You can buy pretty much anything out of a bus window in
Rwanda. Most commonly: airtime, water,
juice, nuts, gum, biscuits or magazines (out of date). Often; bibles, wallets, jewellery, second
hand clothes. Some of the stranger items
for sale include a plastic pigeon (with moveable wings!), water pistols,
(white) dolls, whistles, vacuum packed
dates and I even heard tell of a volunteer who managed to purchase a pair of
Birkenstocks (second hand but barely worn) out the window! Then there are the food stops. Places where the bus stops at the side of the
road and you can either jump off and do a speedy visit to a neighbouring shop,
or you can just dangle out of the window and wait to be presented with an array
of foods such as brochettes, plantains, boiled eggs, amandazi. It can be fun to
watch some of the sales going on. In
many places, people sell drinks through the window. Some people want cold drinks and so will be
passed several bottles to feel them for temperature. Sometimes they are not cold enough and you
will see a young guy race off across the bus park towards a fridge to try and
get a cold drink and race back with it before the bus departs. Occasionally they only just make it and are
delighted to have done so as they will have earned themselves a few more
pence. I wonder how many sales other
vendors make – especially those who are selling second hand clothes. “Oh! How wonderful! I was just thinking this morning how much I
needed a new pair of smart waist pleated work trousers.” I tend to think of these things as more of a
destination buy, not something I would pick up on a passing whim. I guess the fruit, nuts, biscuits and tissues
are much easier to flog but it’s all terribly convenient if you find your only
set of headphones don’t work and suddenly, someone appears at the bus window.
