Dipuisanyo mo dikoloing

*The route of our road trip. The path of our drive is in blue, and the bus route that I took is in orange.*

From August 24th to September 8th, I traveled around Botswana with three of the Botswana ETA’s, Rory, Ajani, and JoyceLyn. Over those two weeks, we drove around 2,500 kilometers. To put that into an American perspective, that would be like driving from Boston to Miami. I’ve mapped out my journey in the image above.

Here are some memories from the places we visited…

Maun

*Okavango Craft Brewery tasting tray, taken by Ajani*

I met the ETA’s in Maun, and after a 10-hour drive from Gaborone, they were obviously exhausted. We had a nice dinner at Okavango Craft Brewery, and then, we headed back to our mentor’s apartment, where she graciously let us stay while she was getting married!!

The next day, we did some shopping and I gave them a tour of Maun. That evening, we took a drive to Elephant Havens, the elephant orphanage which I had previously visited when my family came to Maun. Everyone was so excited to see the baby elephants, and they had even added a few new elephants to the mix.

After spending some time with the elephants, we went to a local Italian place for dinner with some mutual friends from Gaborone. It was a lovely evening, aside from a briefly lost key.

Shakawe

On our drive up to Shakawe, Rory took the first half, which was fairly easy, and I took the extremely difficult part of the drive since I knew how to navigate the worst parts of the road. We arrived in the afternoon and stopped by my house briefly before driving out to Mohembo Bridge.

As we took pictures and watched the sunset over the Okavango River, I heard a sound that I recognized. “Hippos!” I called out. And sure enough, a group of around seven hippos sat below the bridge near the shore with their heads poking out.

*Rory and Ajani's car, Bua, as we unpacked at my house in Shakawe*

After the sun started going down, we went to one of the guest houses for food. I made everyone try Shakawe’s bream, which I absolutely adore. When we got our food, the woman at the guest house even greeted me and asked me where my mother was since the last time she’d seen me was with my family. I often frequented that guest house whenever I wanted bream or a nice meal.

The next day, we stopped at the school for a bit before doing the two common activities around Shakawe, Krokovango Crocodile Farm and a boat cruise in Sepopa. I believe my friends enjoyed both experiences, though the boat cruise was the absolute highlight as countless birds flew around the boat and crocodiles lay on the shore. There’s just something about being on the river.

The next morning, on our way out of Shakawe, we drove down to Tsodilo hills and saw the cave paintings on the Rhino and Lion trail. I hadn’t previously hiked the Lion trail, and we climbed up the hill partially. The view and the paintings were stunning even though it was extremely hot. We even got to try baobab fruit! It was very dry but super sweet. After we walked back, we began the drive back to Maun.

Maun (again!)

We stopped in Maun for a few days. The first day, we did a mokoro cruise. Though I’d done it twice before, we did our cruise through a different company and the place we arrived at was much more secluded.

As we started the boat ride, we saw an elephant coming to the river for a drink. It dropped its trunk and then looked around. Our guides told us about how elephants will only run away if they can smell danger, so if a person is downwind, they will have no trouble getting close to an elephant as long as they stay quiet.

As we continued on, we got super close to the hippo pool where about ten hippos gathered. We stayed there for a while watching the hippos drop below the surface and then pop back up for air. There was even a baby hippo which was staying glued to its mother.

Once we got out of the boat, we walked around the bush. It was super thick, and it was difficult to see past the first line of trees. It made me a bit anxious to not be able to see around me in case there were animals, but the guides were super knowledgeable. At one point, as we walked through the trees, our guide made a signal for us to quickly move back. I looked around to see what he was signaling for. Right in front of us behind a row of trees, a baby elephant was snacking on a tree with its mother.

The next day, on Friday, we were supposed to go to Moremi for a game drive, but the company canceled, so we went to get a lovely brunch and then went to a spa. After that, three of us went on a scenic flight over Maun and the Okovango Delta. I had met our pilot a couple months before when I was in Maun with my boyfriend, and we were actually supposed to fly with him then until an emergency flight came up for him. So, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make up for it.

I was the co-pilot, so I sat up front next to my friend. It was kind of wild to see him pushing all of the buttons and setting up the controls for the flight. I’d never seen it up close before.

We flew over three of the rivers around Maun, and we could see so many elephants, giraffe, and smaller antelope like kudu and impala. It was beautiful, but all three of us ended up getting a bit motion sick. It took away from some of the beauty of the aerial view, but we still ended up being grateful for the experience once we were back on the ground.

Nata

It was a four hour drive to Nata the next morning. Along the way, we saw so many elephants drinking from boreholes, giraffe pulling leaves from trees, and zebra wandering around on the side of the road. It felt strange to be so immersed in nature, to have safari views, while just driving along the road in the car.

Known for its nice lodges, bird sanctuary, and proximity to the Makgadikadi Salt Pans, Nata is the stopping point when traveling to many places in Botswana. It is very similar to Shakawe, and more specifically Tsodilo Hills, with a small tourist population and show-stopping landscapes.

But even though it was similar to Tsodillo Hills in stature, Nata’s salt pans were so different from anything I had seen in Botswana and beyond. When we arrived at an island in the salt pans after an insanely long drive, we were surrounded by flat nothingness. Like a flat desert, the salt pans allowed us to see all the way out to the horizon. It was like being on a different planet entirely.

*Ajani, JoyceLyn, Rory, and I at the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans*

The island itself was covered with rock formations and huge baobab trees. And our guide talked about when the salt pans flood and flamingoes and other animals gather in the area. I tried to imagine the area covered in water. It was so vast.

We spent a lot of time there, exploring the different rock formations and walking across the pan. We could see the dried salt on the pan, and as we walked, it crunched like fresh snow under our feet.

Something I have learned about myself in Botswana is that when I see a large formation of rocks, I become like a little kid on a playground. I climbed as high as I could, exploring all of the seemingly unreachable places. I guess hiking might be my new calling since I seem to find my inner child whenever I’m climbing around.

The 4-hour drive back from the pans grew excruciating as we bounced up and down in the 4x4 vehicle, but once we got back to the road, we stopped at the bird sanctuary to watch the sunset. As we looked all the way out to the horizon, the sun slowly dipped below the line, leaving a rainbow of colors behind. It was absolutely breathtaking.

That night, we stopped at Nata Lodge for some food, and I got some oxtail stew which was pretty delicious. Then, we went back to our hotel to get some sleep before our drive the next day.

The next day, before we left Nata, we stopped at Elephant Sands Lodge for some coffee and drinks. In the center of the lodge, just past a small fence, there were elephants a few feet away drinking from a watering hole. It was a beautiful sight.

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Kasane

I drove up to Kasane, and along the way, we saw farms and a few wild animals. When we arrived in the city, I could immediately tell that the village truly catered to tourists. From the souvenir shops along the road to the large amount of guest houses, it was very clear that Kasane was for tourists.

But, it was beautiful. Kasane lay along the river and there were beautiful hills covered in greenery and wildlife. Our lodge was also very nice, though they were undergoing a bit of construction.

We ate dinner at a local lodge and then went back to the hotel for drinks.

The next morning, we woke up early to head to Chobe National Park. Our guide, MK, picked us up, and we took a short ride to the park. She asked us what we wanted to see, and we all eagerly told her that we wanted to see lions. But animals are fickle, of course, so she told us that she would do her magic to see some lions.

We began our drive along the river and we saw kudu, hippos and buffalo on Sedudu Island. Our guide told us that Namibia and Botswana had fought over this island for over a century, but the issue was finally solved when they brought it to the ICJ and they discovered that the thalweg, the deeper side of the channel which marks the border, was on the Namibian side of the channel. So, Botswana now claims the island for itself.

After driving along the river for a bit, our guide drove us into the bush. “There’s a lion down that path,” she said. “We have to wait for the other vehicles to leave.” So we waited there for a few moments before she drove us off the beaten path up a slight hill. As we turned the corner, there was a male lion with a large mane several feet away. It was lying in front of a baby elephant carcass. It was quite gruesome.

She drove on, though, and I thought she was turning around, but I look down, and less than a foot away from the front of the vehicle lay another male lion, sleeping under a tree. My friends hadn’t yet seen it, so I pointed frantically below us. We took pictures and then she drove us back to the other lion who still guarded the elephant. We took some pictures, and then, our guide drove us out like she was about to leave, but suddenly, she backed up towards where the lion was. I was a few feet away from it, and it sat looking at us, assessing us. I become a bit nervous having the lion so close, so I began to move away. But I was in awe of the animal’s calm, regal presence.

Despite my innate reaction of fear, the animals in the park are probably so used to seeing humans and vehicles coming through. They just stared, daring us to challenge them.

As we drove on, we saw lots of impala and kudu. There were also some elephants at a distance. In a strange way, though, elephants had become so commonplace for me that I barely blinked when I saw one. Kind of funny how that has happened during my time here.

We saw quite a few giraffe as we drove as well. They ate from the short trees in front of them and started to walk briskly away when we got too close. Some crossed in front of us or behind us as we continued along the path. Each giraffe’s spots were slightly different, with some having a starkly darker color.

Our guide then turned another corner and there was a whole pride of lions sitting under a tree, all females and their cubs. There were nine of them in total, all sleeping peacefully despite the flurry of safari vehicles around them. Seeing a lion cub was the most surprising moment, I think. They were adorable yet menacing. As we continued on slightly, another female lion sat in front of a baby giraffe carcass, probably used to feed the cubs. Circle of life indeed.

Our guide explained to us that buffalo were actually the most dangerous of the big five, and that surprised all of us. She told us that they cause a lot of damage because they are so territorial and aggressive, so when we came across a few during the drive, I watched the way they stared darkly at the vehicles, almost ready to charge at any moment. I could see exactly why they were dangerous, with their long, dark horns.

Rory, Ajani and JoyceLyn in the safari vehicle

*The giraffe carcass with the female lion under the bush to the right, taken by Ajani*

After returning from the game drive, we were all in a daze. The lions were, of course, the highlight. We stopped at a cafe for lunch and then later that afternoon, we went to Mowana Resort and Spa for a boat cruise on Chobe River. The boat was two stories, and we took the last table on the upper level. We brought wine and leftovers from lunch. And then, we were setting off. They handed out free water and even had a complimentary shoulder massage from the resort’s masseuse.

As we headed down the river, we saw crocodiles, hippos, and antelope. Then, on the shore, an elephant walked up to the shore for a drink. At first, I only saw the elephant, but as we got closer, I noticed dots lining the shore. A large collection of babboons sat along the shore, eating the plants and picking bugs off of their companions. They were everywhere! And there were the most adorable tiny, little baby babboons playing and running around. It was quite a sight.

After that, we saw a lot more elephants, antelope, and buffalo. And, there was a beautiful sunset on the river. It was a lovely evening.

Victoria Falls

There is nothing quite like falling over the edge.

We woke up early to drive to Victoria Falls with our guide, Amos, who worked with Fuhara Safaris. He drove us across the border into Zimbabwe, and after we got our passports stamped and paid for our visa, we went to the company’s office to sign up for activities.

Then, before I knew it, I was strapped into a harness. Ajani and I had decided to do go to the gorge for an activity. She chose the gorge swing and I chose the zip line. So, we waited while two other pairs did the zip line, and I tried not to be too anxious. Unlike the swing or bungee jumping, I usually felt secure on a zip line despite my waning fear of heights. Perhaps it was because my parents were ropes course instructors over the summer, and I had been on a zip line plenty of times.

So, instead of fear, when I got up onto the zip line platform, I felt a lovely buzz of adrenaline. I looked down at the gorge that was at least 260 feet deep, and I gingerly stepped forward. Then, without the worker even counting to three, I was soaring through the air.

At first, I screamed. But after that first rush of fear, I felt only exhilaration. It was freeing to look down at the rocks and the water below, to hang above a deep chasm and feel truly alive. And the view was stunning, with lush greenery and a view of the fast, running river.

After Ajani swung into the gorge, we were rushed to our next activity with Rory. JoyceLyn had decided to stay behind and do a quad bike ride around the falls. Rory, Ajani, and I, though, we were going to an entirely new country.

We crossed the border slowly as we went through multiple checkpoints, and then, we were in Zambia. From there, we headed onto a boat to get to Livingstone Island. As we rode in the boat, we turned a corner and behind a cloud of mist, there was Victoria Falls.

We were a bit late to the island, so we hurried to change into our bathing suits and then we swum out with two guides to Devil’s Pool. At the very edge of Victoria Falls, surrounded all around by the rushing current, anyone could see why Devil’s Pool got that name. It elicits fear. It feels menacing and treacherous. It feels as though you could be pulled over the edge at any time.

But the view is incomparable.

Shrouded in clouds of mist, the falls drop down with a rush of noise. And in the mist, rainbows dance in the light. It is beautiful. It is mesmerizing. It is ethereal.

One guide held my legs as I looked over the edge. I could see far down into the chasm, but could not see the bottom. It was thrilling yet absolutely terrifying. We each took pictures on the edge and then waited, captivated by the view before us. Little fish nibbled at our toes in the pool. Then, they pulled us out of the pool. We dried off and then had a delicious three-course lunch to round out the experience.

We crossed back over the border and went into the park for a bit to see the falls from the other side. We walked around feeling the mist hit out faces, and soon, it was time to leave.

That whole day, I was struck by the power, the majesty of the falls. There was so much water. So much beauty. It was the perfect end to our road trip, to feel so alive even as we were a bit closer to death. To feel the power of nature in all its forms, as we had done throughout our travels.

Gaborone

After a quick stop in Francistown for lunch, we arrived in Gaborone on the 5th of September after a twelve hour drive. We each took a shift during the drive. I took the first shift at six in the morning, so I was rather exhausted when we arrived. During the next few days, we ran errands and hung out a bit.

On Saturday night, I even got quite the experience of the Gaborone club scene, which was very, very different from anything in the states. Loud amapiano music played and the drinks were so strong, but there was no large dance floor as the whole place was full of tables. My friends and I hung out and danced for a bit before heading back home. It was a lot of fun to go out with friends in Gaborone because most of Botswana only has bars and liquor stops on the side of the road, which are nice but definitely not my scene.

On Sunday, I went with Ajani and JoyceLyn to get something special to memorialize my time in Botswana … a tattoo. I had wanted to get one in Botswana since my first few months in the country. It was my first one, but I knew exactly what I wanted.

JoyceLyn went first to get her tattoo with a Setswana phrase on her ankle. It did not take much time at all.

Then, I was up.

It was less painful than I thought, with only a few unbearable moments. And then, after an hour, our artist told me that she was done, and I looked down at the finished tattoo.

Two magpie shrikes, one bird sitting on a branch and the other flying off into the distance on the right side of my waist. It was exquisitely detailed. I was so happy with it, and the design had such a personal meaning for me. During my time in Shakawe, these birds have been my constant companion, sitting on my bedroom windowsill or flying around my yard.

It was the perfect tribute.

Then, Ajani went next. She got a beautiful acacia tree tattooed on her thigh. And I loved that each of us got such different designs to encompass our experiences in Botswana.

After all of our tattoos were covered in plaster so that they could heal, we had a nice lunch and then I rested for a bit before I headed back to Maun on the overnight bus with my mentor, whose apartment we had stayed at in Maun.

Maun/Shakawe

Despite the bus being two hours late, we arrived in Maun around nine in the morning. I had gotten a bit of rest on the bus, so I was not too exhausted and wanted to be home, so after a quick breakfast and gas run, I drove back to Shakawe.

As I drove, it struck me that that was the second to last time that I would be making that drive. While the drive is not usually enjoyable, as it is full of potholes and chaotic off-roading, it was still bittersweet. It felt like the beginning of the end for my time in Shakawe.

I have three weeks and one day left before I leave. How can I make the most of the time I have left?

poetic interlude #8: baobab fruit

poetic interlude #7: auntie