vroom vroom

We were bumping down the dirt road ever so slowly on my way home with the only ‘private hire’ that passes through Pajule. He’s a good driver, and although there’s usually 8-10 people smashed in his station wagon, it’s been a reliable way for me to travel.

I had my eyes closed to avoid the dust when there was a bump.  As I looked out the window, a black shape jumped up to meet me at eye level and then bounced off into the bush. There was smoke and a smell… and as we slowed down and regained control of the car, I could hear the sound of grinding metal. I quickly jumped out and realized the wheel, along with part of the axel had rolled off into the field, leaving black goo dripping out of where the tire should be.  The driver had popped the hood and I couldn’t help but notice that the liquid in the engine coolant container was at a roaring boil. When the driver retrieved the tire, the rod and tire were smoking profusely. I’m no mechanic, and I don’t know what went wrong, but I knew we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

I must be getting used to Uganda because this little episode didn’t really phase me or make me worried. This is my 3^rd flat tire episode since I’ve been here. I sat down in the dirt on the side of the road and waited. No village in sight, and about 20 km to Pajule. Eventually, a few vehicles passed, but all going in the wrong direction.  Finally, a matatu passed that allowed me and another passenger to squeeze in the already overloaded vehicle. All’s well that ends well!