Leisure Spots: Beyond Bars

The entire school community started going on vacation since June with the secondary and primary education. Higher institutions or learning are already joining the train. As the dedicated time for rest which pupils and students are expected to get closer to their families, there is evidently another challenge that will present itself. That of looking for ways and means to spend quality time either at home or leisure spots which are not always so easy to find. Even where they do exist, quality is hardly a preoccupation for those who run such places.    
If the issue is acute during holidays, it is not as if the situation is really better during other moments of the years. People in most towns and villages across the country tend to drinking spots and bars and off-licences generally to wind time and the other things that go with such Bacchus-infested areas. Certainly, the economic aspects of drinking places cannot be undermined. Those who create them contribute enormously to the national economy either in terms of the jobs that are offered to the growing number of unemployed youth or the taxes that they pay to the public treasury.      
Yet, no one can deny the fact that limiting outdoor leisure spots to such considerations can be misleading. The other side of the medal can be worrisome. Those who get addicted do not only transform themselves to vile philosophers who excel in analysing and commenting some of the most absurd concepts and even creating their escapist universe, but they get indulged in permissive patterns of behaviours which often defy common sense. There are those who spend endless hours drawing preposterous analogies about religion, politics, rising prices in the markets, conflicts in neighbouring or far-off countries, and how those challenges are being tackled. They often debate, quarrel and add more bottles as fines for any offensive declarations just in an attempt to get the party going for hours on end.  Apart from the health and environmental concerns that bars at times pose with either the lack of restrooms or running taps that can help cleanse the surroundings, there are cases of character and family dislocations that could result from too much presence in such localities.     
With the current proliferation of beer parlours and drinking dens, the tendency is that people quickly settle there once the desire to have some fun or while away time crops up. The spread is even such that schools and even holy places like churches are hardly spared from the growing proximity with drunks and others who have nothing to do there. That might not be a major concern to those who have succeeded in rendering hackneyed even the most outrageous way warded mannerisms around the country. It may not even be easy under such circumstances to say what would be appropriate or rational in terms of limiting the existence of beer and other drinking spots. Since no one bothers to respect the laws regulating the creations of such places. After all, those who swear by activities of that nature ignore the consequences of going into excess drinking to the extent that they argue that: “something must kill a man”. Be it alcohol or what else!     
It could obviously be rightfully stated that bars have their place in society. But to accept them as the most visible leisure options for a country that prides itself as “The Continent” or Africa in miniature, cannot be convincing enough. Rich fauna and flora exist throughout the national territory. There are national parks, dotted across the country. Lover of arts works would not lack where to go. There is also the nagging problem of required facilities and social amenities that go with the quest for leisure in our towns and villages. The taste will certainly vary depending on those involved, but no matter the variations in needs and demands by tourists, there are acceptable standards that must be respected. In several areas where tourists could pay a visit, there are often question marks as to the quality of services rendered. Those who receive guests are hardly the right persons to do so. Some even lack the basic ethical values required for such localities.     
It is inconceivable that a site meant to welcome tourists will afford to operate without basic necessities like water or electricity. Moreover, the Internet is fast becoming such a vital need that people can no longer keep seeing it as luxury. Consequently, there are facilities that should be primordial if anybody has ...