Lessons from the African Road - Part 2

Here is a refresher on part one - Felix.

Part 2 - Traffic Jam

There were no other travelers in our group, which was entirely by chance and good luck.  It also gave the appearance that we were exceptionally wealthy - two white women, traveling alone and able to hire a personal guide. This is why we were often swarmed when we stopped in giftshops, because there were no other tourists to divide the attention of the enthusiastic salespeople.

A little later, on the same Cairo to Cape Town roadway we encountered some traffic. The first congestion since leaving Nairobi hours earlier. My mom and I looked out the jeep windows as Samuel guided us through the slow down. There were people in the roadway yelling, chanting, and something was being lit on fire. An effigy of some sort. We quickly stowed our cameras.

A crowd forms, blocking traffic, on the famed Cairo to Cape Town roadway that stretches the length of Africa.

Having lived in Washington, DC, I had seen my fair share of demonstrations, but a protest deep inside Kenya was mildly discomforting, compounded with the fact that we were obviously tourists, traveling with a lone guide.

Samuel was calm. As we approached the people in the street, they were stopping vehicles and talking to drivers. My heart was in my throat, just staying quiet and still, hoping for the best, but still taking it all in. Samuel opened the window and spoke in his fluent Swahili to the demonstrator, and within moments they permitted us to pass.  Once through the congestion, we finally exhaled.

Sensing our uneasiness, Samuel looked back at us and explained the people were protesting the condition of the roadway for commuters. I assume he was telling us the truth, and not just some harmless reason for a demonstration that would alleviate concerns. There was probably never any danger, but the way Samuel managed the situation cemented our trust of him for the next week, as he ferried us across the country.