Transportation

I thought I'd start putting in a little more of everday life here. The husband of someone I've met here was pushed off a train today. Apparently this happens regularly, as the trains are so packed during rush hour. Luckily, he suffered only a few bruises--I'm told that several people die on the train system every day.

The buses are also packed. The first day I was here, a bus was stopped, and a crowd of people tried to squeeze on even though there was absolutely no standing room left. Finally, the bus took off, and one determined man jumped up as the bus was moving, grabbed a window, and found just enough space to plant one foot in the doorway, with the rest of his body hanging off the side.

After hearing the horror stories, I have stayed off the buses and trains, instead opting for an auto-rickshaw. This economical form of transport can squeeze up to three people and zips along even the small dirt roads, honking impatiently at the pedestrians who dare to share the road. The interns use it to get almost anywhere around here.

An auto-rickshaw driving down the main market road near our home.