Today, we had a Jeep safari... riding out from Jodhpor... to visit some hamlets... and meet some of the colourful people in the region. The Jeep was of WWII heritage... plenty of play in the steerage... clutch was no substitute for crunching the gears... and the horn had to be 'hot wired' each time you wanted to give verbal communication to other drivers... we didn't make much use of the horn.
The morning was full of interest... we visited a Muslim family who specialised in pottery... and our final stop was at a family of rug weavers... more importantly, the householder has organised a cooperative of cottages by providing the marketing and export expertise for home weaved rugs. But the most intriguing stop was at a compound run by Vishnois people... who consume a drink based on Opium.
The government allows this ethnic group to continue their customs of drinking Opium. It is consumed only by the men... and addiction is a problem. Upon arrival, we were struck by the tidyness of the compound... it had all been recently swept... no dogs or cows hanging around... all the rubbish piled up out of sight. The family consisted of the landowner and wife, two sons and their wives. While we were there, the daughters-in-law were doing all the work. This tribe is noted for protecting their land... allowing no hunting or tree cutting... they are vegetarian... and make meals from the seeds of acacia trees and other available legumes.
The householder came out with his Opium drinking gear... laid out a mat and started a ritual to bless the equipment. The Opium is purchased in a satchel... soaked in water... and filtered through cotton cloth. The householder rinsed his hands with water... then poured the mixture into his cupped hand. Our guide and the other driver then sipped the drink from the owner's hand... while holding one hand above their head. The unusual ritual displays respect for the householder.
We were then invited to cup our hand... into which the owner poured some drink... I guess he knew from previous experience that not many tourists would risk the health exposure of drinking from his hand... we had not washed our own hand... so the less risky format still gave bacteria an easy ride to the stomach. We were told by nurses in our group that the Opium concentration offered to us... and taking the substance into the stomach... meant that very little opiate would enter our bloodstream.
After our token sip, the locals got stuck into more serious consumption. Those drinking included both our drivers... a circumstance that did not escape the notice of our group. When the householder wanted a drink, our driver would rinse his hands and provide the owner with his hand for a cup. The owner had the appearance of someone who had engaged in this practice quite often. The trio took another satchel and drank another serving.
At our final stop (at the rug weaver), our guide (who was driving for today) had a snooze in the shade... and set his phone alarm for 20 minutes... so was on his feet at the time of our departure. We all jumped into the Jeep and headed back to town. Our driver turned on the radio so we could hear some Hindi music... but the volume was too loud. The volume dial was located in the glove box... and the glove box was locked. Our driver forgot he was driving... pulled the keys of of the ignition... to unlock the glove box... who would have thought? In focusing on the glove box, he took his eye off the road... and sent us heading towards the gutter! We screeched to a stop... as much as an old Jeep can screech ... and looked at the surprised expression on the face of our driver. Our unflappable friend completed the task of adjusting the volume of the radio... and checked with us that the volume was to our liking... before recommencing of journey back into town.
We were all relieved to arrive safely back in the hotel.
Just a word of advice from experience. Next time you are visiting an Opium den... ask your driver to avoid supping from the second satchel... and don't let him take the keys of of the ignition while the vehicle is in motion... even if the volume control of the radio is locked inside the glove box.
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