I had never seen as many of this as I saw on the border of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was like a bunch of bees, a flock of birds, a school of fish… A superorganism, composed in this case of the characteristic blue Bajaj. They were filled with saint stickers, had tiny overloaded curtains and tapestry. I thought of it as something fascinating because it always appeared as if chaos would erupt at any time, but it doesn’t. I hated these little things when driving because some seemed to be trained to be a kamikaze! For sure I did not enjoy then when I was the one behind the wheel…
That was back in 2018. And now, in 2021 I had the chance to do a city tour in my father’s hometown: Mao (Valverde, Dominican Republic) where this 3 wheeled and hooded motorcycles are popular. They are called “Margarita” and quite different from what I saw in Ethiopia: it is not normal to see these in the Dominican except in the northwest part of the country.
They serve as taxis and as a fun way to do a city tour. That way you can check the city out, find out that the “Rigola” (water canal) seems to be everywhere, and most importantly: enjoy the sunset in a place where the beginning of the where it is known for its intense and beautiful colors.
If you want to know how this vehicle is called in other places, check this post: “How are these called in your country?! #HowDoYouCallit”