Down in a hole...

Why we walk on the street versus the sidewalk?

The reason is that the sidewalks have holes that you could lose a small vehicle in...missing manhole covers and large drainage hole that could swallow you whole and nothing telling you about it or anything around it to guard you from falling to your death. That plus the sidewalks are in total disarray or under constructure. So the people are forced onto the streets and chaos looms as vehicle zip by, people walking 6 abreast. Now growing up in Boston I am use to lousy sidewalks and people crossing the street wherever and whenever and cars daring you to cross, but here we are at a whole new level of danger. I still walk like a Bostonian but there is a hint of fear and pending injury like I never had before.

The continuing saga. of finding a home... Well tonight I took a walk to check out one of the neighborhoods I might choose to live in, it is a hike up hill and not many street lights... first the home needs work but it is livableand a good size...but it is a hike as I mentioned so I wanted to see the walk at night and get a feel. It was ok, pretty steep climb but that part was fine, the bad part was on my way down I had a rock the size of a baseball thrown at me... interesting I thought... some a-hole throw a rock at me. So I stopped and I see the punk kid about 100 feet away, so I turn and start walking toward him... he turns jack rabbit so I turn around and leave, too old to chase a kid. Now I have heard stories of PCV getting rocks thrown at them...but baseball size rocks... cmon!!!

Needless to say this area has fallen down on my list of choices to live to say the least. I have a few places to look at next week. The Peace Corps in it's tight fists methods has somehow picked a rental allowance of 900Dh for my area... so far I have not seen a place for under 1000Dhs and most are 1200Dh and up. I have a problem in principle with having to cough up any rent about the going rate... now if I was living in a "villa" with fountains and such then sure I need to kick in the additional money, but to set a ceiling under the average monthly rent means either they have not done the proper do-deligence or they don't care... I haven't decided yet on which side to choose, neither is a positive.

Now I am home after two large meals and thinking about having a movie night...should have stopped at one of the street vendors and picked up some fresh popcorn... Next time.