The bus stop

We have a bus stop almost outside the front of our house here. It is luxury to jut walk outiside and board the bus. Mr A has religiously recoreded the times of the buses so that we can be there just before it arrives. And it only costs 8 rupees to travel to the nearest town about 10kms away.

There are government run buses (steady, relatively slow and often quite empty) and there are privately run buses (manic, mowing down everything in their path, packed and fast). The team on the government buses are paid a fixed wage. The team on the private buses are paid by numbers of passengers so they race any other bus to get to the next stop first. There have been a lot of accidents even though the government have introduced stricter controls and penalties.

We often get into conversation at the bus stop and this was no exception - a family waiting for the school bus. We chatted a bit in English (the Mother was quite fluent) then I said something in Malayalam and the boy cracked up laughing. "Malayalam, Malayalam - she is speaking Malayalam" he said (in Malayalam of course!). It is worth having a go in the local language if only for the amusement it brings!

I wish I could have found a way to keep or get the rucksack out of the picture ..