Driving

I am getting mentally prepared for my drive to the bank today!

I've never really enjoyed driving and just thought of it more of a necessity and it was quite a relief when I was first posted overseas to leave the car behind. I didn't actually drive again until I returned to PNG in 1994. My partner and I got a small Suzuki and I used to drive down to Lae, an adventure in itself as the route was down a winding mountain track which sometimes became impassable when rains caused landslides and the rivers changed to become raging torrents which washed away bridges and altered their path overnight.

From there I went to Kundiawa and was often seen travelling up and down the Highlands Highway to collect my partner who came for his fieldbreak. Although this wasn't recommended, especially for women travelling alone, I was lucky and nothing untoward happened.
In Porgera, my driving usually consisted of going to the store to stock up once a week, although I sometimes helped on the drive down to Mount Hagen, a 5 or 6 hour drive which enabled us to visit the stores and have a night out at the club.

One of the benefits of living in Hong Kong is the fantastic transport system which is cheap and efficient. I lived above an underground station (MTR) and just by going down in the lift I had access to most places and those I couldn't get to by MTR I could reach by bus, as most of the main routes were accessible just a few steps away from my building.

Now driving has become a necessiby again and if you can imagine any big city at rush hour, that is what it is like going from here to Accra - only worse! Not only do you have to face traffic jams but some chaotic driving practices. The main offenders are the trotro (minibus) drivers and taxis who pull in and pull out of the lanes of traffic with little concern for other road users. Apart from them there are the vehicles which break down causing other cars to have to negotiate them by weaving in and out of the lanes. They always seem to break down at junctions or traffic lights causing even more difficulty.
Many hawkers take the opportunity to ply their wares to the stationary traffic and offer everything from toilet rolls to bottled water. They carry their wares on their heads as they move between the cars and can often be seen running after a moving vehicle to make a sale.
Some times are worse than others and rush hour is the worst. Some people have to get up at 4 am just to make it to work for 8 am. and coming home is just as stressful, so we are lucky that we are not ruled by the clock and can try and plan our visits when the roads are a little quieter.

Well, I can't put it off any longer and need to get behind the wheel and go to the bank. Wish me luck!