How many cows can you fit in a Volkswagen? Probably 12, if it's in Mali.

After living here a year, I thought nothing could surprise me anymore. Black mamba? Ho hum. An adult man wearing a Viking helmet ski hat, complete with fake blond braids, as he sells tea? Meh. Eating field rat? Boorringg. But then I saw a massive adult cow, alive and unhappy, tied onto the back of a dinky motorbike with a teenage boy driving. According to the laws of physics, I don’t believe that is possible. But I saw it, blinked, looked again, confirmed my first impression, then asked seven other people if that was indeed a very large cow tied onto the back of a scooter-esque motorbike. The answer was affirmative and aweless. Seriously, how does that thing not tip over? I guess the laws of physics simply do not apply to any mode of Malian transport.

I understand, however, the logistics of a cow tied up in the back of a sturdy station-wagon taxi… although I’m not saying I’ve gotten used to an angry cow glowering at me from the backseat with a bloodshot eye while its massive horn is an inch from my face. Sadly I don’t have pictures of the cow on the motorbike, but here’s one of a cow going into my taxi (note: this is not a unique experience).By the way, we also fit 7 people in the front of that car.

Speaking of odd animal placement, the pump-installation truck arrived in our village with heavy machinery, a monkey, and two live chickens in the cab. We ate the two chickens, and the monkey disappeared on the same day. I don’t know what happened to it, but I’m hoping I didn’t just think it tasted like chicken.