Transcript Botswana - Case Western Reserve University

Botswana
A Photo Essay by Kelly Macri
Our class was taught in a modern building a
short walk away from the dorms that we stayed
in. Besides the day the power went out in the
middle of an exam, we were satisfied with the
classroom space we were given - fully equipped
with new tables, chairs, whiteboard, and
computer hookups for the projector, something I
was not entirely expecting prior to arriving at
the University of Botswana.
Class started every day, sometimes even on
Saturday, bright and early at 8:30 am. Waking up
for class was easy though, knowing that it was
80 degrees, sunny, and that we were in Africa!
There were only two days that we saw isolated
clouds pass by during the three weeks we were
in Gabarone - a pleasant contrast from the gray,
cloudy skies of Cleveland that usually greet us in
the morning.
To our delight, there was a vibrant shopping center, Main Mall, conveniently
located within walking distance from the University of Botswana. There were stores
for essentials such as food and soap but the main walkway was also lined with vendors
selling handmade crafts that were perfect to bring home as souvenirs or gifts. By the
end of our trip, our haggling skills had greatly improved and we were able to purchase
a lot more gifts for our money than we did initially. Main Mall was also a popular
destination to escape the monotony of lunch and dinner. Although the food tasted
fine, there was not as much variety as we had hoped. Our meals typically consisted of
rice or pasta, meat, and a starch or vegetable. At Main Mall there were many options
for food including Debonairs Pizza, Nandos (a grilled chicken restaurant and my
personal favorite), and even a KFC.
Many of the topics we discussed in class,
Thermodynamics, could be applied
directly to problems faced by the people
of Botswana. One concept we studied
was the flow of water, so we took a field
trip to visit various water wells. On our
way back from the one located farthest
away from town, and rather far into the
unsettled desert, we found the hut in
this picture. As we got closer to take
pictures, we noticed there were also
cows fenced in on the property, and the
owner came out and let us into the cow
pen to take pictures. The design of these
huts was another topic we discussed in class, regarding the flow of heat. Because Botswana
is located in the Kalahari desert and its people are scattered throughout, it is important for
them to find the most efficient ways to transport water and to heat/cool and provide
electricity to homes, all of which were topics we made calculations on during class.
Unfortunately, we were unable to visit the diamond mine as planned which was another
topic of the course but still had the opportunity to visit many other fascinating places in
Botswana.
One of the day trips we took was a hiking trip up the Kgale Hill. Unable to find the route
that the previous year’s group had taken, we decided to take a different path which turned
out to be much more difficult than expected. While hiking up the hill we had to hoist each
other up tall rocks, support each other from slipping down steep inclines, and avoid baboons
that we could hear “barking” off in the distance. Although it was more difficult than the walk
we thought we were taking up to the top of the hill, the view from the top made it all
worthwhile. Kgale Hill overlooks the city of Gabarone on one side and the Gaborone Dam on
the other. Even though we were all exhausted and thankful to be walking back down the
“easy” path, we all agreed that if we hadn’t taken the difficult path up, the experience
wouldn’t have been half as rewarding.
One day we took a day trip to the Mokalodi Nature Reserve located near Gaborone. We
enjoyed the tour around the 30 km sq. Game Reserve and some of us even paid to pet a
cheetah. However, a trip to Botswana wouldn’t be complete without going on a real safari so
we took a three-day break from classes to visit the Okavango Delta. Upon arriving in Maun,
we were greeted with three open-air safari vehicles that would be driving us all the way to
our campsite, six and half hours away. Luckily a 4am wake up call meant most of us slept right
into the afternoon, missing most of the windy, bumpy, dust-filled drive. Although I wasn’t
initially thrilled with our transportation, by the end of the trip, it was one of my favorite parts
of the safari. The guides were knowledgeable and full of personality and it was very
refreshing to drive through the plains of Africa with a clean, brisk breeze flowing across your
face.
Besides the occasional cattle,
donkey, or dog, for most of the drive we
didn’t see any animals. With still two
hours of our drive to go and without even
entering the official Moremi Game
Reserve, our first “safari” animal sighting
was spotted on the side of the road. A
herd of maybe 7 or 8 giraffes were
grazing no more than 10 feet away from
our vehicles. Only a few of us, not
including myself, had been on a real
safari before so for most of us, this was
our first encounter with a wild African
animal. It was very surreal to stumble
upon wild giraffes just wandering along
the side of the road.
It was not until we actually arrived at
our campsite that we learned we were
sleeping in tents and had no on-site
access to bathrooms or showers.
Although not everyone was thrilled, I
happen to enjoy camping, and was
excited to be able to camp in the African
wilderness. We sat down to eat lunch
before heading out for our first game
drive of the trip when a herd of
elephants walked by right on the edge
of our campsite. The next morning at
breakfast (which was served before the
sun came up), a leopard walked right
through our campsite. Although it may
have been cold at night sleeping in
tents, having animals walk right up to
our campsite was more than worth two
nights of shivering. A few other
highlights of the camping experience
were freshly fire-cooked bread, the
unbelievable view of the stars and
listening to stories from the guides
around the fire.
We went on game drives early in the morning, as the sun was coming up, and
another in the afternoon that lasted until the sun went down. During the middle of the
day when the sun was the hottest and highest, many of the animals were off napping in
the shade, but dawn and dusk are the most active times of day for the animals and the
prime viewing time. Not only were these times good for spotting animals but they were
also the perfect times for beautiful African sunrise and sunsets. No words or even
pictures could convey the beauty of the sun rising and setting on the African plains. It is
one of the most beautiful sights and I am so thankful to have gotten to see them.
On the second day of our trip we were scheduled for a river tour on boats
through the Delta. There was only one main boat so we had to rotate in three groups.
The trips were quite long and it was rather hot out so many of my group, the third
one, decided to head back instead. Since there were only three from my group left,
one of the guides offered to take us in the smaller boat. We got into the boat and
were waiting to go when a hippo appeared on the opposite bank. The guide took us
closer so we could get better pictures but after awhile the hippo got into the river and
started swimming toward us. Hippos can swim quite fast underwater so once he got
under the water, our guide started
the boat and we sped away. I was
delighted to have seen the hippo
but with nothing but a small, fragile
tin boat (with an engine that kept
getting clogged by the plants and
mud on the bottom of the river)
separating us, I was also glad to be
cruising down the channels of the
Delta, in the opposite direction of
the hippo.
Over the three days, the three different
vehicles seemed to be in a competition
of who could spot the best animals.
Although I unfortunately was not a part
of the vehicles that saw the lions on the
last morning, I still felt I had a wonderful
experience in the Okavango Delta and
would love to go back someday. On the
last night before leaving, the people in
my vehicle were rather upset that we
hadn’t seen any cats besides the leopard
that walked through the campsite in the
morning and still had no luck on that
game drive either. We were headed back to the campsite when we stumbled upon a
single elephant. We sat for at least a half hour, in awe, watching this lonely elephant
graze, with the skies illuminating in hues of pink and purple as the sun went down.
Moments like these are unique to actually being in Africa - a zoo definitely won’t ever be
the same for me again now that I’ve experienced these animals, up close, in their
natural habitats.
In addition to the safari and the Thermodynamics-related trips, we also had the
opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of Botswana. One of the cultural
attractions that we saw were the cliff paintings. These paintings were done by the Bushman
and are estimated to be up to 4,000 years old. It was fascinating not only to see what kinds
of things the indigenous people of Botswana were painting about, but that these paintings
have survived this long on the side of cliffs, exposed to the weather. On this same trip we
also stopped along the road at a handcrafted pottery store where we all bought beautiful
cups and plates to take back with us.
Another historical site that we visited was the tree at which Scottish Congregationalist
pioneer, David Livingstone, taught the locals about Christianity. This tree was just one of
the many places that David Livingstone taught on his 12 year mission to spread Christianity
throughout Africa. Not only was the tree impressively large but also it was also
interestingly and fittingly shaped. The tree created a huge arch with an open, shaded space
that would have been perfect for David Livingstone’s gatherings.
We ended our cultural excursion with a visit to one of the traditional cultural centers in
Botswana. The members of the center performed traditional songs and dances for us, led
by the chief and his eldest wife, all in the traditional dress of their tribe. They even invited
us to dance with them, play the drums and participate in traditional ceremonies. We also
got to learn more about the everyday preparation of the food and cleaning practices, such
as grinding the flour for the bread and how they sanitize their floors and surfaces. To end
the day we all gathered to eat a freshly cooked meal. The dancers all changed back into
their normal clothing and joined us for dinner. I was glad to know that even those who
don’t still live in the villages are still active in learning and spreading their culture and
heritage.
Besides the safari, my favorite experience from Botswana was when we visited a local
primary school. We were not exactly sure what we would be doing when we got there but
it just so happened to be their sports day so the entire school was outside playing various
games. The children were thrilled to see us and wanted to know everything about
ourselves and about America. The teachers weren’t so thrilled that we seemed to be bring
extreme excitement and chaos when we first arrived but after a while the children calmed
down and we all were able to have some organized. Some of us played games like tennis
and soccer with them while others taught and played games with the children that we
play back home in America like “Swim Fishy, Swim.” It was rewarding to bring smiles to
these children’s faces and to have them bring smiles to our faces.
Another great thing about traveling to
and from Botswana was the ability to plan
long layovers so we could go explore different
places. Some of the places students stopped
at were Germany, Paris and London. Although
I was tired from the jet lag and it was raining
and cold both days, I enjoyed being able to
explore London for 10 hours both to and from
Botswana. I was able to see many famous
landmarks like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben,
and the Houses of Parliament. I would love to
spend more time in London one day but the
two day trips I spent were a nice break from
being on the airplane and were essentially
buy one trip to Botswana, get one free trip to
London, which is always a plus.