The Beast

We bought a car.

Those who know me well might imagine me in a cute and nifty little red mini. Certainly something small, pretty and easy on the environment. Well it is none of that. We have purchased a 1994 Toyota Prado Land Cruiser. It is a two ton beast of a truck that spews black diesel fumes when it shifts into reverse. It is the most common vehicle driven here as four wheel drives are necessary to traverse the bumpy pot holed dusty roads. Our neighbour, when I worried that the car was so old, said “1994? That isn’t even that old for Uganda”.

Now, 3limes is all about travel and learning and loving and being peaceful and let’s take care of the environment. So how did we end up with this monstrosity of a car? It is all about recycling, you see. What I have realized in my long two weeks in Kampala is that over in the west we just throw something out when we get bored of it or because it just isn’t pretty anymore or shiny or maybe just because something nicer came out. Well over here in the land of “we can fix it” nothing is ever thrown away. It is mended and tweaked and toyed with until it is nearly good as new! Our car is like the energizer bunny, except not pink; it just keeps going on and on and on.

I just hope and pray that it doesn’t decide to die or drop its aging engine while we are in the midst of some outback safari miles from anywhere.

In the meantime we have given the car a name. It shall from this moment forth be known, quite simply, as The Beast.

Wish us luck.