day 11

It's time to be a tourist. But in this area, traveling means using a Trotro on terrible roads: the asphalt covers just the central part, while the rest is dry, red dirt with plenty of rocks and deep holes all over. Anyway, I went with a fellow volunteer to Wli, from there we went for a really nice walk in the jungle for one hour until we reached the waterfall. It was quite impressive because it's very high and the water comes down with such power that it's easy to appreciate the strength of nature. The white tumultuous water contrasted perfectly with the vibrant green of the bushes. To add some wilderness, there were plenty of big bats around. I'd say the place was very touristic but friendly, uncrowded, and relaxing. But the real adventure started on our way back. Add what I'm about to tell you to the usual terrible road conditions. We waited for a Trotro for half an hour: but nothing arrived. So we stopped the first car we saw. It was a shared taxi which was empty.

It would have been perfect if it wasn't for some German girls waiting just near us. The driver decided that he could take all of us. OK, cool but...we were a total of SEVEN people plus him! I sat on the front seat with my friend with the five girls in the back seats. As if this wasn't enough here is some additional spice... The driver saw a woman walking along the road with something in her hand. He slowed down and stopped as he wanted to buy what she was holding. Whatever it was, he was making us seven sardines wait. In any case, what he bought was...a gigantic rat! Obviously the woman was on the right of the car so she gave him the rat through the window almost slapping my face with it. The man was so happy about the bargain that he became super smiley. He told me the meat is really sweet and that he was going to make a delicious rat soup! 

In the picture you can see: proud driver, huge rat and the "fancy" taxi.

In Italian, we say "paese che vai, usanza che trovi! (English: When in Rome, do as the Romans do)".