure out what it was. Finally, I realized that the driver was actually on the right side of the car as opposed to the left. How odd! You’d think there would be some regulation against it (and maybe there is) but I suppose it’s not enforced. Also, it can be pretty scary. Like the other day, a taxi pulled out right as I was about to pass a car rapide, when a taxi pulled out, leaving just enough room for me to squeeze through.

Thus far, I have hit:

2 walls
2 cars

What I could potentially hit:

People
Sheep
Cars
Other motos
Car rapides and buses
Charrettes (horses)
Rollerskaters holding on to the back of cars
Cows
Trees
Cats
Dogs

Thus far, I have managed pretty well, I think. The first time I hit a car, it was a clandestine taxi and I hit it on the rear left side. Of course, someone else had beaten me to causing damage. All the occupants of the car, sauf the chauffeur were staring at me, and he looked straight ahead. So I just waved, and they waved, and he took off.

Second time, a car was to my left and trying to pass me, kind of at my rear wheel, and I went to go around a car rapide, and my kickstand got caught on his head light and yanked it right out. We actually drove a little ways with it stuck on my kick stand. This time it happened right in front of a cop, but he didn’t care enough to even come over and see if everything was alright. Oh, Senegal.

The two walls, I actually happened to hit them both while making it up over a curb. My accelerator is a touch sensitive. The store owner thought it was pretty darned funny that I had made a slight indent in the wall at the entrance of his store. And that was about as far as that went.

One time, I was a bit tired and turned to go down the wrong way of a one way street and I scared this poor bus driver and Rebecca (who was driving her moto behind me) to death. I just kinda turned and went over a little curb to go straight again.

Of course, one day a few weeks ago, I had broken down, and this guy was riding his moto and pushing my moto with his foot over to a mechanician (this is a popular way to help out a fellow motorist) when a cop actually did force us to pull over. So I showed him my vignette (sp?), and the guy who was helping me showed me his. Turned out the cop and the guy were friends, but he pulled me over anyway hoping I didn’t have my information on me so he could get some money. Luckily I had all that covered.

I guess the worst part is breaking down on a regular basis. Though now, at the very least, I am armed with a bougie (spark plug) and a cle bougie (bougie key, used for taking apart that part of the moto and changing the bougie). Though my last big issue was the croeux or the belt that makes the wheel turn. It broke twice, and it was an expensive replacement both times. 10,000 CFAs for one that broke a week later, and then another 10,000 CFA for a good one to get it on the bike. All in all, it was about 40$ repair. The bougie itself has to be replaced every month or so, I think it’s all the dust in the air. Never thought I’d become knowledgeable in moto reparations.