To Bike or Not To Bike?

To say Quelimane is a bike city would be an understatement.  It seems to me that Quelimane is THE bike city.  I have never been any place where more people used bikes in my life.  There are more people on bikes than people walking or using cars…although there are fair number of cars driving through the city as well. 

I suppose that many of you reading this are picturing just a lot of people riding on bikes casually.  And you would be right.  However, if you walk out onto any street here in Quelimane you would see much more than just individuals riding their own bikes. 

You would see a lot of “bike taxis”, which are just regular bikes with a small 12 X 4 seat on the back for someone to sit on.  Bike taxis are the main mode of transport if you don’t have a bike and don’t want to walk a few miles in the sweltering heat.  You can get anywhere in the city for 10 mets or less, which is mad cheap. 

You would see people riding bikes with babies or small children attached to their back.  You would see young and old people pedaling away.  You would see people riding bikes carrying huge bags of supplies or big buckets of mangos balanced on their head or even a large mattress.  And yes, you would even see people chatting on their cell phones while riding along.  It is truly amazing just how much can be done while riding on a bike.  I never knew the possibilities until I came here.

And so the question remains….should I too join the masses and get a bike of my own???  I mean it would be fun and help me get around so much better.  Please let me know what you think.  Peace Corps will give me money to buy a bike if I so desire. But don’t worry it is Peace Corps policy that I must be wearing a helmet at all times. 

PS I have not seen one Mozambiquan wearing a helmet.