driving

Gone again to the lake…of course. What else to do on a weekend? Especially a long weekend! 6 girls in a Honda CRV with an amazing amount of stuff in the back. Not all that bad as we were camping and needed tents, sleeping bags, etc…but still. Off we headed thru Lilongwe and of course through the police stop there. Made it through no problem and stopped for gas just on the other side (wouldn’t want to run out)…trying to leave the gas station one of the officers must have thought he’d found an easy mark and stopped us before we could get on the road again. came to my window and asked for my license…checked the insurance and the license and came back to tell me we were in violation as the insurance is good for 5 not 6. (as I watch a minibus pass through with at least 20 I’m sure). So what are we going to do? Where are we headed and where are we from? (to the lake from Nkhoma) the offense is MK3000 (US$17). I then asked if he was going to fine everyone coming through with too many people. Like who he asked. Like those minibuses…well they are allowed 16 people. I told him that every minibus I’d been in had at least 20 in it. well, some stop just before the road block and let people out to walk through (very illegal)…none of mine have done that. Well, some of them are going to funerals and we take that into consideration. Hmm. What about that truck (pick up with many in the back. Well, they are going to the fields for the harvest. Well, we are all volunteers working for free here in Malawi. So what are we going to do? I think you should tell us to have a good weekend. We are working for free and don’t have the money to pay. Well how are you going to pay for the lake? We brought just enough for the lake. Well, then give me a Fanta. We don’t have any Fanta. (worth MK60). Here is a water bottle (frozen). I don’t want that. Well, that is what we have. What are we going to do? You can say have a good weekend. And then while he didn’t tell us to have a good weekend he did let us continue on our way.