direction(less)

So I am in Mombasa for a few days. I am relaxing and watching the world [read: water] go by. Literally. I remember that I need to run an errand in the CBD. I estimate that it’ll take me 2 hours, tops. I am familiar  enough with Mombasa to venture out on my own in a matatu.

I take one to the CBD and get off near the office I am visiting. 5 minutes later (mission accomplished), I leave the office and go back the way I came. I am at the stage for a few minutes before I start to think all’s not well. I am going the Mombasa-Malinda way. Knowing that I will get off way before Mtwapa, I know that taking a Mtwapa matatu will get me back. Also, I know that Mtwapa matatus are a dime a dozen, and that no tout has come calling out “Mtwapa” after a few minutes means something’s not right. So I ask the next tout where Mtwapa matatus are?  Without missing a beat, he asks me to get in, he will drop me off at the right stage. Seeing that I had walked less than 3 minutes from the matatu to the office when I arrived, I know that the said stage is within the vicinity and it should take no more than a minute to get me there. And I wonder why he didn’t just point me in the right direction? Mmhm…

Anyway, about 7 minutes later, am thinking this is not right. The matatu’s moving along, stopping to pick and drop off passengers (I was the first one in). So I start to look around me, taking note of the buildings and street names (if I can see one post) to know whereabouts I am. And then I recognise a few things and realise that I am on the way out the Mombasa-Nairobi way!!! So I ask the tout where he’s taking me, point out that we are heading in the wrong direction. He says to relax, he will drop me off where I need to be. Immediately, the Nairobi in me sees trouble! These guys know I am new in town, and have possibly hijacked me! Goodness knows where they’ll take me.  Never mind that there’s 2 other passengers in the matatu (they could both be in on it). Panic!!!! I ask the tout to stop the matatu, I am getting out. And I guess he sees the panic in me. Surprised, he asks me what the problem is, and I say I need to get out right away, he is going in the opposite direction. The motherly passenger in the front seat turns back and starts scolding me, “…watu wa Nairobi…” for thinking that I am dealing with crooks like in Nairobi. This is Mombasa, she says, where people are friendly and will do what they say they will do. I will be dropped off in the right place. The other passenger, the tout and the driver join in to give their 2-cents’-worth of opinion on people from Nairobi, their evil ways and not forgetting their paranoia (like in my case) lol. Then the tout describes to me the route they are taking, and how they will intersect with Mtwapa matatus, where he will drop me off. I recognise the route he’s describing and begin to relax. Maybe I am OK, after all. Nevertheless, I start to pray for protection and all…

And meanwhile, I think back to how I got here. I retrace my steps in my mind and the only logical explanation is that I must have headed out in the opposite direction to where I came from. How, now, and I was in that office for less than 5 minutes! How did I not realise I walking in the opposite direction? I would have saved myself loads of time and stress seeing that I would have got into 1 matatu to my destination, aaarrgghhh! And, finally, we get to the stop I need to get off at. Tout, motherly lady and driver all point this out, and let me know that I am in the place I needed to be, explaining to me where they will turn off that main road etc. And as I get off the matatu, I think to myself “Why, O why, do I not have a sense of direction???”