Car Trouble

We had a little car trouble recently. (The Swahili word for "trouble" is "shida" one of Jason's favorite words) The land cruiser wouldn't start. The alternator had gone bad and needed to be replaced. Of course we discovered this after we had purchased a new battery! Car repairs are pretty expensive here (an oil change costs about $100).

We are thankful for the vehicle that we have though. The vast majority of Kenyans walk or take public transportation (matatus = Jason's favorite thing to hate here). We were driving to get a few groceries yesterday and Lexi remarked, "Look at all of the people walking today! I sure am glad we have a car!" That sums up how all of us feel. We are blessed to be able to use a vehicle that is very safe on any road (even the roads in Nairobi).

Sunday mornings are the best times to drive in the city - there is virtually no traffic. Sunday afternoons can be one of the worst times. Many of the citizens of Nairobi who own a vehicle only go driving on Sunday afternoons. They take public transportation to work on the week days, and only go driving on Sunday afternoons. That way they don't have to pay for petrol except four days a month, and they also have plenty of time to forget how to drive during the week!

Driving here in Nairobi has been an interesting experience. In some ways I will miss it, it is always an adventure. I am convinced that people who get "road rage" in the States are Weenies!

Here is a picture of Jason and Edwin push-starting our truck.