Blog #4 - Actually Botswana.

*this is probably the longest post…who knew I was so chatty :) *

Luckily we got to sleep in today – our first real sleep since Wednesday before we left! The breakfast was delicious – they have GREAT fruit salad and I don’t think I have ever had quite as much guava juice before. After that we packed our bags and headed towards the Zambezi river to take a barge across to Botswana. We went to immigration and exited Zambia and then waited for one of these large barges to come across the river to get us. There were loads of people and supplies and trucks to be moved – so we were told to brace ourselves and basically make sure that we get on the barge as soon as it lands…. After talking with some locals and enjoying the gorgeous weather (which is very similar to South western Ontario June/August weather) we finally made it onto the barge.

What struck me while we were all waiting for this barge is the huge defense that I had in regards to my surroundings. I had manifested this fear and doubt in trusting and speaking with everyone. I was afraid of losing my stuff or saying the wrong thing to someone.
While on the barge we started talking with some locals as we slowly moved across the 50 meter river. This river crossing was really neat because the only way to get across was by barge. The barges moved people, cars and large transport trucks. After asking one someone, the wait for the trucks could be five days to get across! The other really cool thing was that it was the intersection of four countries: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana. There no fences, no toll booths, just large landing and departure pads for people to shuffle on an off of. Nothing at all like border crossing back home between the US and Canada.

Another shocking aspect to me was the fact that we looked and both felt so foreign to all of this. After all of the travel orientation and preparation you come to have these expectations of what people will be like and how you will fit into everything. My first lesson in all of this was when one of the men on the barge reached down the side of the boat and filled up a bottle to drink the water right out of the Zambezi river. The water was definitely not treated and there must have been bountiful pollutants from the constant crossing of the barges. Unbelievable!

What they really needed here was a bridge – and apparently is on the maps to be built, but it will take many years. Such a simple infrastructural project as a bridge (which we take for granted and as a given in North America) would be a huge assistance to inter-country trade, tourism and general travel.

We landed on the Botswana shore and finally stepped foot in the country I would call home for the next three months! It was a nice little clearing with people, supplies and trucks waiting to load. We shuffled off and settled down in a little pack of rocks and fauna to take a break while we waited for our transport.

We had to load all of our bags and ourselves into what I shall call our “safari truck” and pickup truck with a seating cab attached to the back that would hold nine people…needless to say it was cozy. We traveled no more than a minute before we came to the Botswana immigration. We filled out our official entrance to the country documents and filed through. Then we had to walk through what they call “veterinary control” for foot and mouth disease. It is basically a shallow trough that all the cars drive through and for the people you need to press your shoes and walk over a soaked pad of the cleansing chemical. It is a part of the way that Botswana complies with the international standards so that they can maintain their beef industry (which used to be a consider part of their GNP but now constitutes around 4%). This is one interesting issues with Botswana– the struggle between domestic and wild animals and their impact and relevance to culture and economy…more thoughts to come on that later!

So we pack back up (though luckily now we got to split between one vehicle for luggage and one for people! We drove down the roadway and literally for at least a mile there was a long line of parked transport trucks, whose drivers had set out chair, tables and more to rest and wait until they could cross!

Did I mention they drive on the wrong side of the road! It is so different to get used to – seeing the driver on the other side and then passing vehicles on the left and not the right! It will be interesting once I get to start driving myself during my placement!... should provide some great stories I am sure :)

We crossed into Botswana on the very north-east corner of the country and entered the town of Kasane (ka-sa-knee) were we stayed at the Chobe Safari Lodge. It was a higher class resort that we were staying at to get some good food at the start of the trip, a good rest as well as to take advantage of the resort’s safari services. The resort was built to mimic traditional building styles, with large log structures with thatch and grass coverings and roof. Our rooms on the other hand were very much a high end north American room with two beds, a TV, a bath, a shower, mosquito nets and more! Definitely not ‘roughing it’ as we had all expected – but good to remember we only get one night here! We dropped our bags and headed for lunch!

The food was AMAZING – it was buffet style and there were both local dishes as well as traditional North American foods. Some was cooked right in front of you in an exhibition style – Hospitality Services back home would be proud! I got to try Koodu (not sure of spelling…), which is basically a large grazing animal that tasted pretty good!
In the afternoon we talked and discussed about Botswana as a country, Chobe National Park and some of the issues and challenges surrounding its management. At the end of the day we boarded a large boat (sort of like a house boat without walls) and went on a sunset boat game tour!

This was the first time that we really got to see the African animals! We saw loads of different species of birds, tonnes of elephants, hippos, monkeys and more! It was so much fun and such a beautiful way of being introduced to the African landscape and wildlife. While on the boat, Marena started interacting with three of the local children that were also on the boat. We started talking with the kids – they tried doing peoples hair and attempting to instruct us in basic Tswana! It finally felt like we were in Botswana, being an enjoyed part of Africa, and getting immersed in the local ecosystem and culture (slowly of course, but it has started!)

One of my favourite points of the trip was being welcomed back from the boat to a music group of four men playing the Marimbas (basically sweet African xylophones) The music was so light-hearted and happy and I just remember feeling so happy: to be here, to have seen what we have seen already and to have another three months in this amazing country! We had another wonderful meal at which a large traditional dance troop came in and performed some native dancing! They have amazing costumes, somewhat similar to our indigenous people in Canada, but with some neat additions. They had these long, dried strings of small shakers that they wrapped around and around each ankle. Then when they did all of their stomping and shaking steps there was a constant rattle – it was awesome! They have an amazing sense of rhythm and beat, have beautiful harmonies and seem so proud to be doing what they are doing! It was an amazing capstone to an already amazing day! I love Botswana and couldn’t be happier!