Nyanja always laughs at the Grace routine to for getting on a moto taxi.

Step 1: Hail the moto taxi. They screech to a halt for the muzungo.

Step 2: Sputter some Kinyarwanda polititude like "mwyaramutse" (good morning) or "mwirwiwe" (good afternoon).

Step 3: Try to explain where I need to go, using neighborhood names and landmarks. (There are no street names here. No one knows addresses.)

Step 4: Negotiate a price. This is were I always find out the price ahead of time so I don't get the muzungo price (double normal price).

Step 5: Put a plastic shower cap on my head, to protect my hair from potential lice.

Step 6: Put on the Helmet. If the strape is broken or the helmet too loose, I look for a different taxi.

Step 7: Get on moto taxi. (Always challenging in a taylored skirt. The site is know to trigger laughter.)

Step 8: Ride. My left had grasps the rail of the seat behind me. My right hand, is placed gingerly on the moto taxi drivers shoulder. I shout "buhoro, buhoro" (slowly, slowly) and am ignored. So, then I revert to option 2, grasp taxi driver's right shoulder more tightly, to the point he feels the prickle of my long finger nails.

Step 9: Point directions to the exact final destination.

Step 10: Get off, mixing French and Kinyarwanda, with a murakose/ca va bien/chow (thank you/it is good/bye) and pay the negotiated price. Generally the taxi drivers are able to make change.