Travel to Mua

Monday morning, after a hearty breakfast, I said goodbye to a wonderful group from University of Minnesota’s architecture program. For all their hospitality, help and kindnesses, my thanks go out to Leslie Van Duzer, professor, and students Steve, Erin, Tara, Erin, Patrick and Erin. I hope your return trip to the U.S. was restful and uneventful.


I proceeded to the Korean Garden Hotel, where I’d be staying upon my return from Mua. But alas, they had no room to store my extra luggage. Fortunately, I found the CRC missionaries who live across the street from the hotel (they had recommended it to me) and I left my stuff
there. Packing as little as possible, I took a taxi to what they call the central bus station. It's really like a parking lot filled with shacks, with minivans and tiny buses parked all over. My driver helped me find a minibus that would start me off in the right direction.

The way it works is all the minibuses that are going to the same city park in the same areas. Then the guy who collects the money stands by his minibus and tries to get people to ride with him and not the other guy. So the taxi driver figured out for me the best bus to ride, and I got on--though he did have some arguing with some of the other drivers who wanted me to take their minibus. So I got on, and unfortunately I was one of the first.

That was unfortunate because the buses do not leave at a certain time, like on a schedule, they leave when they are full. So I sat on the bus and waited for an hour and a half while the 'conductor' convinced enough people to ride with his bus. Finally we were (very) full and
we left.

When we started driving, and we hit some big bumps, I realized I had to go to the bathroom. Not good. I figured at the speed the bus traveled, it'd be at least two hours before we'd arrive at Salima where I'd find the next minibus. I started to worry.

Then something great happened! The bus broke down! The driver pulled over, and some of the seats in front of me were removed, and they lifted a panel in the floor, and there was the engine, underneath, sputtering away and spraying coolant from the radiator. It took about a half hour to fix, and so when most of the people climbed out of the bus to wait somewhere in the shade, I found me some rural relief! They got the bus going again and we were on our way.

We arrived in Salima at about 2:00 in the afternoon. The 'bus station' there was smaller, so I found a minibus about the size of our van, and got in. And waited. Finally it was full and we left.

But the thing was, we kept stopping at little villages to pick up more and more stuff. At one point, you might not believe this but our minibus--the size of a regular minivan--had in it 23 adults, 2 babies, a live chicken, a stringer full of dead fish, and bags of corn and other cargo. I wish I had taken a picture, but I was crowded in and sitting on my luggage. Luckily the roof of the minibus was very high so we could also (almost) stand up -- you know, so more people could get in.

Finally they dropped me off at my stop, but I had to walk a mile and a half in the hot, hot sun up a long winding dusty road to the village where I am staying. It was hard going with my big, heavy backpack, and carrying my smaller camera bag and a large piece of wood.

Arriving finally at the village of Mua and the KuNgoni Cultural Center was like entering Shangri La. I left the heat and dust of the road to enter into a garden, with neat brick buildings, a river, a waterfall and lots of cool shade. I was introduced to Father Claude Boucher, the founder of the carving school and cultural center. He sat out on a verandah, shaded by flowering bushes and vines suspended in a trellis. He was painting. And as I rested in the shade, he explained to me the history of his ministry there, the development of KuNgoni, and the challenges and adaptations needed when the gospel encounters a culture. It was beautiful, educational and a little surreal.

I was later settled into my room, in the guesthouses nearby. They are beautifully designed and built, and the most comfortable accommodations I’ve had since arriving in Africa.
The prices are also very reasonable:

Room: $33 a night. Includes breakfast.
Bottle of Coca Cola at the restaurant: $0.80
Laundry service (washed, dried, folded and delivered to the room):
Pair of socks: $0.20
T shirt: $0.35
Pants: $0.80

I’m glad to be staying here for the week!