The Okavango and more…

So after only being back in school for a week when we got back from Durban, our program had organized a 9 day safari so we all went together to Maun. We spent the first night at the main camp, Audi Camp, and then the next day we packed up early and went out to the central Kalahari for two nights. It was our program director, us four girls, out guide, Ruster, and our cook, Benjamin. We had to drive for like 8 hours to get to the campsite which was exhausting especially with the African sun coming in through the windows. Once we got to the camp site we set up our tents and everything and then we out for a game drive. We saw all kinds of animals, it was crazy. We saw elephants just walking right in front of the car, and tons of zebras just roaming around like an arm’s length away, we saw a ton of giraffes and a lot of different varieties of antelopes! When we first drove into the camping area we saw two female lions just napping under a tree and later that night, despite the fact that our guide was breaking the rules, we went on a night drive to track down the lions we could hear close to our camp. There were two males just walking right towards our camp. One had a beautiful black mane and they were both fairly young. It was crazy!!! Falling asleep to the sounds of lions roaring or yawning or whatever was definitely cool though. Then the next morning we saw a cheetah sleeping under a tree. They are absolutely beautiful animals. After our camping in the Kalahari we went to back to Audi Camp for a night and then left for our mokoro boat trip through the Okavango delta. The mokoro boats are awesome. They are pulled by a guide kind of like a gondola in Venice except it is made out of wood and looks sort of like a long canoe with really short sides. The guides use these huge wood poles carved from a specific tree and the push the boat along with them. We camped on an island type thing in the delta for a night which was fun. The guides and the cook, again Benjamin, were a lot of fun. The next day we played around, Emilie learned how to pull the Mokoro, we saw some more elephants and then they took us back. On our drive back, our program director lost his wallet so we had to drive back and find it but unfortunately, someone had already taken it. They went to the village to try and find out who did it and everybody went crazy. This village has maybe 100 or so people living there and a good majority of the young males are mokoro boat guides. They all came out and launched an investigation. They were yelling at each other and checking foot prints and the wind direction, comparing shoes, etc. It was a really interesting experience. But we didn’t find the wallet. The next couple of days we spent at Audi camp just looking around Maun and then we came back home.

This week has been very uneventful. Just going to school and hanging out with friends. The night life around here is a blast but other than that not much is new.

Durban

So it has been a really long time since I have updated this so let me just start with Durban. Emilie and I left on Tuesday February 10th and returned February 15th. We had an absolute blast. We stayed at this backpacker’s hostel called the Happy Hippo which was adorable. The rooms were nice, the staff was great, there was a bar on the roof which was fun (great bartender), and it was right next to the ocean. The first couple of days we were there it was raining so we decided to do all of the tourist type stuff during those days. We visited the largest mosque in the Southern hemisphere which was beautiful, walked around the Victoria Street Market which was really neat (bought some earrings); we visited an art gallery and a museum and then ate some of the best Indian food I have ever had. Durban has a really large Indian population so good Indian food is not hard to find. That night we went out to eat at a seafood place called Fish Café. We were both dying for good seafood. We had a nice glass of white wine, some fish cakes with lemon-dill mashed potatoes; we shared a trio of chocolate mousses for dessert, and had a cup of coffee. It was the best meal I have had since I came here. And thanks to the rand it only technically cost us $21 USD!!! The next day we went to spend the day at a traditional Zulu village in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Seriously, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life!!!! We went a walk through the village with our guide Tommy, we spent some time with a traditional healer, we were served a traditional meal at this woman’s house and her little girls danced for us, and they sold us some of they bead work which is beautiful. It was a really great day. The next day we spent on the beach just relaxing which was nice. That evening we went out dancing with some other guests at the Happy Hippo and some other people which was fun. The following day was Valentines Day so Emilie and I just relaxed for most of the morning. Then we went out to a nice lunch and then we learned how to surf. Emilie was much more successful than I was though. She actually got up on the board multiple times. I came home with bruises and a fat lip. Oh well…at least I tried. That night we just hung out at the lodge and the next morning we made the long journey back to Gabs.

The next week was hectic. Tests, school, papers…it was nice though since we haven’t really had any of that so far. We didn’t really get out much. And that is about it.

Hectic

Ok so here's the scoop. The university students went on strike, which I have already mentioned. However, now the administration has closed the university until the 16th of February and everyone but international students had about 45 minutes to move out and go home. We now have to show the security guards our passports everytime we want to come back into campus. Anyway, so they moved us back into our dorms yesterday and we are now allowed to stay here. Pretty much every international student but Emilie and I have already left to go on vacations to Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Lesotho, etc. Emilie and I weren't quite ready for that though. So, we are going to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Palapye in Botswana and spending the night in Palapye because I have a friend that lives there. Then we will be back in Gaborone on Monday and will be leaving at 6 am on Tuesday to go to South Africa. We are stopping in Johannesburg but are continuing on to Durban on Tuesday afternoon. We are going to try surfing and hang out at a backpackers hostel, etc. It should be really fun and a good experience for us. Plus, it is on the coast so we will be able to see the ocean and get fresh fish!!! Then classes resume the following Monday hopefully. It has been really crazy around here but I wouldn't change a thing. There is a really different atmosphere here than in the states and I really enjoy it. Anyway, that is about all that is new. I love everyone and miss you guys!

This Weekend

So, there is a lot that has gone on since the last time I wrote something. First of all, let me start with the happy things. This weekend was amazing. I am so completely in love with Africa. I don’t want to leave at all. South Africa was awesome. We got there on the bus at like 1pm on Friday afternoon and spent the next couple of hours traveling around Joburg and going to museums and the Top of Africa which is sort of like a Sears tower of Joburg. Then, we went to the Apartheid Museum and oh my god what an experience. This was the kind of experience where you think you understand, you learned about it in school and what not but there is no way that I could have ever grasped it to the extent that I do now. Then from there we went to Soweto where we stayed at Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers. This is the most amazing place on earth I swear to god. The people there were phenomenal and the activities they had were great. On Saturday, we went on a four hour bike tour around the city and saw things that I can’t even begin to describe and don’t think that even the pictures or the description will do it justice at all. Excuse the example but some of the things that we saw, were similar to things you only ever see on commercials in the states. Some of these people lived in the worst conditions that I have ever seen and yet they were happy and extremely friendly and welcoming. I have never met such amazing people in my life. If I could stay here I would. In fact, Emilie and I are already planning a return adventure. I was able to get some amazing pictures though and as soon as I can figure out how. So… then Saturday night we went out clubbing and the amazing guys from the backpackers place took us to a party in the middle of a street in Soweto and then to the club. It was the best time I have had in a really long time. The people that work at the backpackers place are just stragglers from all over that live and work there and it is like a huge family. The guy who started the place is a young guy who just started it out of college and is really helping the community in Soweto because there aren’t a lot of places to encourage tourism and a lot of people are actually afraid of going to Soweto because they don’t really know a whole lot about it. Anyway, so the place was phenomenal. Then, on Sunday we went to a market and got some souvenirs and then got back on the bus to come back. This is where it starts getting bad. When we crossed the border despite the fact that I have a 90 day visa while I wait for my waiver to stay in the country, the people at the border have now decided to only give me 5 days. So after five days if I don’t have my visa then I am officially illegal in Botswana. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing if I could get on campus and talk to the International Student Office because they have my waiver. However, campus is going up in smoke (not literally) right now. The students are having a mass protest and classes are cancelled, faculty has left, the international students have been moved off campus right now and we’re not sure what is going on. Apparently, if this strike lasts until Wednesday, school is going to shut down and everyone will have to leave campus with an undetermined return date. This means that the semester will be extended, however long, at the end. Despite all of this though, I am still extremely glad to be here and I would have never imagined that I would experience anything like this in my lifetime. I love Africa.

Third Week

I can’t believe it is almost the end of January! Time has gone by so fast. Anyway, there is a not a lot that has happened in the last week. I have met some amazing people. There are a group of people that we usually hang out with every night. Classes have been fine although as I have said before everything here seems to go really slow so it doesn’t actually feel like we have started anything. Usually, at Lake Forest there is a set schedule of readings and assignments, etc. but here, there is nothing that is really asked of you other than showing up for class. It is really left up to the student to put in the effort they think is necessary to pass the class. The grading system here makes me a little nervous because they post the grades from tests and final grades and nowhere have a seen a single A for anyone. We’ll see how that turns out I guess.

My Setswana class is really fun and it is nice to be friends with locals who will speak Setswana to you and teach different things that you wouldn’t learn in a formal class setting. I am doing my independent study project on cultural preservation which I am really excited about but with the mentality around here it is really hard to be motivated or have people willing to help you with your research. Hopefully, I will get more done this week. My other class taught by a UB lecturer is really a struggle because it is at 3pm MWF and there is absolutely no fans, AC, or breeze that comes through that classroom and he lectures in a very slow manner which makes it difficult to pay attention or stay awake.

I am really excited to do a little more traveling around. Maybe then I will have more to say. But we are going to Soweto and Johannesburg this weekend which should be an experience. Although every one of my friends that I tell I am going, tell me that I need to be extremely careful because it is a really dangerous.

There are a few things that I can say about what I have noticed. First of all, people really know how to party in this country. There are people up at all hours of the night still enjoying themselves and a couple of weekends we have seen people at 8am that haven’t even gone to bed. For the most part, people are very willing to show you around and cook for you and teach about their culture, etc. It is crazy how many invitations we have had to go eat dinner at people’s houses or to be taken out to dinner and what not. For example, last weekend we went to the house this guy we met at the Yacht Club by Gaborone Dam. We had a BBQ or a Braai as it is referred to here. He let us cook and hang out and swim in his pool and then took us home. By US standards, this would seem very creepy but I can assure everyone reading this that if you are cautious and feel comfortable then it is perfectly normal.

There are few sayings here that are common among the students here or maybe the younger crowd in general When they are refuting what you say or joking around with you they say, “Ah naw”, all the time. They also, strangely enough, greet their peers by saying, “Hola” which is definitely not Setswana. Blah, Blah, Blah often turns into “what, what” or they will say it if they can’t think of the right word to say. When you are telling people something and they are saying something comparable to “are you serious?”, they say “Is it?” This one is used almost unbearably.

Let’s see, there is often no toilet paper, paper towels, or hand soap in the public restrooms around campus or even in the restrooms in the dorms so it has become a habit to carry around toilet paper and hand sanitizer wherever I go. I am sure that I have mentioned this before but it has been a really interesting experience being a minority. I guess that this is all I have to say for now but I will write more very soon.

New stuff

First of all Friday night was a lot of fun. A big group of us white people went to the yacht club, which is on the most beautiful dam I have ever seen, and watched the sunset. We had a few drinks, mingled with the local white people, and then we came back to campus to go the Hip Hop club’s show. The show was crazy. I had met most of the guys before hand and that is how I knew about it. They got us t-shirts of one of the local students who happens to have an album out. It is an awesome t-shirt. The guys name is Ostrich and the t-shirt is black with a big circle and an ostrich in the circle. Then the back says Ostrich. They are all really nice but they are the only people around here that I have seen who dress and act like ganstas. Most people are very clean cut around here it’s pretty crazy. The guys usually wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice button down shirt to classes and the girls well they all look phenomenal all the time. I don’t understand how they do it. Of course I only have a very limited selection of clothes so I am behind in that department.

Anyway, so that was my Friday night. I met a lot of new people and Emilie and I stayed out til about 3 am and we had to meet at the bus at 8 am. Which meant we had to be packed and everything by then. It was the worst day in terms of hangover, really long bus ride, vinyl seats, 100 degree weather, etc. But we got to see a lot of cool things. I took some great pictures. We went to all of these different villages and we’re able to learn a lot of things. We went to the Phuthadikobo Museum in Mochudi. It was built by a group of people called the Bakgatla and was basically artifacts and pictures and stuff that showed the different aspects of their cultural heritage. There was one specific display about the coming of age ritual which they don’t do anymore. But, they used to have young men live in the bush for two weeks and learn how to survive; they circumcised them, beat them, and did everything the believed would make you a “man”. The females were taught how to be wives and mothers, and they were also circumcised which is the reason that it is no longer happening in their culture but the said it wasn’t abolished until the 1990’s I think.

Then, we went to the Matsieng footprints, which weren’t really exciting at all and I don’t think I took a picture of them but it is a creation legend for the Batswana. There was this pool with a really deep part that they believe (d) that a giant man came out of and started roaming the earth and populating it, or something. I am not really clear on the story. But everyone told us that it was a giant footprint and when we got there it was maybe the size of a really tall basketball player’s foot and it didn’t even look real so it as kind of funny. But it was interesting to hear the story of what people believed. I guess they used to come take water out of the place where he came out, to keep. Anyway, that was our second stop.

Our third stop was the Manyana rock paintings which were pretty faded but also very cool. They were painted by the Bakgatla, I think. But you could really make them out as well as I had hoped. I did get one picture I think but I don’t know how well that is going to turn out. Oh by the way, Manyana is pronounced just the word for tomorrow in Spanish. (In case you were interested) J Then, we went to David Livingston’s tree which apparently he stayed for a couple weeks before moving on to a village. The tree was the most amazing tree ever. The trunk was sort of split in two and it was so thick and the branches were so thick and long and twisty they were sort of forming their own trunks. The shade from the tree completely covered you and it was markedly cooler under the tree than outside. It was a significant difference. It was beautiful. I didn’t get any pictures outside of the tree only on the inside which I am kind of upset about but oh well, I am sure someone has them.

The landscape here is unbelievable. I have never seen anything like it before. I was extremely impressed. It was the first time I really felt like I was in Africa. Before, I was just in a city with mostly everything I would have at home and with more malls that Logan, by far. It was an awesome experience. Anyway, our last stop was this cultural lodge which was fun. We were met at the gate by these older women doing crazy dances and seeing cool songs and very happy to see us. The head lady kept calling us her kids and she was our grandma. Then there was this really cool old guy just sitting in a chair, blowing a whistle and sniffing snuff, and then he did an awesome dance! I got video of it on my camera. He was really funny. They showed us how to grind sorghum the old way and how to play games, and do the traditional dances, etc. Then we ate. It was the best traditional food I have had since I have been here. Oh yeah and we got to try the traditional beer which doesn’t really have a whole lot of flavor. Well, I guess it tastes like a beer version of those drinkable yogurts.

Then Sunday, we went to the Mokolodi Nature Reserve which was the coolest experience. It is a game reserve so we went on a game drive but before we left they served us Champagne! Then we piled into these safari vehicles and just drove around this reserve and we got to see Impalas, and another like species (can’t remember the name), warthogs, lots of cool birds, ELEPHANTS really close to me! It was crazy. I could have touched it. And they were apparently still teenagers. We saw a giraffe, and some zebras, and the head of a leopard, but we didn’t get to see a rhino, or a hippo, or a crocodile, but it was still really awesome. Then they served us lunch in this clearing in the reserve by a beautiful lake. Then we drove back down and then went to a not so exciting water park. Finally, we ended up back here. Oh yeah, we saw the cutest little kids on our trip. There were a bunch of little boys that would follow us around and they chased our bus when we pulled in. They were so cute. I took lots of pictures of them. Also, this weekend I made some really nice local friends. They all said that I was really good at picking up the language and jokingly asked if I was sure I hadn’t been here before or learned the language which I was really happy about.


That's it for now!

Random

So, nothing has really happened since the last time I updated but I am going to add pictures this time. The girls and I did go to dinner at this nice Indian resturaunt with a guy we met at the grocery store which was an interesting experience. Apparently, if you are invited somewhere then the person who invited you pays for everything which he did for all four of us! It was really nice. He had recently started a microfinance company and is currently helping people start up businesses as well as having a project for orphaned youth. They live in a building that the company owns and they help pay for school fees, etc. as well as organizing trips for the kids during holiday seasons since that is what everyone else is doing. It sounded like a really cool business and the path that he has taken was really interesting to hear about. He wants to be our Botswana tour guide in a sense and has friends he wants to put us in touch with in case we decide to travel to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, etc. Then when we got back to the dorms there were protests going on and that was pretty crazy. The students that go to the university here actually get paid to go to school and when they are deprived a certain benefit or an ample amount of cash they protest I guess. Anyway, that is what was going on last night. It essentially means that very few people actually went to classes today which ironically enough also happens when they do get their allowances I have heard because they spend a week partying. :) My sociology professor actually showed up to class to day which was nice but he only stayed for like 10 minutes to tell us that he would give us the syllabus on Friday so we haven't actually done anything. It was the same for my Setswana class yesterday. That's about it for now.