"I feel like everyone is staring at me..."

At one time or another, each of us has had the feeling that 'everyone is staring at me.' This is especially true if you have lived through female adolescence or spent much time somewhere outside of your native country. There are places in Gaborone where diversity is the norm and I am definitely not any more stare-worthy than anyone else. However, my daily trek to work takes me through a few places where I definitely stand out. One of those places is the bus rank. This is where all of the mass-transit (combis, buses, taxis, etc.) off-load and pick-up passengers. There are dozens and dozens of tuk shops where you can buy individual pieces of candy, cigarettes, bananas, Coke, etc. and massive numbers of people going here or there.

I walk through the bus rank every day and I had a pretty good indication that I stood out because I am frequently the target of some pretty bizarre salutations (some of which I cannot repeat here). However, I tried to tell myself that these were just random acts of curiosity and I usually smiled, waved and was on my way.

This week gave me occasion to reconsider how much people must really be staring at me. It has been raining (rather, pouring) all week and I had to delay my trek to work because I knew my route would be flooded and I would have been drenched before making it two steps toward my destination. When I finally did embark on my route to work through the bus rank, I didn't really know what to expect. I am usually there during the 'rush hour' so I wasn't sure what it would be like later in the morning.

Well, it was still just as busy as it usually is at 0715 and I still got some of the same greetings as I made my way through. But, what affirmed my thoughts of feeling like I was being stared at was when my attention was summoned by a group of women and one of them yelled, "hey, you're late!"

She was right, I was late. I don't know whether to be fearful or flattered that I am being kept track of. Oh well. Until next time, here's staring at you. Thanks for reading my blog.

Rainbows

Crazy weather and double rainbows are not only good metaphors for my life, they have actually been a big part of my literal experiences lately. This is the rainy season and a single day can bring torrential rains followed by sunny skies and then torrential rains, followed by sunny skies... and so on. These crazy weather cycles bring with them some of the most beautiful rainbows I have ever seen. My life and work in Gaborone have been a bit unpredictable lately, as well. Thankfully, with each metaphorical 'torrential rain,' I have had some wonderfully bright rainbows, too.

Here are a few of my rainbow experiences from this week:

A visit to the US Embassy where they have a beautiful little garden surrounding the US flag and where a woman, after learning of my occasion for being in Botswana, commended the important work Botswana-Harvard Partnership does.

Bible study starting up again for 2011 and a friend from church taking time out of her afternoon to tote me around on an errand that I couldn't have done without her.

Meetings with colleagues from Gaborone and from home that help remind me of the 'big picture' and let me know that I may not know exactly where I am going, but I am not going alone.

Durban and back to Gaborone

I am back at work in Gaborone, and I thought I would post a blog about our safari-recovery trip to Durban. Mom had the opportunity to stay in southern Africa for an additional week after our safari ended, so we decided to 'recover' by the beach. I wanted to stay by the ocean and do a little shopping- two activities that are rather limited in Botswana and we thought Durban, South Africa would be the perfect spot.



Our hotel, the Oyster Box, was right on the beach. It was fantastic. We walked on the beach, waded in the ocean and pools, ate delicious seafood, toured the city of Durban, shopped, watched movies and just enjoyed being together in one of the most beautiful places on earth.



It was tough to say goodbye, but we had an amazing time!

Safari Chapter Five: Madikwe, South Africa

After a few days together in Gaborone, Mom and I headed out to the Tau Game Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve just south of the Botswana-South Africa border. Fortunately, the border crossing both coming and going was simple and quick. We arrived around noon and had lunch and then explored the lodge until afternoon tea and the evening game drive.



So, you've heard of the wild goose chase... well, we went on a wild dog chase. But it wasn't JUST another chase, we were in an open Land Cruiser with our armed ranger in pursuit of wild dogs who had reportedly, according to the CB radio, just made a kill. For almost 3 hours, much of it in the POURING rain, some of it within inches if an enormous electric fence, we tracked but never found the elusive canines.



Thankfully, when we arrived home (the lodge), we had a few minutes to freshen up before dinner- which started at 8:00 p.m. My mom ordered the beef filet and I ordered the kudu filet. A comparative analysis (conducted by me) revealed that the two entrees had identical tastes and textures… they were both delicious. However, this analysis left us wondering about previous meals and the authenticity of the meat labeling. Our ranger (now un-armed) ate with us.



We slept well and were pretty much ready to go when the 5 am wake-up call came. It was a beautiful morning, seemed like an extremely early sunrise, and the elephants were already lining up for their morning bath outside the lodge. We were in the Land Cruiser before 6 am and declined the opportunity to follow the wild dogs again; our ranger had another “hot tip” on the radio about the dogs being sighted really far away from the lodge. He asked us what time we needed to be back, leading us to believe that it would be another wild goose chase.

Our game drive was successful, though. We saw giraffe very close up and a baby giraffe in the bushes. But the highlight was when mom rounded out her “Big Five” game viewing: Katie spotted the white rhino! It was in a quarry of mud and he did a little dance for us before joining his comrades in the bushes. The white rhino is not actually white. It is brown/ grey, just like the black rhino, but with a wider mouth.



After the game drive we had breakfast and then relaxed before departing for our return to Botswana. At the border crossing, we ran into a group of internationals who were crossing over to tour South Africa after competing in the World Debate Championships in Gaborone. This was our third encounter with people from this group of 1300 competitors. First, we saw them at dinner the night before we left for South Africa, then we met two of them at the Tau Lodge, and this time they looked a bit ragged after what must have been a pretty wild after-party.

Our drive back to Gaborone was quick and easy. We went out to dinner at the Beef Barron- Katie’s favorite restaurant in Gaborone and got ready for our departure to Durban the next morning.



Oh, and somehow, in all of my blogging about the safari, I forgot to mention that we saw CHEETAH at our first camp. So here they are...

Safari Chapter Four: Chobe Game Lodge

We flew from Camp Okavango to Kasane where our adventure continued at the Chobe Game Lodge in Chobe National Park. The Lodge was on the mighty Chobe River and the accommodations were truly luxurious- with a cement foundation and everything (in contrast to our tents at the previous camps... although the tents were very nice, too).



The schedule at Chobe was a bit different than the schedule at our other camps- wake-up call at 0500, tea at 0530, game drive at 0600-0830, breakfast at 0830, boat safari at 1030, lunch at 1230 followed by free-time, afternoon tea at 1530, game drive at 1600-1900, and dinner at 1930. In Chobe, we saw many of the same animals we had seen at the other camps. In addition, we also saw cape buffalo, black-backed jackal, dung beetles, red bishop birds, huge crocodiles and a gaggle banded mongooses (or mongeese, I don't know what the plural of mongoose is).





The park is known for its elephants- there are 45,000! We also saw more giraffe than we had seen at the other parks. We even saw some baby elephants and one that was only about 2 weeks old.



Some of the main highlights at Chobe were the lions and lion cubs which we were able to observe for an extended period of time. On our last morning game drive we saw two lionesses and three lion cubs who were napping and having a leisurely morning.





One day during our stay at the Chobe Game Lodge we took a day trip to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls. WOW! They were much more expansive than we had envisioned and truly a wonder of the natural world. After our visit to the falls we went out for lunch and then visited a crocodile farm.





We had one stop left on our safari, so stay tuned for chapter five!

Safari Chapter Three: Camp Okavango

We were warmly greeted at Camp Okavango by our guide and camp hosts. Our first activity was a canoe (mokoro) ride. Traditionally, these vessels were carved from mokoro wood, but environmentally friendly fiberglass is now the preferred material. We walked to the water’s edge and saw lion tracks and talked about the five deadly snakes of Botswana. During the canoe ride we saw a crocodile that was trying to sneak up on a stork and two cranes. We also saw a scorpion that is thought to have magical powers to turn men into women and vice versa. The water was shallow and clear and the mode of propulsion was “poling”, where the guide, while standing, used a long forked stick to push the canoe through the shallow, crystal-clear water. We had a nice jovial snack time with guides. Our refreshments included dry lemon drinks and biltong, which is similar to beef jerky.



On our walk back from the canoe launch site, we saw a big giraffe. We were able to get within 20 feet of him, which was a majestic experience and we got a lot of pictures.



The excitement and magic continued when we arrived at Christmas dinner to see a beautifully decorated dining room awaiting us. The Christmas tree had flashing lights and there were bowls of spray-painted pods. A cylindrical “party cracker” was placed at each plate setting. We popped them to find a prize and a proverb, which we shared by reading around the table and then guessing the author. Among the other guests were a couple from Parma, Italy and four friends from rural England. The staff also joined us at the table. Dinner was delicious and included barbecued turkey (on the braii, which is a barbecue), ham, and all the fixings. They had even prepared a special Christmas cake. Following the feast, we all gathered around the roaring fire and sang a lot of silly songs, played a lot of fun games, and celebrated with a few Christmas carols.

On Sunday, we were awakened at the usual 5:30 am and breakfast at 6:00. We went in the boat to Mojei Island for a walking safari. During the boat ride to the island, Jessie spotted the first crocodile of the day and won “the prize”. Once on the island, we walked for 4 hours. It was long and hot. However, our sweat was rewarded when we saw a pair of lions sleeping in the distance. We approached them under the direction of our guide. The main point was “No matter what happens, don’t run”. We observed the female who got up and sauntered off in the opposite direction into a refuge of trees. Eventually the male woke up and noted that his partner was gone and he, too walked away slowly. On this walk we also saw wart hogs, impala, red leschwe, and many kinds of birds. There was no snack.  We thought we were going to die, not from the lions but from dehydration, pollen, and exhaustion.





After lunch, we went back to our rooms to take a nap and then we got together to look at pictures. We had tea and chocolate éclairs with maraschino cherries at 3:30. Then we went out on the boat to see hippo and did we see hippo! Our guide was gently propelling us down the channel when Jessie spotted a hippo. When she pointed out the hippo, anticipating that we could slow down to view it more closely, our guide put the boat in full throttle and we zoomed away, narrowly averting capsizing.



Apparently, hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa, and they can inadvertently capsize a boat because they displace so much water. They are really big and they completely submerge, making them impossible to see when they are under the water. Their jaws are enormous and they open all the way. Once we were in the open water of the lagoon, we were able to view the hippo more safely. We saw several hippo, most notably three at one time bobbing, snorting, spouting, and twirling their ears. We saw the Malachite King Fisher, the most beautiful bird of all.
Back at the tents, we showered and then went to dinner with our fellow campers.

After dinner, one of the camp guides walked the three of us back to our tents but just as we approached Jessie and Laurie’s tent, we spotted two hippos next to the trail. It was alarming. We walked backwards slowly and the hippos did not move on. So the guide, the smallest of the four of us, announced that he was going to get a stick to throw at the enormous hippos. The stick didn’t work so he sent us back to the lodge where we explained the situation and called for backup. Another camp guide went to help the first guide while we stayed by the fire with the other guests. Eventually we got the all-clear signal and were escorted to our tents. We heard the hippos during the night but they did not bother us because they are unable to climb stairs and our tents are on elevated platforms.

On Monday we were up at 5:30 as usual, breakfast at 6:00 (French toast) and a power boat ride back to the island for another walking safari. We saw baboons, wart hogs, kudu, a Nile monitor lizard, and the fur of the lion in little tufts along the trail. It was breezy in the early morning and we only walked for 2.5 hours.



After 3:30 tea time, we went fishing. This was not a routine safari activity, but our guide was glad to accommodate our request. We took a 20 minute power boat ride to “the spot” which was a nondescript place in the channel that looked like a junction of two channels where elephants and hippos might access the water. Upon grounding the boat on the reeds, our guide reached into a black plastic garbage bag and pulled out fists full of flying ant wings which he threw into the water. The fish responded positively so we baited our hooks with raw beef and cast them into the water. In a matter of minutes, the fish were biting and biting and biting and biting. We ended up with over 20 tilapia. We took the catch back to camp and the kitchen prepared one of the largest tilapia and served it with all of the other dishes for our dinner, which we shared with the family from Australia and the camp staff.





After dinner we retired to our tents for some much needed rest. In the morning we went on a relaxing mokoro ride in the shallow channels of the delta. One of the highlights was seeing a chameleon slooowly travel along a branch near the shore.
Later that morning we were off to Kasane where we stayed at the Chobe Game Lodge.

Safari Chapter Two: Laroo La Tau

On the day before Christmas Eve, after our successful game viewing at Camp Moremi, we boarded a 6-seat Cessna and flew to Laroo La Tau which is located in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Our rooms at Laroo La Tau were totally glass on the Boteti river-facing side (east).



A dozen elephants refreshed themselves in the river which was immediately in front of our decks and we could view them all day. We could even watch the elephants walking by the river while we took our showers. Our schedule at Laroo La Tau was similar to our schedule at Moremi: wake-up at 0530, breakfast at 0600, game drive at 0630, brunch at 1100, rest-time from 1230-1530, tea at 1530, game drive (or boat ride) at 1600, dinner at 1930. During our breaks in the afternoons we could swim, look at all the pictures we took, nap, and then it was time for afternoon tea. After dinner the guide walked us to our rooms because we couldn't be outside alone at night after dark due to the potential for animals to be out after dark. The generator (and thus the electricity) was turned off at 2200 but each guest had an air horn to be used in case of an emergency and there were battery-powered lamps for use when the power was off.



We decided to go to the village near the camp rather than going on an afternoon game drive because we wanted to see the village and this camp offered night drives, which we did not do in Camp Moremi. Lance,our guide, took us in the Land Cruiser to the village. The dirt road was single-lane and it was really bumpy and rustic. We stopped along the way to see the cattle posts- where Batswana stay while they are tending their cattle. The cattle posts were lively because of the Christmas season and people being able to travel from their jobs in the larger towns to their home villages and cattle posts.



On the drive to the village we saw cows, goats, dogs, chickens, and lots of festive people. In the village we finally placed phone calls to our family in Washington. Then we went to the Tuk shop to buy airtime for the cell phone—the Tuk shop was open, but there wasn’t a cashier, so our guide knocked on the door of the house next door and a woman came out in her bath towel and rang up our purchase. The drive around the village was fun and educational. We saw the Kgotla, school, clinic, houses, people, but not many vehicles.



After our trip to the village, we returned to our lodge and dined with our guide and the lodge staff on a lovely dinner including an impressive spread of, among other things crocodile kabobs. Then we departed in the Land Cruiser for our night game drive. On the night drive we saw pearl spotted owlette, giant eagle owl, spring hare, steen bok and a frog. Back at the lodge, we were getting ready for bed when the generator went out and we were left with flashing battery-powered lights and no fan. It was our safari disco night. We got to sleep in time to get a few zz’s before our 0530 wake-up call the next day.

On Christmas Eve day, we boarded the Land Cruiser and drove down to the river where we got into a small boat and motored up the river to a waiting Land Cruiser for our morning game drive. The landscape in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park was much drier than the terrain at our previous location in Moremi. The wildlife was less abundant but during the drive in the Land Cruiser we got really close to a huge bull elephant as it emerged from the water and then again on our return boat ride when two elephants were wading in the water less than 25 meters from our boat.



Later, the day heated up to 95 degrees, so we lounged around on our deck watching the elephants and zebra for most of the afternoon. Following afternoon tea, we spent the early evening chatting with Changu, one of the hostesses, about travel and life in Botswana and the USA. We reviewed our pictures and spent some time catching up on each others’ lives—since Jessie and Mom hadn’t seen Katie since July.

Dinner was served inside due to thunder and the threat of rain. It was Christmas Eve and we dined with Ben (from Botswana) and George (from Sydney Australia), in addition to the staff. Ben and George went on a night drive but we retired to our room where we all slept together. We heard lions roaring several times during the night and we got up to go to the deck but couldn’t see them.

On Saturday we went on a shorter game drive with Ben and George and it rained. We saw elephants, lots of them, in the water. They were all male because the conditions in that area are too extreme for the females and their young. It was a soggy ride back to the boat landing. Patrick, another camp guide, met us on the east side of the river and took us back to the Lodge where we assembled our bags to go to the airstrip. We were delighted to see Scott in his Santa hat and 6-passenger Cessna. The ride to Camp Okavango was uneventful and we had the opportunity to view much of the Delta from the air.

Safari Chapter One

Long time, no blog! I have been on safari in northern Botswana and Zimbabwe with my family for the holidays and I am just now re-entering the internet zone. We were out in the bush for 12 days traveling to four different safari camps and lodges. For this blog, I am going to describe Camp Moremi, our first camp in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve.



I flew from Gaborone to Maun and then from Maun to the camp (I was the only passenger on my bush plane) where I met my mom and sister after their 60 hours of travel from Seattle via Sao Paulo, Brazil (they were originally routed to fly through London, but Heathrow was closed due to snow).



Our lodging at Camp Moremi consisted of tents on raised platforms with separate tents for the bathrooms. The camp was comfortable and rustic at the same time. We went on game drives every morning and late afternoon in Land Cruisers driven by Botswanan guides who were expert animal trackers. We were so fortunate to see a lot of different animals and birds. Among the animals we saw were zebra, impala, giraffe, hippo, warthog, water bok, reed buck, bush bok, crocodile, banded mongoose, hyena, elephant, kudu, red leschwe, and jackal. The rarest animals we saw were leopard, lion, and cheetah! We were there during the season when a lot of babies were being born and we saw baby monkeys, baboons, impala, elephants, and hippos, which we really loved. It was fun to sit in our Land Cruiser and observe the mothers and babies interacting.



We also went on a boat safari on the waters of the Okavango Delta and saw an amazing variety of birds, such as stork, eagles, and doves, two kinds of frogs, more crocodiles, and aquatic plants like lilies, reeds, and papyrus. Our boat guide pulled up some bull-rush roots from the bottom of the river for us to eat.

Many people who were planning to travel to Botswana for the holidays got caught in the winter weather in Europe and, as a result, most of our game drives and cruises were private. The guides and staff at camp were delightful and they ate all meals with us. After dinner we sat around the camp fire. The weather at Camp Moremi was hot and slightly humid.

Stay tuned for chapter two: LaRoo La Tau where we watched elephants from our river-front deck.