The Dangers of Transport

I realize that it has been about a month since my last posting, which I apologize for. Settling in to life here in Gobabis has been more taxing that I'd like to admit. So anyway, I will just publish some random stuff for the time being until things with work pick up and I can inform you all of what exactly I have been up to...

Namibia has a sky-high accident rate because many drivers drive while intoxicated, the tourists don’t know how to handle Namibia’s precarious roads, drivers race down the roads at speeds up to 240km/hr and wild animals frequently lurk on the roads. Just the other day, a group of PCVs from my region arrived at my house late at night speaking swiftly about their encounter with a warthog. Apparently the warthog ‘exploded’ when they hit it; the car was smothered in blood and guts (not to mention a few large dents). Honestly, they are tremendously lucky that the damage was not more severe and that the car did not flip! After the ordeal with the warthog, they ran out of gas and had to push the car about a kilometer into town. The driver (who is from Congo and dating one of the PCVs here) was really upset that they were unable to find the warthog’s meat and left in the night in search of it again. We were rather expecting him to show up at 4am with the meat to begin a braii (barbeque); needless to say, it was an interesting evening.

Transport in Namibia is a challenge, especially for PCVs since we are not allowed to drive. In order to get anywhere, we usually have three options: hitch-hike, take an illegal taxi, or go in a crowded combi. The crowded combis are, perhaps, the most popular option for travel for the locals since they are the cheapest method. However, in my opinion, they are also the most dangerous. As for the illegal taxis, they typically fill-up quicker than combis (meaning that one does not have to wait as long to leave) but the drivers go much faster and there’s always the off-chance that the police will haul you into the station for questioning. Hitch-hiking incidentally is probably the safest method for PCVs (and sometimes the cheapest because most people that pick you up won’t ask you to pay for the lift). I have yet to stand by the road waiting for a ride to some distant location but I look forward to that moment with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Though I must admit that due to the high accident rate (and to the horror stories of accidents one hears from the news and from fellow volunteers – two volunteers had to go home in January due to the injuries they sustained from an accident), I’m pretty nervous about traveling here.