As you might imagine, transportation works a bit differently in Africa.
Sometimes there are long distance buses- but I’ve found these only in the ‘richer’ countries (South Africa and Botswana, for example). The other countries usually have at least one bus a day between major cities, but it is impossible to find a schedule and you can’t buy a ticket in advance.
In most cases, the main form of transport for both long and short distances is a minibus- a 15 passenger van. But of course there are never only 15 people- they pack them as tight as they can. The most in a van that I was in was 25. Friends have had 27 and 28.
Being squeezed in isn’t so comfortable for a 6 ft 4 tall guy. (I honestly have not seen or met anyone even 6’2 in all of Africa) Every time we stop for more than a minute I try to jump out and stretch my aching legs. Man do my knees get sore! I try for the front seat, but they are the first seats to go, so I am relegated to the back.
I could wait for the next minibus in order to get in the front, but there’s no telling when it will leave. At the station, the minibuses only leave when they are full. I have waited over two hours in a minibus waiting for it to fill! This was especially painful on my trip from Tete to Arusha, because I had to take 6 different minibuses, each time waiting and waiting. It made the trip over two days long- with no breaks to sleep!
One of the neat things, though, is that you get a type of fast food service any time you pull to the side. Men and women selling all types of food and drinks run to the bus, and you don’t even need to step out to get a snack. Its funny watching money and goods exchange hands, even as the bus starts pulling away. On many occasions I have seen the vendors running to catch up to give a person their change.
But you have to be careful not to drink too much. You never know when you’ll get a toilet break. Five hours was the longest I had to wait. If I really have to go, I just kindly ask the driver if I can go to the bathroom the next time we stop to drop off or pick someone up. Usually he says yes, but I can only imagine how hard it would be for women who can’t just unzip and go quickly on the side of the road!
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I've gotten up to, let's see, about 27 so far in a minibus. That was in Peru, with about five children. Fun times, eh? Although a bit easier on the legs if you're only 5'10"
As for the poor women, I've seen women in some nice long skirts squat down right on the side of the road and go not just number one but number two (in Bolivia). My favorite travel health book, "Bugs, Bites and Bowels" actually recommends that women wear long skirts and attempt this technique themselves. I'd love to be traveling with a friend and see them try it :)
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