TIA: Concept of a “Highway”

One of the many differences between America and Africa: transportation. One difference to highlight now: the idea of highways, or main transportation routes. In the US, we have thousands. A a denzien of Los Angeles, I was well-acquainted with the 405 freeway. Meaning “4 or 5 miles per hour” (not exaggerating, at many points during the day). Here’s an average shot:

Relaxing, eh? You can't see all the drivers reading their newspapers...

Here in Mozambique, the situation is different. We have a couple highways, but there is only one that connects the southern part of the country with the northern one. It is called the EN1, or the Estrada Nacional 1: National Road 1. Because there really only is ONE road that goes anywhere. Here’s an average shot:

Yup, that's the highway.

Don’t worry, I haven’t just been flattened by a car/truck/cow (also travelers on this road). I am taking a nap. This was after quite some time of sitting on the side of the road trying to wave down a ride. Perhaps right after I frantically tried to wave down a car and only as it whizzed by did I see it contained my boss and several of my colleagues. Whoops.

That’s how we roll over here. TIA!

Dude. Thumbs up. National highway! YES!

SIMILAR POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE . . .

• The art of hitchhiking.
• TIA: Getting Englished
• Traveling Mercies, or, “How I (Nearly) Found Myself Stranded Thousands of Kilometers From Home With $4 In My Pocket.”