Donkey Cart Bachelorette

A couple of weeks ago, I went to K's bachelorette party. She's a Peace Corps volunteer who's getting married in August, as soon as she returns home (to a very happy fiance!). However, since her Botswana friends are so dear to her, she decided to double up on the bachelorette parties. It occurs to me that this is a brilliant idea - more than one bachelorette party?! In fact I had never attended one of these infamous excuses for debauchery before, but it was loads of fun and I think that any excuse to have more than one is a good idea.

One of K's best friends, L, decided that the party needed an authentic Botswana twist. Her brainwave? A donkey cart to pick her up at her house and take her to the party. (In lieu of a limousine, I suppose.)

I ended up with the task of riding the donkey cart from the farm into Ghanzi, along with another Peace Corps. We rode for about 8km, first on the rutted farm road, and then on the thankfully smooth paved road. Cars that passed us slowed down to gawk at the two giggling white girls on the donkey cart - occasionally whole families would pass with their heads turned sideways to stare at us. As we rode, a light rain began to fall, and the light slowly faded from the sky. By the time we entered Ghanzi proper, we were shivering and the rain was falling in earnest, and by the time we reached K's house, it was dark. Nevertheless, she was delighted to see the donkey cart and happily rode it all the way to the Kahalari Arms with an umbrella to keep her dry.