Bus Rides, Beer & Bryan Adams

Last weekend I had an interesting chapa/bus experience. Last Sunday me & 2 guys from the orphanage took Katie back to her house in the city. I did not want her going alone so we all went for safety reasons. It takes about an hour to get into town from the center on a chapa (30 min. in a car). Luckily we got an empty chapa so we had our own seats. After dropping her off me and the boys were the only ones left in the bus. We headed to the very front. It was another hour back to the center. A Bryan Adams cd was playing...we were jamming to "The Summer of '69" and "Please Forgive Me, I Can't Stop Loving You". I had to laugh. The boys were singing along...and I found myself signing along too. They asked me if it was good music. I said yes-I did not have the heart to tell them that it was kinda old school music, the stuff I listened to in middle school! On one of the first stops (the chapa stops probably 10-20 times) we picked up a guy who was friends with the driver and the 'doorman' (he opens/closes the door & takes the money). He sat in the front w/ the driver. He had 2 beers. He was very loud & obnactious. I don't know if he was drunk...he did not seem like it but was very talkative w/ his buddies. I asked Jobi & JJ what in the world he was talking about b/c he never shut up the ENTIRE TIME. They just said he was friends w/ the driver/doorman and was along for the ride. He preceded to share his beer w/ the doorman. OK i thought...it's just a sip, at least the driver has better sense & won't drink & drive. So we continue on our journey. Then the driver starts asking Jobi something...and I can only understand what Jobi is saying. He is trying to tell the guy how to say 'beautiful' in english. I did not think anything of it...as we continued to jam to Bryan Adams. So we continue on...no real problems UNTIL the the driver starts drinking a beer. Awesome I thought... realizing that I had assumed the driver would not drink & drive b/c in America that is a big no-no...but I'm in Africa & who knows if there is even a law against that!!? We were not too far from the orphanage so that eased my mind a bit. He turned and asked me if I smoked or drank ( i was sitting directly behind him) and i said no. The next stop was ours and as I got off he said in english, "you are beautiful". I just said thank you and quickly exited. We made it back safe & sound (Thank You Jesus!). Who knows what else was said on the ride. That's one good thing about not knowing the language-I don't know what they are saying about me...but that can be bad too. I'm thankful for my 'body guards' who take me on the chapas. They are very protective brothers. I also learned a valuable lesson about not assuming too much about the do's and don'ts in another country. Linda later told me that one of her 1st experiences on a chapa the driver was so drunk he would not have been able to even walk. She got off on the next stop. Below is a picture of the kind of chapa we rode. We were in a bigger one...so it was not so crowded. I do feel more confident in my ability to take a chapa to/from the center by myself...I know where to catch one and which one to get on now...but after this experience I don't think I will take one by myself. But it is good to know that I would not be totally lost if I had to take one alone.