Well it has taken a little longer than I wanted to get down to writing some comments and observations about Botswana. Unfortunately it has been a function of not seeming to have any free time since we seem to either be constantly on the go or there has not been time allotted to sit down and work on the computer.
Anyway it is time to be more consistent. In addition what is written here and after, is how one specific Canadian sees the world and comes with his own point of view. Not to say that it is right or wrong.
Today’s topic is driving.
Since we arrived on Thursday morning I have been the driver of record. For 4 days we had use of my brother-in-law’s pickup truck, complete with cab over the back and a mattress. Thus, Binnie, Dave and I were up front in the cab while the 3 kids rode in the back on the mattress. They seemed to get a kick out of that. Then on Sunday afternoon, we exchanged the pickup for my brother-in-law’s van which we will keep for the remainder of the trip.
(We were suppose to have the van from the beginning but it took my brother-in-law a little longer than planned to get the van ready. A whole other story for another time!)
There are no automatic transmissions in this country. Only gear shifts. Thus, it has been countless years since I had last used a gear shift but it comes back like second nature apart from the old miss-shift!
Like Great Britain, people drive on the left side of the road so as a North American one always has to keep in mind not to cross over and drive on the right side of the road. So far 96% successful on that account. A few minor lapses!
Being left handed, driving on the left side of the road and using a gear shift, is for me, like being a rally driver. Much more enjoyable than driving an automatic since you have to be more involved and are constantly shifting gears.
This fact is compounded by the challenge that animals such as goats, cows and donkeys roam at large and have a tendency to wander up to the edge of road and then onto part of your lane. There are no prizes for damaging a goat or donkey!
People walking, with or without wheelbarrows, tend to use the shoulder of the road and mini-buses serving as public transport are always stopping in the middle of nowhere to pick someone up or drop someone off.
As noted you cannot daydream or you are going to be in trouble in a second.
By and large the drivers in Botswana are not bad and are fairly aware of other vehicles on the road and get high marks for indicating what they are going to do. On the other hand they have had to deal with a Canadian who is not 100% sure of where he is going at times and is prone to making a last minute lane change or turn without proper warning!
This also arises because signage along the roads in Botswana is severely lacking if not non-existent at times and thus before you know it you are in the wrong lane (for a turn) or almost missing a turning because it was not signposted.
[On a subsequent post I will talk about getting directions and addresses in Botswana]
There is a wide range of vehicles in Botswana and because of economics and the lack of snow and ice in the winter there is no need for salt on the roads and so vehicles do not rust away. Consequently, you will see state of the art cars from 2011 to vehicles that appear to be held together by wire and the odd bit of spot welding.
In the former category you will see top end BMW’s, Volvos, Hummers, not to mention Jaguars. At the other end of the spectrum are beat up pickups and cars that look like they should be in the wrecker’s yard.
The newer cars tend to zoom past us while we are always having to deal with overtaking one of the clunkers.
Binnie’s village is 45 km’s to the west of the capital (Gaborone). Thus we have been in and out of the capital almost every day. Personally I think of each of these trips as a road race.
In Gaborone the main roads are 4 lanes with a centre grass median. As we head out from the centre to the suburbs there are countless traffic lights and bus stops. Eventually the 4 lane road gives way to the normal 2 lane road. Along the way there are a couple of turn-offs to major villages and further out we pass through the centre of several minor villages before reaching the turn-off for Binnie’s village (Thamaga).
Most times we head home at the end of the day when everyone else is returning home after a day’s work. Either to the suburbs or the village they commute from a little farther out. Thus, there is a constant stream of cars outbound which tends to whittle down in number as we get further and further from Gaborone.
The aim is to get to Thamaga as fast as possible and in doing so avoiding all humans and animals that may get in the way. It is a constant situation of passing the slower vehicles and being overtaken by the faster vehicles. As a say a road rally/race every time!
At the same time I am discounting the fact that there is such a thing as a speed trap or police car with radar out on the road. The speed limit is what you want to attempt although in a few sections it is posted as a 120 which is faster than any road in Canada.
To be fair the police are out and about and almost every day we have come across a police road stop where they appear to be checking for vehicle safety and registration. After dark in the middle of nowhere you will come across a large specialized police truck parked way off to the side of the road with 3 large floodlights shining onto the road itself to provide illumination and safety for the police officers. Down the middle of the road will be a row of plastic cones and there will be four or five police officers fitted out with reflective jackets. Invariably there will be several vehicles parked on the shoulder of the road being inspected by other officers.
I would hasten to add that it is reassuring to know that the authorities are attempting to keep the roads safe and the travelling public are aware that the police are out there and there is a good chance that you will come across a police check.
Although we keep saying that we have to be back to Thamaga before dark that has only happened once. Thus, the road rally effect is abetted by the fact that we are driving in the dark where street lights are non-existent and a high percentage of vehicles have headlights that seem only to work with their high beams on. This does wonders for one’s vision!
Driving after dark has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you can see an on-coming vehicle a fair distance off and thus are able to pass on bends and solid centre lines with relative safety. The drawback is that grey donkeys and goats can loom out of the dark at the very last moment necessitating a quick evasive manoeuvre. In addition, the Batswana in winter tend to wear heavy jackets and toques in dark colours (!) and by nature are hard to see once the sun goes down. I cannot count how many times I have come across people walking beside the road that appear out of nowhere at the last second. This is compounded by the fact that in Gaborone, as in Canada, the closest distance is the shortest distance so people are always crossing the road to get from one side to the other, otherwise known as jay-walking. Luckily they seem to be well aware of vehicles and make sure they are out of the way as they cross. Not that they would have a hope in hell if they were not paying attention since as a driver they are impossible to see.
Lastly, I have to say that the Batswana as in everything they do, tend to be quite laid-back when it comes to driving. Thus, although there have been situations where road rage would be warranted by someone butting in or changing lanes without indicating, there seems to be an easy going nature to the driving. Live and let live. That is not to say that they will and have used their hooters when some action has been undertaken that is not acceptable or fair play.
Last but not least petrol costs the same as in Canada. Around $1.20 per litre.
[Next time: soccer – part 1]
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