Although the bus was loaded with luggage and all the passengers where inside, we sat at the bus station for an hour. By this point everyone was dripping sweat. All I could do was thank God when we started driving; the wind felt great on my sweaty body.
The bus ride was suppose to stop once, at the halfway point in Bendele, but we stopped a total of 7 times. Too bad that didn't happen. The police stopped us 4 different times to check for passports and gave us a really hard time. Because Chad has a tendency of being very corrupt, we would only show the police a copy of our passports. Most officers usually accept it and move on, but not the ones that stopped us. They asked where our real passports where, they wanted to see our yellow immunization card (which they never ask for), and so many other things. It was horrible. We argued with them and refused to give them bribes. At one point they were telling us to get off the bus and I thought we might get thrown in jail.
Finally, they realized that we were going to stand our ground and they let us go. As we drove off my project coordinator (Marci) said that she has never been stopped for passport checks on the bus before. She has been here two years! All the doctors at Bere said that it was unusual for us to be stopped so many times. At most they have been stopped once or twice every blue moon.
Two of the other unplanned stops were so that the bus driver could buy food and pee. Each stop was about 10 minutes long. Everytime we stopped mu heart would stop. I figured it was another passport check, but then I realized he was buying something or getting out to do something. It was very annoying.
The scariest stop of the trip was when the bus slowly rolled to a stop. The bus driver ran out and banged on the passenger doors. We opened the doors and then he reach into a compartment under Marci's seat and sparks were flying everywhere. The bus got very smokie and sparks were flying everywhere. I thought that the battery was about to explode. We had seen a few gutted buses on the side of the rode and didn't want that to happen to us. Especially if we were still in it!!
The bus driver reacted quickly, but not very wisely. He grabbed a nearby wrench and started hitting the battery with it. Metal on a live battery isn't the best idea. The assistant coordinator, Zach, pointed out that I was the one with the highest certifications. That meant I would have to treat the driver if he got electrocuted. I definitely had a minor panic attack throughout all of this. Praise God the fire was extinguished.
With an hour drive left until we reached Bendele, we didn't know what to do. Everyone got out the bus and sat in the shade while all the Chadian men worked on the battery. Marci explained to us how people in Chad break things the quickest, but make them run for the longest time ever. She continued to tell us how the battery wasn't bolted down. There were only four little wires - that were now singed off - holding the battery in place.
To be honest I had no hope at this point. After waiting for an hour, I asked how long of a walk it would be to Bendele and should we start walking. Not even a minute later I hear the engine start!! They fixed the battery with a sandal! It was incredible! I was still very nervous but we made it to Bendele in one piece. It took another hour and a half for the driver to buy a new battery and replace it. But let's be real, it was worth the wait.
The second half of the trip went very smoothly (other than the bus driver weaving through humongous potholes at 90 mph or not seeing a speed bump sending us flying through the air). There were also many funny moments. We arrived in Kelo, our final destination on the bus, in good spirits. We were suppose to take motos (motorcycles) into Bere but it was to dangerpus. It started pouring rain while we were on the bus, and the water filled the potholes and the rivers flooded.
As soon as we stepped out of the bus these guys stopped us and told us to get into their car; they wanted to take us to Bere. He kick some women out of the back seat of his car and ushered us in. They weren't happy about being kicked out, but we were doctors and had priority. The truck was dimantled both inside and out! There was no steering wheel and the battery was out. We had to wait another hour in a hot, steamy car.
Finally, everything was working, we got a steering wheel, and headed out. They packed the truck with luggage and people; it was the highest I had ever seen a car packed. There were 22 people in the trunk and roof of the truck; everyone was sitting on top of luggage. There were 8 people inside the truck.
Even the ride to Bere was terrifying. The truck almost tipped many times and got stuck in the mud once. 2 of the SM were on the roof of the truck. They were sitting on the side the truck always seemed to lean on. I was inside, but the door didn't close all the way, so I felt like all of us would fall out into the mud.
Nothing bad happened, but it was a heart wrenching experience. We left at sunrise and didn't arrive until sundown. A 9 hour trip turned into a 12 hour bonding experience. By the time we made it to Bere the doctors thought we had known each other for years. Josh and Daniel became my really good friends in a span of two days. I honestly don't think I would still be in Chad if they weren't there for moral support.
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