Wedding Weekend III - River Cruise
It was a beautiful Maun afternoon. The air was warm, the breeze sweet, the sun declining in the sky. The water birds were calling to each other across the calm surface of the river and swimming between the reeds. We boarded the pontoon – Sir Rosis of the River (get it? Say it out loud..) – after a hearty round of group photos, and then pushed off into the river. The point of these boat rides is simply to float around getting drunk and having a good time; there are speakers and an ipod jack, and a cooler full of drinks. This particular boat ride was a peculiar mix of A’s family and A&L’s friends… The family members were mostly sober and extremely nervous. I think most of them had seen rivers before, but none of them had ever ventured into one, much less floated down one for hours on a boat, and they were filled with apprehension at the prospect of boarding Sir Rosis and casting off into the stream. However, they all sat down with brave faces and accepted cans of coke or juice. A&L’s friends, on the other hand, were tipsy and looking to get more so, and perfectly happy to be floating down the river on a pontoon.
We cruised down the river with music blasting from the speakers. Floating down the river in Maun is always a lovely experience; what could be better than sitting down in the sun with a bottle of beer, watching the long stretches of overgrown riverbank drift by you? The idyllic scenes of river life reel past as though they were a film screened especially for you: villagers fishing with wooden rods, families hastily bathing in the shallows, children playing with abandoned mokoros, gape-mouthed tourists speeding past in hotel motorboats. Ibises, herons, African darters, jicanas, kingfishers, fish eagles, swifts and even a marabou stork flapped overhead or perched on dead trees as we drifted by. It was the first opportunity for real conversation between the bride and the family; between glasses of champagne A&L spoke with each family member and delivered on their familial responsibilities. Later in the trip there was dancing and singing, toasts and jokes and laughter until we finally returned to shore just after dark, around 7:30.
We drove back to the wedding party in a tipsy convoy of cars. Here I again enter controversial territory by admitting that YES, there were people driving in a less-than-perfect state of sobriety. I believe that in most rural locations in the world, you will find people driving under the influence. If buses, subways, and taxis are not readily available – or if the distances involved, over rough country roads, make the price of taxis prohibitive – people will drive after drinking. In Maun, a considerable number of my friends live in places that taxis simply cannot go; especially in the rainy season, their homes require a 4WD to access. Education and police vigilance certainly make a difference, and I’m sure that due to the strict laws and frequent checks in the USA or Canada, there are probably fewer people driving drunk. However, particularly in rural areas, where checks are less common, distances greater, and alternative transport less available, people drive under the influence. It happens.
Ideally the least-drunk person is selected to drive; when I refer to driving under the influence, I’m not talking about slurring, staggering, vomiting drunkards getting behind the wheel of a car. I’m talking about the buddy who had a few beers in the course of an evening, is mildly buzzed, and drives back with a high degree of caution. It’s still not a great idea; a mild buzz will undeniably slow your reflexes, and if your friends are raucous and distracting they can add to the danger. But many people, in many places, consider this to be an acceptable risk.
Botswana is a terrible place for drunk driving. There is no part of the country that does not involve large distances over rough roads, and the police are not particularly vigilant about checking for drunk drivers. The risk of accidents is decreased because there isn’t much traffic, but vastly increased by the number of animals – wild and domestic – that are on the road. Before I came here, I was warned that driving at night was the most risky activity (well... second, perhaps, to unprotected sex…) that one could undertake in Botswana. I think that’s true; between the animals and the other drivers, it’s a truly hazardous activity. People regularly go 120 km/hr on the Trans-Kalahari at night, even though they can’t see cows on the road until they’re almost upon them, and a rogue kudu could jump out at any moment. Drunk driving is rampant. Apparently the police, in a vain attempt to crack down on drunk drivers, did some nighttime road-blocks in high-traffic areas; they found that over 50% of the drivers were drunk. Oops.
At any rate, we made it back to the wedding without mishap. The party was in full swing, and the beleaguered organizers had already had to turn away a variety of uninvited guests, ranging from completely random people to (uninvited) casual acquaintances, to the local councillor. This is another common feature of parties in Botswana; if a person is wandering down the road and hears music, they feel free to walk into the party, grab a plate of food, and ask the host where the nearest cooler-box is. The councillor in particular felt entitled to a large plate, a bottomless glass of champagne, and other hospitalities. L kicked him out without further ado.
NOTE: I am not endorsing drunk driving; the death toll is high, it’s a stupid idea, etc., etc. I try to avoid getting into vehicles with people that have been drinking to ANY degree, and I have never gotten into a vehicle with someone that was clearly out-of-control. However, it is a bald fact that people drive drunk all the time. I’ve tried to explain a few of the reasons why. Of course a major reason is simply that people are stupid, all the moreso when they've had a few drinks.
FURTHER NOTE: Sorry for the long hiatus. Our internet connection has been an absolute disaster since I last posted.
We cruised down the river with music blasting from the speakers. Floating down the river in Maun is always a lovely experience; what could be better than sitting down in the sun with a bottle of beer, watching the long stretches of overgrown riverbank drift by you? The idyllic scenes of river life reel past as though they were a film screened especially for you: villagers fishing with wooden rods, families hastily bathing in the shallows, children playing with abandoned mokoros, gape-mouthed tourists speeding past in hotel motorboats. Ibises, herons, African darters, jicanas, kingfishers, fish eagles, swifts and even a marabou stork flapped overhead or perched on dead trees as we drifted by. It was the first opportunity for real conversation between the bride and the family; between glasses of champagne A&L spoke with each family member and delivered on their familial responsibilities. Later in the trip there was dancing and singing, toasts and jokes and laughter until we finally returned to shore just after dark, around 7:30.
We drove back to the wedding party in a tipsy convoy of cars. Here I again enter controversial territory by admitting that YES, there were people driving in a less-than-perfect state of sobriety. I believe that in most rural locations in the world, you will find people driving under the influence. If buses, subways, and taxis are not readily available – or if the distances involved, over rough country roads, make the price of taxis prohibitive – people will drive after drinking. In Maun, a considerable number of my friends live in places that taxis simply cannot go; especially in the rainy season, their homes require a 4WD to access. Education and police vigilance certainly make a difference, and I’m sure that due to the strict laws and frequent checks in the USA or Canada, there are probably fewer people driving drunk. However, particularly in rural areas, where checks are less common, distances greater, and alternative transport less available, people drive under the influence. It happens.
Ideally the least-drunk person is selected to drive; when I refer to driving under the influence, I’m not talking about slurring, staggering, vomiting drunkards getting behind the wheel of a car. I’m talking about the buddy who had a few beers in the course of an evening, is mildly buzzed, and drives back with a high degree of caution. It’s still not a great idea; a mild buzz will undeniably slow your reflexes, and if your friends are raucous and distracting they can add to the danger. But many people, in many places, consider this to be an acceptable risk.
Botswana is a terrible place for drunk driving. There is no part of the country that does not involve large distances over rough roads, and the police are not particularly vigilant about checking for drunk drivers. The risk of accidents is decreased because there isn’t much traffic, but vastly increased by the number of animals – wild and domestic – that are on the road. Before I came here, I was warned that driving at night was the most risky activity (well... second, perhaps, to unprotected sex…) that one could undertake in Botswana. I think that’s true; between the animals and the other drivers, it’s a truly hazardous activity. People regularly go 120 km/hr on the Trans-Kalahari at night, even though they can’t see cows on the road until they’re almost upon them, and a rogue kudu could jump out at any moment. Drunk driving is rampant. Apparently the police, in a vain attempt to crack down on drunk drivers, did some nighttime road-blocks in high-traffic areas; they found that over 50% of the drivers were drunk. Oops.
At any rate, we made it back to the wedding without mishap. The party was in full swing, and the beleaguered organizers had already had to turn away a variety of uninvited guests, ranging from completely random people to (uninvited) casual acquaintances, to the local councillor. This is another common feature of parties in Botswana; if a person is wandering down the road and hears music, they feel free to walk into the party, grab a plate of food, and ask the host where the nearest cooler-box is. The councillor in particular felt entitled to a large plate, a bottomless glass of champagne, and other hospitalities. L kicked him out without further ado.
NOTE: I am not endorsing drunk driving; the death toll is high, it’s a stupid idea, etc., etc. I try to avoid getting into vehicles with people that have been drinking to ANY degree, and I have never gotten into a vehicle with someone that was clearly out-of-control. However, it is a bald fact that people drive drunk all the time. I’ve tried to explain a few of the reasons why. Of course a major reason is simply that people are stupid, all the moreso when they've had a few drinks.
FURTHER NOTE: Sorry for the long hiatus. Our internet connection has been an absolute disaster since I last posted.
posted by Jenn at
6:41 AM
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