The Reynolds' Review

Car Rapides

2006-06-18T15:58:00.000Z

'Car Rapides' are one form of public transport here in Dakar. They are almost always beautifully painted (in a unique way), and they are plentiful. Locals call them 'Cars' for short, but the English community calls them 'Rapides' (pronounced 'ra-peedz'), probably to avoid confusion since 'car' denotes something different for us. ('Car' is used in France to describe the same vehicle we call a car, but it is not used in Francophone West Africa.) The smallest rapides seat about 25 people (packed pretty tight), but the same rapide is commonly filled with 35 to 40 people, both seated and standing (some standing on the back bumper). Pictured here is one of the small models.

Two men work on every rapide. The driver's duties are obvious - he drives, and that's about it. The apprentice does everything else - collect fares, 'advertise' (announce to those waiting for a ride where his particular rapide is going), pay for the gas, and clean the rapide.

Notorious for their bad driving, rapides make frequent, quick stops to drop-off and pick-up passengers, then race off from the stop hoping to get ahead of one or two other rapides to the waiting passengers at the next stop. During this race to get passengers (which is futile to begin with), the passengers on the rapides are jostled and rattled around, and the drivers seem to forget that there are other cars on the road, lending to their common participation in accidents.

The cost of riding a rapide, like any public transport system, depends on where/how far you're going. For example, I ride rapides to the University for French classes (about 1.5 miles), and I pay 125 francs (US$0.25) one-way. Compare that to a taxi, which costs 800 francs (US$1.60) one-way, and you begin to see why they are so popular.
However, there are hidden 'costs' to riding rapides. For one, you can catch a taxi just about anywhere and have it drop you off wherever you want. Rapides, on the other hand, have certain stopping places (though you can hop-off anytime you want) which are only on the main roads. Thus for my commutes to the University, I catch the taxis a block from my home and they drop me off at the Language Institute building, but the rapides I catch two blocks from my home and they drop me off half a mile from my destination. Another hidden 'cost' is pick-pockets. I had a cell phone lifted from my pocket on a rapide, and I'm not alone - many Senegalese have their pockets picked on rapides, too. More time is also spent on rapides. My commute from home to school takes 10 minutes by taxi and 30-40 minutes by rapide.

Most of my colleagues rode a rapide to fill a requirement in their orientation classes, but few have ever dared to climb aboard a second time. Perhaps I'm brave, or just stupid, but I enjoy watching and talking to people on rapides - and holding onto my wallet!

Horse Carts

2006-06-10T14:58:00.000Z

Horse drawn carts are still commonly used here in Dakar for hauling everything from garbage to groceries. In french, they call them "chariots". The first picture is taken in front of our house, across the park - this is our curbside trash pickup, twice a day, six days a week, $4 a month.
The second picture of the guy riding on the empty cart is a bit blurry, but I had to put it in because, if you look closely, you can see his 'toothbrush' (stick) in his mouth. Plus, he is riding his chariot down a major highway through town.
The third picture is a load of lumber, and the fourth is a long wooden staircase. In other towns here in Senegal, though not in Dakar, there are horse drawn buggies used as taxis. You never know what you'll see on the horse carts around town.

Bisap

2006-04-30T18:49:00.000Z

Bisap is a flower similar to the hibiscus. It comes in ruby-red and yellow varieties, though for no reason that I can find, the juice and jam are only made from the red (perhaps because the ruby-red is prettier than brownish-yellow for a drink?). It is probably the most popular drink across West Africa.

~ Ladies sell the harvested bisap flowers in the markets. ~

Bisap has several gastronomic uses. First, and most common, is the drink. The flower petals are boiled then strained, add lots of sugar, water, and sometimes mint, then refrigerate. Second is the slushy/popsicle. The juice/drink is put into plastic bags and frozen, and it is incredibly refreshing on a hot, dusty day in West Africa. Third is the flavoring in 'rice & sauce' dishes. It is cooked with all the other vegetables, meat and spices, like a stew, served over rice. Fourth is the tea, take the drink (less some sugar) and heat it - always served with mint. Finally, is the jam. I couldn't begin to tell you how it is made, but I love the taste!

~ Kids sell the frozen juice on the side of the street. ~

For another perspective, from a better writer than me, see http://www.moxon.net/ghana/drink_in_a_bag.html. Mark Moxon is a writer who has traveled through West Africa and has lots of interesting perspectives on life and ways of living in West Africa, though he is not a missionary, nor is he a 'long-term' resident of West Africa - he's just a tourist, so his perspective is a bit shallow at times.

I purchase the bisap jam from a women's development organization run by Youth With a Mission in St. Louis, Senegal. They teach women trades that they can use to make a living. It also serves as a platform for evangelism. In addition to bisap, the women make jams from a variety of local fruit including mango, papaya, and courge (like pumpkin).

~ Chase eats the frozen bisap. ~