Mini-buses

Mini-buses must be a harrowing and unimaginable contraption to people from organized and functioning places of the world, but are the ubiquitous and official form of transport not just in Malawi, but most de-veloping countries across Africa. Small vans, stripped and imported from Japan and China when they no longer pass safety and emissions requirements, seats bolted (or sometimes not) in, and filled with at least 4 people past max-capacity. They transport, in addition to standard human cargo, chickens, produce, luggage, livestock and infants, swaddled to their mothers and smashed into sweat encrusted seats. They run on no schedule, stop and/or break down frequently, drive hideously fast and erratically. They hustle "uzungu" whites, always charging them more because they think they don't know any better. The conductors yell strong arm you into getting in and going with them, even if it's not where you're going. If you are fortunate enough to be going somewhere that requires you board at a mini-bus park, you may sit and wait on the bus, which you will be assured by the conductor is departing "right now" for up to three hours, waiting for it to fill up. Time is assuredly not money here, only money has the distinction.