By popular demand, I am recording the latest segment of the Mighty Mzungu. "Popular demand?" you ask. Yeh, my friend, Joe Popular. I leave Miriam's place and head to the town of Sanya Juu. It is late in the afternoon and the the people are coming home from work or the market and the children are leaving the schools. Sanya is full of activity. I have to weave my way through the people and animals on the road. I get to the junction that goes to the hospital and head up the road. As I approach Lamakaa Primary School , I met Flora Masauwe, the head master and a group of her teachers. I stop for a photo op and a chat . I promise to be back next week to visit the school and the children. I go a little further but it is getting late so I turn around and head downhill. There are speed bumps are the school which are just right for getting air on the mt. bike, so I speed up ,hit the bump and jump. I go high in the air. How high, you ask? I was so high, I almost blacked out from lack of oxygen. Probably a good 3 inches and a hang time in the nanoseconds. Now I'm heading back and Richie who riding a beater bike in flip flops comes alone side me. You can guess what happens next. It's like the Old West where where every young buck wants to take on the the sheriff. We''re passing through Sanya Juu again and I almost hit a goat and Richie goes shooting by me. When he sees that I am far behind he slows down to see if the old guy has anything left in the tank and we start up again. After a short distance he points to my tire. Damn, I have flat. I must have had a pinch blow out from my big air experience. I pull off to the side of the road and start to change my tube. In no time all these people come out to help me. They would put a NASCAR pit crew to shame. First my pump doesn't work so we go the store nearby. After awhile we realize that the spare also has a hole and I end up patching the original. Question: How many Tanzanians does it take to change a tire? Answer: The more the merrier!! The patch held and I make it back to Miriam's just before sundown.
No comments:
Post a Comment