Erica's learning and growing as she rides

Becky, Kimmi, Kelsey, Erica: Sunset at Lion's Head

Mowbray-Kaap, Mitchells Plain, Athlone, Cape Town, Manenburg, Hiedeveld” As I walk the busy streets of Cape Town, these are some of the areas that mini-bus taxis hawkers yell out.  On our security briefing at the council and officer was telling us how unsafe we might be if we rode mini-bus taxis. On my way to and from my internship located in Bridgetown, Dan and I take mini-bus taxi right across the Red Cross Hospital.  I see over ten mini-buses pass by before I can get on the Heideveld mini-bus taxi.  There are days the taxi is so full that the driver or hawker finds areas that as a passenger one would never think of, and other times the taxi has few passengers.  There is music playing on the highest volume, people talking/catching up on latest gossip, and of course I am able to see and look at my surroundings.  I absolutely love riding mini buses because it gives me the opportunity at times to be uncomfortable, but at the same time I am given the chance to be immersed into a different way of life.  I am able to see people interact in their comfort zones.  I also interact with the passengers and get to learn so many things about the country and them.

There is a reason why I am talking about the mini-bus taxi, not only do I enjoy riding them, it is symbolic to me.  The mini-bus taxi can represent so many things to me in my life. At times it stands for organizations that I may be part of in the future. It also represents different communities or countries that I may go into and visit. I need to be willing to go into these places no matter how uncomfortable I can be with an open mind and prepared to learn everything that I can about their culture and way of life.  In the end if I look at situations with an open mind I will be able to go so far in life. So today I would like to thank South Africa for the  simplest mode of transport that is helping me grow: mini-bus taxis.