In November, Sarah, Teneille (our friend from Saskatchewan), and I went on a trip to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls. We went canoeing on the Zambezi River with hippoes, bungee jumping at the gorge (I realize we are incredibly lucky!), and exploring around the Falls. The whole place was beautiful and the scenery in Zimbabwe, with its lush green trees and hills, was a nice break from the flat desert terrain on Ghanzi.
On the way back from Zimbabwe, we went on a safari in Chobe National Park. Our guide was amazing and we were able to see a ton of different wildlife – lions, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, and soo many elephants. The whole trip was completely breath taking and it was really cool to be able to take a break from work and see a bit of the wildlife here!
I moved houses a few weeks ago. The rainy season has now started (torrential down pours almost every day) and much to my surprise my house leaked - A LOT. Every time it rained, water would pour in from the ceiling and walls and the entire house would be soaked. Sarah’s house, which was attached to mine, did the same thing so we decided it was time to go. We actually ended up moving right next door into one house and now enjoy leaky-free rainy days! On the downside, the rain has brought all sorts of new bugs...some of which are a little terrifying.
I also had my first experience ever with hitch hiking here. I know what you are thinking, but it is not as bad or dangerous as it sounds. Hitchhiking here is kind of an organized system where you wait at a designated hitching post to get picked up and negotiate a price to your destination (it’s usually about on par with the bus). A lot of people use hitching as a mode of transportation because not that many people have cars and the busses don’t run that often. Anyways, Sarah, Teneille and I hitched to Maun for a weekend and it was a really interesting experience. The man that we drove with was a secondary school teacher in Ghanzi and I ended up having a great discussion with him about everything from politics, religion and gender roles in Botswana to witchcraft and the meaning of true love. Needless to say, while I won’t be hitching every day, we got to Maun safe and sound and I gained a whole new perspective on a lot of issues in the country. In Maun, we just relaxed and went on a boat ride on the channel leading in the Okavango Delta. There were thousands of water lillies in the river!
In terms of work, my office closed on Friday for the holidays and doesn’t reopen until January 9th. The last month has been completely chaotic but I guess it has definitely kept me busy. I was able to visit Metsimantle, another San settlement, and the trip was really great. Some of the younger girls taught me how to cook traditionally using the cast iron pots and I was able to meet the village chief and his wife. I also somehow attracted a slight stalker at the settlement – who bothered my for a few weeks but that seems to have been settled as well. Sarah and I also wrapped up a project we have been working on for the last three months!
Everything else is great. We have decorated a little bit for Christmas with snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and homemade stockings up on the wall...but it still doesn’t feel like Christmas when it is 40 degrees outside. We also did some Christmas baking to bring to our staff Christmas party. They don’t really have the same kind of baking we do, so they were all pretty excited about it! We had a braai (a barbeque) and ate a delicious traditional meal (I have discovered a new favourite food called chakalakah). I really think the most amazing part of this whole experience so far is working with all of my coworkers. They are always incredibly supportive and (even though the work is at times frustrating) have made my experience here fantastic so far.
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas from Botswana!! I will be spending two weeks after Christmas in South Africa with Cody, so I’ll be sure to write again when I get back to Botswana in the New Year!
Happy 2012!!
Dana
