By teniolab
Hello everyone!
Tomorrow officially marks the start of my fourth week in Gaborone. Now, I can thankfully say I have tried almost every form of public transportation. Gaborone is the capital of Botswana, and a fast-growing city at that.
Living in the University of Botswana Dorms has given me the unique experience of navigating around the city with ease. While in the first few weeks, trips to the grocery store and to dinner were taken with the lovely help of the CIEE driver. Bethel, who has worked with CIEE for seven years, pulls up to the UB dorms donned with the biggest grin ready to share his Gaborone with us. And just like that, a person would pay 30 pula in total, roughly 3 US dollars, for a "special" taxi.
A “special” taxi is taken alone or split among friends. While this is still cheap, taxi drivers will try to trick you into taking a special when you don’t need one! If you are not in a rush or simply do not want to pay a lot for transportation, you can take a regular taxi. The "non-special" taxi will cost 4.10 pula, about 41 US cents. Often times, the driver will either pick up passengers along the way or wait at your pick-up location until passengers fill up the car.
Once I finally became confident enough to branch away from using the CIEE program driver, combis became my favorite form of transport in Gabs. Combis are small buses that drive along specific routes throughout the city. It fits about 12-15 people. They run very frequently and are reliable. This is by far the cheapest option for transportation, 30 US cents. I love combis because it allows me to interact with the locals in a more informal way. Plus, the drivers (so far) have played some great tunes. Given that you are pressed up against total strangers for however long your journey may be, you have no other option but to get to know the person next to you. Some prefer not to take combis because they can get hot and sweaty. Another valid complaint about combis is that everyone has to get out of the combi to allow people in and out of their seats. Without fail, in the process of letting people in and out, I have always injured myself in some way.
Navigating through the City
The most convenient part of it all is acquiring a form of transportation. You just walk out the North Gate of the UB campus and walk up to the man wearing the grey shirt (I know, it sounds a little suspicious). You tell him what transportation option you would like to take/your destination and he sorts it all out for you in a matter of three seconds. If taking a combi, remember to remind the driver of your destination again, so that you do not get off at the wrong stop.
Travelling around Gaborone takes practice. Once you become confident using the transportation options, the whole city becomes open for you to enjoy at your pace, and you come to appreciate the chaotic yet chill hub of Gaborone.
Ke botshelo (Seize the day)!