In Bamako, the main form of public transportation is a "green machine" or sotrama. These are green vans modified with wooden benches surrounding the perimeter of the interior and bars to hold onto attached to the roof. They run various routes around the city, and for the most part dont have specific designated stops. It costs between 20 and 30 cents for a ride- maybe a bit more for a longer trek.
There are rules of a sotrama: everyone must be sitting, it cannot go over its maximum occupancy, and be friendly to the people around you. Lets break this down a little more.
1- you must sit. Now, that sounds like a safety precaution, but can really be a hassle. In the afternoon, it can be quite crowded and finding a sit usually means standing awkwardly in the middle until enough people squish together to make room to wedge you in.
2- maximum occupancy. this correlates with the sitting, where the maximum occupancy is around 25 people. Let me remind you this is a van... to fit 25 people, it really is squished. Never did I know that my hips could condense into such a small shape to fit between two Malians. The plus side is when the driver slams on the breaks, I dont have to worry about bracing myself I am so tightly wedged in between people I couldnt move even if I tried.
3- Be friendly. Most of the time the people around me will try to start a conversation in Bambara and since I dont speak Bambara it ends fairly quickly. My favorite story so far was with a man who spoke English. Ed, Hilary (my roomie) and I were riding several routes to figure out the best ways for Ed to get around from his house. A man heard us speaking in English and struck up a conversation that went something like this.
man to Ed -are these your two wives? (referring to me and Hilary).
Ed- uh, no... but she is with me (pointing to me)
Man- Oh, so then she is free? (pointing to Hilary)
Ed- Huh...
Hilary- oh, no, i have a boyfriend.
Man- Well that doesnt matter, come to Mafti with me. All of you. You can be my wife (to Hilary) and you two can live with me. (Mafti is a neighboring city).Ed- Oh, no. Thanks though.
Well, it was rather funny, yet really awkward. Fortunately the guy really was harmless and enjoyed teasing us a little (although I am not sure what would have happened if we had agreed...)
(a poorly timed picture of a sotrama.. but you can see why they are called a green machine)Oh, riding the Sotrama is a joy and always an adventure. I think my favorite thing is the lack of rush. People never seem to be in a hurry and know that it can take a long time to get places. When a stop comes, I typically rush off as fast as possible, but after watching people, I realize how they take their time. The operator of the door will help carry bags and lift buckets onto ladies heads. It is never rushed so that getting of is safe and I dont have to fall. I look forward to my green machine ride each day and never know what is going to happen.
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