Sitting here in limbo

I have written about the traffic in Nairobi before. It's a central feature in the life of everyone who lives here. Rush hour is about 18 of the 24 hours everyday.

Well... everyone... not true. A week or two ago I wondered why there was no traffic jamming the roundabout I use most often. Maybe a minute later, the presidential parade of Mercedes cars zoomed by. Mr. Kibaki is exempt from traffic jams. (Also he voted himself a pay raise recently - now he makes more than Mr. Bush. Later, he retracted the raise, I heard. Elections are next year, and I think he realized that a huge raise might not be so wise.)

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The beautiful thing about being in Nairobi during this part of the year is that so many people leave the city - so it's now possible to get places without having to sit and sit and sit in a car.