Window Shopping

We're home now from our weekend trip and we're getting more familiar with our surroundings. We have seen and experienced so much in such a short time. Not even sure where to start but will begin by letting Alexis share about one long portion of our drive to Ngaparou where we spent the weekend at a beautfiful baeach. To drive 80 miles took us almost 3 hours...much of the time was eaten up sitting in a traffic jam unlike anything I've seen. I'll sign off & let Alexis describe it from here:


I wish I had pictures to show. This was something Americans would not be able to even fathom. They call it "window shopping." On our drive to Ngaparou the roads were flooded with cars, people, and scooters. Driving here, is nothing like driving back home, they are careless and have a tendency not to acknowlege other drivers. But anyways, fridays here are the busiest day of the week for transportation, and that was the day we were headed to the beach. In the midst of the heavy traffic, people swarmed around us, tapping on windows, standing next to cars, and setting goods they wanted to sell to us on the hoods of cars! within an hour HUNDREDS of people came up to our car trying to sell a variety of things, almost anything imaginable. Some examples are: water in bags, cookies, fruit, sunglasses, table cloths, steering wheel covers, TV antennas, cell phone chargers, cellphone cards, car reflecters, fire extinguishers, mesquito netting, razors, clocks, tools, window visor covers, TV remote controls. The list really goes on and on. Picture a US highway with a traffic jam due to accident, mixed with a flea market, except the venders are on foot going from car to car.


My (Joyce's note): The vendors were agressive but not rude. Ramona sometimes buys things from them. We may have a few pics ...I'll have to check - but we had to be discrete as people here generally don't like to have their pic taken. In this case, if they had seen us take their pic they would likely have expected to be paid for it!