October 5 Photo Assignment: Bjaji

One of the most common sights on Tanzanian roads are the three-wheeled taxis called bjajis. Apparently, this is actually an Indian word - bjaj - but in Swahili, most foreign words get an extra "i" at the end (asking for "full tanki" at the petrol station is my favorite, also "intaneti").

We haven't tried this as a family, as they can't really fit five people...but Josh took one with some friends (and a parent) after a birthday party.  He said, "it was really cool but it was nerve-wracking."  This could be because there are no doors on the side of the vehicle, and because the bjaji drivers tend to weave in and out of traffic, or create their own lanes on the side of the road.  He also mentioned that it was a very shaky ride.

Note in the background my favorite "drive up" fruit and vegetable stand - you can stay in your car and they'll take your order through your car window. Definitely one of my favorite parts about living here.

Besides a front view of the bjaji, this photo also shows the effects of the recent heavy rains we've been having.  The drainage is pretty bad here and so there are huge puddles, lots of mud and temporarily flooded roads after downpours.

You can see the precarious nature of riding in one of these vehicles - no doors and not a lot of safety features such as airbags or seat belts.  I've actually seen a few of these flipped over in the road.  Nonetheless, there are hundreds and hundreds of these on the roads with surprisingly few accidents - they are a cheap and fairly reliable source of transportation for many.  I'm sure I'll brave them one of these days!

These bjaji photos are courtesy of Josh and Emily Steen.