Oh the Places We'll go - and how we might get there

"Don't get run over by a Tuk Tuk!"  

"Can we get there by Pousse Pousse?"

Those are 2 phrases that have been added to our repertoire of "phrases we never imagined we'd be saying" since we've been here in Tamatave, Madagascar. 

Fun (obvious) fact of the day:  transportation in Madagascar is different from transportation in the US of A. 

Where one might use the phrase "planes, trains and automobiles" to describe transportation in America (along with the occasional bus or subway in cities with smart public transport systems) - in Madagascar, the phrase would be more like  "tuk tuks, pousse pousse, and taxi brousse."  There are certainly cars here but they aren't the primary mode of transportation - especially here in Tamatave (and most everywhere else in the country other than Tana, the capital). 

Seeing how people get themselves (and their possessions) around in this country has been educational and entertaining!  From the fun, classic cars and motor bikes to the tuk tuks and pousse pousse, you never quite know what you might see as you're walking/running/riding down the street.   

Sidenote: All definitions below come to you via Wikipedia....so this wealth of knowledge may or may not be completely unreliable (in this case, it sounds reliable to us). 

Pousse-Pousse (pronounced poose poose)

"Rickshaws, known as pousse-pousse, were introduced by British missionaries. The intention was to eliminate the slavery-associated palanquin. Its name pousse-pousse, meaning push-push, is reportedly gained from the need to have a second person to push the back of the rickshaw on Madagascar's hilly roads. They are a common form of transport in a number of Malagasy cities, especially Antsirabe, but are not found in the towns or cities with very hilly roads. They are similar to Chinese rickshaws and are often brightly decorated."

In the words of our very own Nick Cash, "taking a pousse pousse is a fun way to take everything in - you get to be seated and in the shade...it's a slow, comfortable, leisurely ride."

Pousse Pousse from the window of a Land Rover

A whole collection of Pousse Pousses

Tuk Tuk (pronounced "took took")

The Tuk Tuk is a favorite way to get around town.  There are usually a few waiting just outside of the port gate to take us wherever we want to go (within a few miles).

"Tuk Tuk: common means of public transportation in many countries in the world. Also known as a three-wheeler, samosa, tempo, trishaw, autorick, bajaj (in India), rick, tricycle, mototaxi, baby taxi,lapa or tukxi."

Who knew there were so many names for this 3 wheeled enclosed golf cart type vehicle?!

We have our own Mercy Ships' Tuk Tuks!  These are available to take us to and from the port gate if you're not up for walking (it's especially convenient if it's raining). 

View from a Tuk Tuk

Yes, getting from place to place is fun...sometimes it's a bit more adventurous than one might like...

Things that make it slightly more adventurous: 

• the rain blowing in
• the darkness/lack of headlights on the pousse pousses
• the other Tuk Tuk and pousse pousse drivers (they like to race sometimes)
• the lack of the passenger's ability to speak French/Malagasy (we rely on a lot of pointing and nodding)

...but most of the time it's just the right amount of adventurous (and fun and convenient and inexpensive!).   

Alternate titles for this blog post: 

don't get run over by a tuk tuk
getting from here to there (and back again)
transportation station
things we never knew we would say

Challenge:
Count the number of vehicles/modes of transportation that you see in the pictures of this post.

Surely there will be more to come.