Think left

Some kind of car curse has befallen iTEACH. Over the past 7 days there have been at least 5 incidents across several different vehicles – 2 flats, 1 wheel off the axle, breaks blown, 1 dead battery (that almost got pushed into a river) and one car that just wouldn't start. Given the number of people who need to get from one place to another and the recent shortage in working vehicles, I decided to rent a car for the remainder of my time here.

Cars in South Africa are a little different that cars in the US. For one thing, they're all manual. I'm ashamed to admit that the only clutch I know how to use is the one on my scooter. (Note to self: learn how to drive stick before returning to SA). But the biggest difference is the placement of the steering wheel. The driver's side is on the right – cars travel on the left side of the road.

My sweet ride.

Luckily, I was able to find an automatic rental – only one new driving experience to deal with. Before I got in the car I asked Krista for some driving advice. Don't drive into oncoming traffic, and think left. Okay. Pretty straightforward. I can handle that – think left, think left, think left. Hey! It works.

I think it helps that I rarely drive a car at home. Riding a scooter is different (and I don't exactly adhere to the traffic laws anyway). The strangest thing about driving on the other side is all of the space to my left. It feels a little like driving a really wide car.

So, for the next 10 days, I just need to make sure I keep my really wide car on the left side of the road. No problem.