A major part of my experience has been transportation. Driving in itself has been an adventure - new stories for that, but I'll keep that for me. Now that Wallis has returned, I am second on the list of drivers. We are keeping different schedules too so I can rely on her less to pick me up and drop me off at work... Thank goodness for my taxi drivers.
It is very handy that the project has an account with one of the taxi companies, meaning that I can charge for work related trips. I'm usually taking a taxi ride atleast twice a day so most of the cars and the dispatcher know me on a first name basis, they know where I live (after my first attempts at describing) and they know my usual drop offs. They wave at me when they see me on the street. I lost my favourite driver, but I am hoping that he is following his dream to go back to school.
My understanding for how it works is that if you own your own car, then you pay the company $1000/day ($5 CDN) to get trips from the dispatcher and use the company name on the car. A drop can be anywhere from $260-300 ($300=$1.50CDN) for a flat rate. I know they work long hours to make a living, but from discussions that I have had, they also have great pride that they are making an honest living compared to other options available.
They have provided me with interesting persectives on the tragedy up the coast, coming from different backgrounds then the usual people I talk with and different races (and in turn different political parties because the parties are divided by race). They had related stories to share and safety tips.
They share their experiences with me and give advice on where to buy certain spices, how to store them and make sure that I have tried the variety of foods that Guyana has to offer. A little bit of concern for my social life at times which I think is sweet.
I am thankful to have a good relationship with the company and the drivers. They have forgotten me on occasion, but now that I am a bit more of a regular customer, they care a bit more when I call the dispatcher.
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Jus thought I would drop you a line and say hi. I've enjoyed catching up on some of your blogs. I'm really jealous of all the adventures you are having. Michelle has left for her Australian adventure as well. Hard at work her trying to work on this PhD. The real world sounds lively and fun. Glad you are remembering that still after all this time.
Cheers,
Ben
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