So this guy is trying to buy a car...

I sit here typing this bog on my laptop and have to consider how incredibly blessed I am to have it. The lady that we have hired to clean the house has never used a computer before. Not just that, she does not have television, a stereo system, a car…very few possessions.

I was going through withdrawal, almost, without having television. Most folks here do not necessarily have television, let alone satellite television service. I was thinking about this while surfing the channels and grumbling about how there is not much worth watching. Although I miss the programming in the States, there are a number of shows here that do keep me entertained. I can watch House, The West Wing, The Late Show with David Letterman, plus Discovery, National Geographic, ESPN, CNN, Animal Planet, and the likes. There are even horrible shows here like Oprah, Desperate Housewives, Day of our Lives, and other crap that makes me wonder about the world in general.

I also have a few movie channels that show a fair number of new and older movies. One thing of note, the system here “bleeps” out swear words and cuts out sex scenes. I do not miss it, but it says a lot about the culture here. The overwhelming majority of folks here are Christian and do not just practice it on Sundays. That makes it more palatable to me as there is not much hypocrisy. Seven days a week with Church service on Sundays. Anyhow, I digress…

With most folks not having their own vehicles here, they rely on a haphazard mass-transit system made up of buses and matatus. The buses here are very similar to what one would find in the states. Very large and belching out black smoke like the tires are on fire. Matatus are minivans that are supposed to seat 14 people. They are privately owned (unlike the City Buses) and there are several that cover the same route. Each Matatu has a driver and hawk. The hawk desperately tries to fill seats. It is funny to see someone walk up to where the Matatu’s hang out and be pulled in three different directions by three different hawks. They compete with each other on the same routes by having either louder music, or possibly LCD Televisions playing something in them or even some are cheaper than others. Although they are designed to seat 14, God only knows how many are crammed in, some with the side door open and people hanging out side, riding on the running boards and clinging for dear life. The Matatus are Kenyans version of Russian roulette it seems. They have no rules at all, so it is nothing for them to pull out into oncoming traffic, swerve without notice to avoid a pothole, stop without brake lights in the middle of the street...all without a care for others on the road. I had read somewhere that the very last place one wants to be in Kenya is riding shotgun in a Matatu, calling it “The Death Seat”…I believe it. Needless to say, I will probably not be riding any Matatus any time soon.

I am still trying to buy a car, but awaiting the sale of my truck in the States so that I can afford one. First, there are no “payment plans” here. You buy a car with cash or you ride a Matatu. Cars her are kind of expensive here…if you want a good one. I am looking at KES 600,000 ($7,000.00 USD) to get a decent car. Obviously, the one I want is much more. The ideal vehicle here is a four-wheel drive truck that seats four or a Landcruiser/Landrover type vehicle due to the roads and type of traffic. Unfortunately, those go, starting out, for about KES 1,300,000 ( $16,500 USD) up to about KES 2,400,000 for a newer one ($31,900 USD).
Interesting, a “New” vechicle is VERY, VERY expensive. The prices I quoted are for “New” used vehicles, meaning they are imported from Japan as certified used vehicles of sorts. They are used but in good condition and have never been driven on Kenyan roads. Then there are true “Used” vehicles that have been rattling around in Kenya for God knows how long. A vehicle gets a license plate upon entry into the country and one can guess the approximate age of a vehicle based on the number on the plate. On average, the “New” used vehicles average a 2002 model year. The plus is, that vehicles hold their value very well here so long as they are maintained. I really wish I could have brought my Chevrolet Avalanche here; it would have fit in quite nicely albeit with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the truck. Regardless, it appears we shall be purchasing some type of Toyota station wagon/minivan concoction…nothing I have seen on the roads in the States, for sure. There is no way the wife and child can ride in Matatus or be reliant on others for rides, so I am in need of figuring this one out quickly, for sure.

I went to the “Car Bazarre” at a local park here. Quite the experience; imagine a parking lot/barren field packed as tightly as possible with cars and trucks. There are probably more auto dealers here in Kenya than there are in the States, as EVERYONE is a car dealer. Everybody tries to import cars from Japan to sell and make a quick KES 50,000-100,000. Walking around through it was hard as I still do not recognize all the vehicles and much like in the States, I want what I cannot afford. I am really smitten by the Subaru Forrester, a larger vehicle with All-Wheel Drive, great acceleration, and room to hold all my valuables safely…Wife, Daughter, Dog, and possibly a few groceries too. Talked to a guy there about one (come to find out they are KES 1,200,000). Once you talk to a guy, he will follow you around almost not allowing you to look at other vehicles very easily. They are very similar to the pushy used-car guy at any U.S. auto dealer albeit a lot more polite and sincere.

If I do not have a car her by the time my wife and child arrive, things are going to be tough, at best. However, in retrospect, watching the folks that line up for Matatu’s, those that do not even have the fare to ride Matatu’s and walk along the street somewhat brings things back into perspective. A car is a privilege that is taken for granted in the U.S. Also by this Mzungu living here too.