Moto Lessons

This sojourn in Burkina is a bit different from my last. I am living in a city, Fada N'Gourma, not a village. My house this time is equipped with electricity and running water (sure beats pumping and carrying water and using a latrine). And this time around I have said good-bye to the bike and hello to a moto.


Along with the moto has come many lessons...luckily I have learned most of these the easy way.

1. Even though a moto looks pretty it does not mean it's a good moto.
2. Front is to shift up, back is to down-shift. It is not a good idea to mix these up.
3. Whatever is smaller than you SHOULD move out of the way.
4. Even on your moto a cow is still bigger than you.
5. Toads who don't obey lesson 3 make a gratifyingly squishy sound when you run over them.
6. Rocks don't obey lesson 3 and they don't make a squishy sound when you run over them.
7. Mud and motos don't mix well together
8. Sand and motos don't like to be in the same place at the same time.
9. When riding remember that unlike a car your face is the windsheild and that is where bugs will hit.
10. Wearing a helmet helps protect against those bugs and a few other things.
11. Just because every other moto in the country has a reserve gas tank does not mean that yours does.
12. Some places mix petrol (lamp gas) with their car/moto gas. This will kill your moto.
13. When smoke starts coming from your moto you should go see a mechanic.
14. When smoke starts coming from your moto the next day you should change your mechanic.
15. Motos make life a lot nicer than bikes do in 100 degree weather.

That's what I have learned so far, but I am sure there is more to come.