All About Cape Town!

The last month has flown by even more quickly than I ever would have anticipated, and I have already been back in the U.S. now for over a week!  My three weeks in Cape Town were some of the most jam-packed, eye-opening, exciting, and humbling days of my entire summer.  On the Friday before I left for Cape Town, I took a trip to the Jwaneng Diamond Mine to tour the richest diamond mine in the world.  It was really interesting to learn more about such a vital industry in Botswana and see the actual source of part of Botswana’s diamond trade.  Here are a few pictures from the diamond mine:

Entrance to the Diamond Mine

Richest Diamond Mine in the World

Me with one of the mine bulldozers

After the diamond mine we stopped at a small pottery market and had a chance to browse some locally-made products.  Then on Saturday, July 23^rd, I left Botswana and made my way to Cape Town! 

My first day in Cape Town we learned quite a bit about South African history and took a tour of the city.  We even drove up to the top of Signal Hill, which provided such an incredible view of the entire surrounding area, including Table Mountain, Robben Island, and the coastline of the Cape.  We also stopped by the beach at Camps Bay, and even though it was one of the windiest days I have ever experienced, it was so worth it because Camps Bay was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited.  The first day gave us all a great feel for the city, while also helping us to better understand South Africa’s complicated and fascinating history. Here are a few pictures from our city tour and visit to Camps Bay:

View of Table Mountain from Signal Hill

Cape Town from the top of Signal Hill

Beach at Camps Bay

Such a windy day!

Camps Bay

Table Mountain

Although I normally went to my volunteer placement each morning every Monday through Friday, my first Monday in Cape Town was spent continuing with orientation.  We learned even more about South Africa’s history and gained a deeper understanding for how many aspects of the Apartheid policies have continued to shape the lives of South Africans all throughout the country.  On my first Monday in Cape Town we focused specifically on learning more about the townships, and we even had the opportunity to visit several of Cape Town’s townships.  It was nothing short of an eye-opening experience, and I am so grateful that I had the chance to gain a more holistic view of the entire city.  While Cape Town has so many beautiful places and amazing destinations to visit, my experience there was placed in a much more realistic context when I was able to see not only the touristy areas of the city but also the deeply poverty-stricken parts of the city where the majority of the area’s population actually live.  One of our in-country directors described South Africa as a somewhat “schizophrenic” place to live, and I think that this account is a fairly accurate way to describe the extremes that exist all throughout the country, oftentimes less than five minutes' drive from each other even within the same city.

My volunteer placement at the children’s hospital was such an amazing experience, and it was very difficult for me to leave at the end of my three weeks there.  The challenges I faced at my placement and the lessons that I learned were life-changing in so many ways.  Although it has been more than a week since I left South Africa, I am only now beginning to process what an impact that part of my trip has had on me and will continue to have on my life path.  In addition to volunteering each day, our group would usually also participate in either a cultural or learning activity related to some aspect of life in South Africa.  After my first morning at placement, I began my first lesson in Xhosa, one of the languages spoken in South Africa.  It is one of the most interesting languages that I have ever learned, and even after substantial practice, it was quite difficult to master the various types of clicks that are part of many Xhosa words.  We participated in language lessons twice during my program, and even though we only met with the instructor a couple of times, I was able to become comfortable with a few Xhosa words and phrases!  Perhaps more importantly, it was such a great experience to be able to interact with the instructor and learn more about the culture and history behind the Xhosa language. 

During my first week in Cape Town we also visited the District 6 Museum, which was so incredibly moving.  During our township tour at the beginning of the program, we learned more about the District 6 area of Cape Town, and our museum visit helped us gain even more firsthand knowledge about the area and its history.  The area of Cape Town known as District 6 held an incredibly vibrant and beautiful community that was eventually declared as a whites-only area of the city during Apartheid.  60,000 people were forced to leave their homes in District 6 and move to other parts of the city, after which most of the area was bulldozed.  Although the area was once a bustling and lively part of the city, it is currently still the grassy, unoccupied area that remained following the demolition of the community.  The district was never completely redeveloped after its demolition for a variety of reasons, but the current state of the area is a visible reminder of the Apartheid policies, as well as a kind of memorial for the physical parts of the community that were lost when the District 6 homes and buildings were bulldozed by the government.

The District 6 Museum is filled with stories and artifacts from the area, and we were led on a tour by docents who actually had lived in District 6 and were members of the community who were forcibly uprooted from their homes.  One of the docents made a particularly great impression on me by how forgiving and peaceful he was about the past.  When discussing information about District 6 with us, he placed great emphasis on the fact that the museum was not meant to be a place where people should dwell on the past or leave the exhibits feeling any sense of animosity or resentment about what took place there.  Rather he explained that he hoped people would leave feeling a sense of hope and forgiveness, which would subsequently help continue the process of healing that has been taking place in South Africa for many years.  His willingness to forgive and move forward without any lingering anger or underlying grudges was so inspiring, and his words made quite a profound impact on me.  It also provided me with hope that even after all of the division and significant damage that was done to the lives of so many individuals in South Africa, forgiveness and reconciliation are still possible.  Here is a photo from the museum:

View from the inside of the District 6 Museum

Toward the end of the first week, we participated in a workshop about HIV and AIDS, after which we had the privilege of listening to someone talk about what it is like to live with HIV in South Africa.  Although I have taken many classes and experienced many circumstances that have dealt with HIV and AIDS, I still found myself gaining an even deeper grasp of these issues through both the workshop and the speaker’s presentation.  More than anything, I know that my experiences with HIV/AIDS both in Botswana and South Africa have been some of the most eye-opening, challenging, and ultimately transformative experiences throughout my entire trip.  It is impossible to visit either Botswana or South Africa without seeing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the communities there, but my combination of coursework, discussions, internships, and volunteer work have provided me with countless opportunities to continue to understand the multifaceted epidemic that has forced its way into the lives of so many people here.  The lessons I have learned and the perspective I have gained cannot come from simply reading a book or learning about these issues from thousands of miles away.  Rather, my experiences have been so profound and made such an impact on me because I have gained them firsthand and will continue to remember them for the rest of my life.

Toward the end of my first week I visited a local craft market and had my first bargaining experience in South Africa.  I found several beautiful locally-made crafts and even struck a few bargains as well. :) My first weekend, I went on a safari to a game reserve a couple of hours outside of Cape Town.  Even though I had been on several safaris in Botswana, I was looking forward to the chance to see more of the Big 5, including lions and elephants.  The drive to the safari was exciting in and of itself, since I had the chance to see more of the area surrounding Cape Town, including much of the winelands.  The route we took was simply stunning, especially since we left before the sunrise and were able to watch the sun come up over the surrounding mountains and sprawling wine estates.  The safari was also a lot of fun, and we saw so many amazing animals in such a short period of time!  Not even five minutes after leaving the main lodge at the game reserve, we came across a family of hippos lounging near a watering hole.  I had never seen hippos so close before, and they were really quite magnificent in person.  We also saw a family of rhinos, several zebras, springbok, elephant, ostrich, water buffalo, and even a large pride of lions!  My favorites were definitely the lions, due in large part to the fact that one of the lionesses came within inches of our safari vehicle!  As we were approaching the pride, one of the lionesses spotted an animal in the distance and began to walk slowly toward the area where she saw it.  Our vehicle was coming toward the pride, but she didn’t seem to mind and literally grazed the side of the vehicle where I was sitting.  Eventually she sat and continued to watch the animals in the distance while we were parked near the rest of the pride.  It was quite an exhilarating moment when she was strolling in our direction and we weren’t entirely sure if she was more interested in coming toward us or chasing down her prey!  It was incredible to see so many lions up close, and I have a whole new level of respect for their place in the animal kingdom.  After the safari, we drove to a nearby ostrich farm and took a tour.  Although I had seen several ostrich throughout my safaris over the past several months, it was still so exciting to see them at every stage of life, from the eggs to the chicks all the way to the full-grown ostrich.  During the tour I had the chance to hold a baby ostrich, which was surprisingly soft and fluffy.  I also got to feed and pet several of the ostrich, which was quite an experience!  The ostrich would each right out of my hand, and many of them were tame enough that they would even let me pet them as well.  After touring the farm I definitely have a new place in my heart for the ostrich, and here are a few pictures from both the safari and farm visits: 

Hippos on the safari!

Zebras and rhinos living harmoniously :)

First elephant sighting!

Lioness that grazed our safari truck

The whole pride

At the ostrich farm

Petting an ostrich :)

The day after we went on safari, we traveled to Robben Island for a day trip.  Making the journey to Robben Island was one aspect of my entire summer I was anticipating the most, and the trip definitely did not disappoint.  Taking a tour of Robben Island and engaging in a discussion with one of the island’s ex-political prisoners definitely impacted me in a very significant way, and of all my days in Cape Town, that day was one of the most memorable.  Prior to catching a ferry to Robben Island, we had a chance to explore the Nelson Mandela Gateway, which housed many artifacts and stories to provide a bit of context for our tour around Robben Island.  Once we made it to the island, we boarded a bus and were driven to several different sites that hold significance within the island’s history.  I learned so much about the history of the island beyond the fact that Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for 18 years.  When we reached the maximum-security prison on the island, we were led on a tour by an ex-political prisoner who had been jailed on the island for five years and began his sentence when he was just 19.  Our tour guide had actually been jailed on Robben Island for part of the same time that Mandela was there, and it really made the history come to life when we were able to actually meet someone who had spent several years during the prime of his life imprisoned on the island.  When we reached the part of the prison where Mandela’s cell was located, it became quite overwhelming to realize that I was walking the same halls and looking out the actual windows that Nelson Mandela did for nearly two decades of his life.  Here are a couple of pictures from my Robben Island trip: 

Entryway to Robben Island

View of Table Mountain from Robben Island

Maximum Security Prison on Robben Island

View of Mandela's cell from the hallway

Mandela's cell on Robben Island

Again, much like my experience at the District 6 Museum, I was overcome by how peaceful, forgiving, and forward-focused our tour guide seemed to be even after going through such an unspeakable ordeal.  Even now, several weeks later, I still remember his answer to one of the questions he was asked during our tour.  At one point someone asked if he was angry at his captors or felt any ill-will toward the guards that stood by during his imprisonment on Robben Island.  He explained that he and his colleagues were not fighting white people, but rather the system that existed within South Africa, so instead of feeling any lingering anger about what any individuals may have done during Apartheid, he was simply glad that the system is no longer in place.  This example of forgiveness and a willingness to move forward without lasting grudges or hatred is one of many throughout my trip that even to this day continue to have a lasting impact on me.  As I have continue to reflect on my experiences in Cape Town, one theme to which I keep returning is one of forgiveness and hope that positive change can continue to occur within South African society, due in large part to the reconciliatory spirit I encountered on many occasions.  Even though my time in Cape Town was only enough to begin to understand the impacts of Apartheid policies and the changes that will be necessary as the country continues to develop, I cannot help but feel optimistic that if reconciliation and forgiveness are possible in post-Apartheid South Africa, they can be possible anywhere.

My second week in Cape Town included less of a focus on orientation, although we still took part in several different activities.  We continued with our language lessons on Tuesday, and on Wednesday we even had the opportunity to learn some basic African drumming techniques from a local instructor!  On Thursday we were treated to a lunch in Bo Kaap, a vibrant and multicultural part of Cape Town.  We learned more about the history of Bo Kaap from the owner of the restaurant, and after eating we took a tour of part of the neighborhood.  After our trip through Bo Kaap, we toured the Slave Lodge, which opened my eyes to even more of Cape Town’s complicated and lengthy history.  I gained a more holistic understanding of how Cape Town played a role in the global slave trade, as well as how the city’s role continues to have an impact on the area even today. 

I spent my second weekend in Cape Town exploring some of the outlying areas outside of the immediate city.  On Saturday, I toured a wine estate and had the chance to see what goes into making one of South Africa’s most important exports.  The vineyard we visited not only produces wine but also works toward wildlife conservation, with a specific focus on cheetahs.  While at the vineyard, we even had the opportunity to pet a full-grown cheetah!  The cheetah we visited had been raised in captivity and was extremely tame, but it was still such a surreal experience to pet such a strong, somewhat intimidating animal.  Even though I was a bit unsure at first about petting the cheetah, I eventually got over my fears and managed to do it.  Here are a couple of pictures from the vineyard:

On the way to the vineyard

Petting a cheetah :)

View from the vineyard

On Sunday, I took a tour of the entire Cape Peninsula, which was so incredibly breathtaking.  We stopped at several places along the way, including Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, and Boulders Beach.  Cape Point is the place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, while the Cape of Good Hope is the Southwestern most point of the entire African continent.  Boulders Beach is the home to thousands of African penguins, and it was so fascinating to see the penguins in their natural habitat.  While the entire drive throughout the peninsula was so beautiful, I decided that the Cape of Good Hope was the most beautiful place that I have ever visited.  I could probably spend an entire blog post attempting to describe the magnificence that I witnessed while sitting on the rocks and walking around the beach, but I do not think that all the words, pictures, or video in the world could describe the majesty and natural beauty that surrounded me at the Cape of Good Hope.  Needless to say, my feeling of profound amazement at the bounty of nature while visiting the Cape is not one that will leave me for quite some time.  Here are a few pictures from that trip, although they can only attempt to convey the actual beauty of the peninsula: 

Chapman's Peak Drive

Cape Point

At the Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

Penguins at Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach

My last week in Cape Town was spent continuing to see various sights and working to understand more of South Africa’s history.  On Monday of my final week, I took a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, which was definitely one of the more majestic views in all of Cape Town.  On Tuesday, we visited the Two Oceans Aquarium, which houses sea life from both oceans off the coast of the Cape, the Indian and Atlantic.  On Wednesday we ate lunch at a tavern in one of the townships and were lucky enough to be treated to a live musical performance during our lunch!  After lunch we traveled to a nearby performance hall for a presentation by local youth that included drama, song, and dance.  After dinner that night, we had the opportunity to see a performance by a local artist that touched on art, music, drama, as well as South Africa’s history.  This performance was one of my favorite activities of the entire program, as the performance artist really helped us to gain a much deeper understanding of the healing process that has taken place in South Africa since the end of Apartheid, as well as how it continues to take place today.  Finally on Thursday evening we were treated to a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, and on Friday afternoon I departed from Cape Town!  Here are a couple of pictures from my last week in Cape Town: 

View of Cape Town and the surrounding area from the top of Table Mountain

Table Mountain

Although my trip to Cape Town was extremely busy and exhausting in many ways, it has continued to have such a profound impact on me both in terms of my career development and my development as a world citizen.  The people I met and the parts of history that I saw firsthand have continued to remain in my mind since I left, and I know that they will not leave anytime in the near future. 

As I continue to process and reflect on my experiences in Botswana and Cape Town, I plan to write a final blog entry sometime in the next couple of weeks with thoughts on my entire experience this summer.  Until then, I am happy to continue to share stories with family and friends, and I am looking forward to continuing to gain new insights and perspective as I reflect on my life-changing summer. 

Peace,

Lizzy

Final Week in Botswana/Preparing for Cape Town

I have now made it to my final week in Botswana, and I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by!  I never would have believed 6 weeks ago that my time here would have gone as fast as it has, yet here I am, about to conclude my adventure in Botswana and preparing to begin my next adventure in Cape Town. 

This past week, in addition to finishing my last day of classes and continuing with my clinic internship, I also attended two lectures that allowed me to continue to better understand several different aspects of Botswana.  After classes on Monday, one of the local leaders of an opposition political party presented a lecture about Politics in Botswana.  This lecture was especially interesting in light of the recent strike and political shifts taking place in the country.  We were so lucky to have the chance to hear about Botswana’s politics from someone who is actually involved in the political processes here, and it definitely helped provide some context for many of the recent political developments that have taken place while I have been here.  On Tuesday, one of our professors delivered a special lecture on Marriage and Courtship in Traditional and Contemporary Botswana.  This was also a fascinating talk, and it allowed me to continue to build on the knowledge that I had gained while in Mochudi regarding some of the current and traditional practices surrounding marriage in Botswana. 

On Wednesday, I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 with several of the other students in my program.  The first time I went to the local cinema a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that there were movie posters advertising that Harry Potter was coming to Botswana July 13^th, an entire two days before the U.S. release date!  I couldn’t believe how fortunate I was to not only see the movie while I was here, but also two days before I would have seen it had I been in the U.S.  Needless to say, I was beyond excited to watch it last week, although it was rather bittersweet watching the final chapter of such an epic and influential part of my childhood.  Watching Harry Potter in a state-of-the-art movie theater in Botswana also provided a perfect example of Botswana’s diversity and the fluidity of urban and rural life here.  Although many parts of Gaborone can appear quite similar to the U.S., one does not need to go far to find a more rural side of Botswana.  That experience just reinforced the fact that Botswana is very much in touch every aspect of modern life, yet also just as much connected to its traditional roots.  Looking back, I realize that it was somewhat surreal to watch the final Harry Potter film in a theater in Botswana two days before all of my family and friends back home, with a group of people that I had never met just 6 weeks prior, yet now consider some of my really good friends.  It is a scenario I would have never imagined even just a year ago, but it’s funny how much a person’s life can change in even a short period of time.

On Friday, I learned more about my volunteer placement for my trip to Cape Town, which will begin in just a few short days.  During my three weeks in Cape Town, I will be volunteering in a children’s hospital, and I cannot believe how lucky I am to have such an amazing opportunity.  I was previously under the impression that it is more difficult to secure health-specific volunteer placements in South Africa, so I was even more excited when I found out that I would have the chance to serve in such a directly health-related setting.  I begin my volunteer placement a week from Tuesday, after I have had a few days of orientation and time to settle into Cape Town.  I am really looking forward to not only comparing my health-related experiences in South Africa and Botswana, but also experiencing yet another beautiful and fascinating country.  This past Monday I also had the chance to attend a traditional African wedding, and it was simply beautiful.  The wedding was filled with so much joy and excitement, and I was so grateful to have the chance to experience such a wonderful event before I depart from Botswana.

Even though I cannot wait to continue with my African adventures and begin my journey to Cape Town, I have been reflecting lately about how bittersweet it will be when I leave Botswana.  Although I greatly miss my family and friends back home in the U.S., it will still be hard to depart from a place that I have grown to love so much.  I have only been here for a little over 6 weeks, yet I have made some incredibly close and lasting bonds with so many of the people I have met here.  I have also fallen in love with the fascinating culture and the diverse, beautiful land that has surrounded me.  It is amazing to me as well, how even after such a short time I can already feel so attached to my host family, my newly-made friends, and my daily life here.  At the same time, I’ve begun to realize that although beginnings and endings are often stressful experiences, this is usually because they serve as points of transition in our lives.  Even after a short period of time, foreign environments and routines can become familiar and seem much more comfortable than we ever could have initially imagined.  However, it is only when we continue to welcome change into our lives and move beyond our own self-perceived limits that we are truly able to ascertain our internal capacity and strength.

Therefore, while I am anxious and excited to begin the next chapter of my adventures in Africa, it will still be difficult to leave this place that I have grown to love so much.  Later this week I will finish my internship at the local Gaborone clinic, and on Friday we will tour the Jwaneng Diamond Mine, which has the distinction of being the largest diamond deposit in the world.  Then on Saturday I will leave Botswana and travel on to Cape Town.  Though the next week will be filled with bittersweet goodbyes and final experiences, I look forward to continuing to grow and change as I forge ahead on my adventures!

Peace,

Lizzy

Half Way Through My Trip!

I cannot believe that it has already been more than two weeks since I last posted an update, and two weeks from yesterday, I will be leaving Botswana and beginning my adventure in Cape Town!  The time has flown by so quickly here, but it seems like each day I have a new amazing experience and learn something about myself in the process.  Since I have not updated my blog for a little while, this post is a bit longer than usual so please bear with me. :)

The past two weeks in particular have been some of the most profound and exciting weeks of this entire trip.  Later in the day after my last blog post, I traveled to another local game reserve, this time right in Gaborone.  Upon our arrival at the reserve, we were met by dozens and dozens of monkeys!  We were fascinated by them, but at first they seemed more skittish and would not come very close to us.  However, once we started setting up our food at a picnic area in the reserve, they started to inch closer and closer to us.  Within minutes, it seemed like most of the monkeys in the reserve had come over to our picnic area, and it did not take long before they were stealing our food.  As time went on they became more and more brazen, and I was startled several times by various people warning me that there was a monkey just inches behind me.  Even though they did steal several handfuls of our food, it was still so incredible to eat lunch in a game reserve, surrounded by hoards of monkeys. 

The day after we visited the Gaborone game reserve, we left for Mochudi, a rural village just north of Gaborone.  As we were driving to Mochudi we noticed several military vehicles and personnel parked along the route.  We had heard that Michelle Obama was going on a safari near Gaborone that day, so we assumed that they were just stationed in the surrounding area for added security.  However, later that day when I was watching the evening news with my host family, I found out that she had visited Mochudi on a surprise trip to the village the very same day that I arrived there!  It was so exciting to think that we were in the same city as Michelle Obama when she stayed in Gaborone, and it was even more amazing to realize that we were in the very same village on the same day that she visited it! 

After we arrived in Mochudi each student was dropped off at their host family’s home.  My host family in Mochudi was wonderful, and my experience in the rural village was simply amazing.  I learned so much about Botswana’s history during my homestay, as well as some of the long-standing traditions that still exist in the country.  I really enjoyed the slower pace of the village life, which actually surprised me since I have always enjoyed being busy and plan to eventually live in a more urban area.  However, there was something refreshing about the life there, and it is an experience that I will never forget.  One of the days in Mochudi, I noticed a donkey on my street that was just standing alone.  No one knew whose donkey it was, but it spent most of the day just grazing and standing under a tree.  The following day the donkey was still there, and in the afternoon I noticed that it was stuck on a fence.  I tried to free it by poking at the fence and trying to get the donkey to move, but it didn’t budge.  Finally a couple of the people on the street came over to help and the donkey was eventually freed.  We all cheered, and the donkey wandered over to shade itself under a tree.  That was probably the most excitement I had that day, but it was still nice to just walk around and take a more relaxed approach to my time there. 

Many aspects of Botswana’s rich culture are alive and well in Mochudi, and I had several interesting discussions with my host family about these traditions, as well as other village stereotypes that are not necessarily applicable to Mochudi.  For example, when I first heard about a visit to a “rural village,” I expected a living environment rather different from the one I experienced in Mochudi.  Instead, what I found was a community that still values many long-standing traditions, yet is also very much in touch with every aspect of modern life. 

During the week that I stayed in Mochudi, I interned at a clinic in the village.  My clinic was rather far from the center of the village, so it was really interesting to see the comparisons between the city clinic where I normally intern and the rural clinic.  I met some really amazing people and had some incredibly life-changing experiences during my week at the rural clinic, and it was quite difficult to say goodbye at the end of the week.  It was also my first major “goodbye” when I left the clinic and my homestay family, and although it was hard to say goodbye after only a week, I have already begun to feel emotional about the prospect of saying goodbye to everyone at the end of my program in two weeks.   

While I was in Mochudi I also visited a local museum that documents the history of the area and has preserved some really incredible artifacts.  The museum is at the top of Phuthadikobo Hill, and the view from the top of the hill was spectacular.  I could see the entire village from the top, and it was so peaceful to just sit and take everything in.  Here are some pictures of my trip in Mochudi:

Museum at the top of Phuthadikobo Hill in Mochudi

Sitting outside the museum at the top of the hill

The view from my window at my Mochudi homestay (Madibana Hill)

The day after we returned to Gaborone from Mochudi, we had classes in the morning and then left for a rhino sanctuary in Serowe, which is about 3 and a half hours north of Gaborone.  We took public transportation to the sanctuary, which was definitely an experience in and of itself.  The bus we took was actually really nice, and I am so glad that I got the opportunity to travel via a form of public transportation here other than the combis, just to compare my experiences.  We arrived at the rhino sanctuary in the evening, and we ate dinner at the sanctuary’s main restaurant.  I had my very first slice of pizza since being in Botswana, and although it did have a slightly sweeter and cheesier taste than the pizza at home, I still loved it!

Although we were initially planning to camp in tents at the rhino sanctuary, our director decided that we would stay in the indoor accommodations at the sanctuary since it was so cold.  Once the sun went down and the temperatures began to drop significantly, I could definitely understand why.  We stayed in buildings that reminded me of the cabins I used to stay in during summer camp, and that experience has definitely been one of the highlights of my time here. 

Just as we all were getting settled into our cabins before bed, one of the safari guides came into our rooms and warned us not to wander around at night or visit the other cabins because there were many predators in the reserve.  When I asked her to clarify what she meant by “predators,” she simply said, “Leopards…jackals…no lions, but definitely lots of leopards.”  After hearing that, I was even more relieved that we were not in the tents! 

The next morning we got up bright and early for a 6 a.m. sunrise safari, which was so amazing.  Although at first it was pitch black and rather chilly, it did not take long before the sun began to rise just as we were in the heart of the game reserve.  Before starting the safari, our guide told us that there was a good chance that we would not see any rhinos until our later drive, and he warned us that we would be much more likely to see a greater number of animals around dusk during our sunset safari.  Therefore, although we were all excited to see the sun come up and maybe catch a glimpse at a few animals, we did not have high expectations.  This actually made it that much more amazing when we did see so many animals throughout the safari.  The first major animal we saw was a giraffe, and it was surprisingly difficult to spot at first because it was behind a tree, so all we could initially see was the top of its head.  Once we got closer it was incredible to see two giraffes so close, just eating their breakfast at the top of the trees.  After that, we were all so excited and happy that we had the chance to see such a majestic and awe-inspiring animal.  A little while later, we came to a clearing on the side of the road and found a family of zebras!  The zebras were so fascinating and beautiful, and the baby zebra was especially cute. :) We kept driving, and at one point our guide stopped unexpectedly and opened his car door.  We weren’t sure what he was looking for, but all of a sudden he said, “These are rhino tracks.”  We were all so excited and giddy at the prospect of seeing a rhino up close, but we still knew that it was not necessarily likely.  We kept driving, enjoying the beautiful sunrise and breathtaking scenery, when all of a sudden someone said, “There’s a rhino!”  We could not believe how fortunate we were to see one, and we drove slowly down the road to get a closer view.  Once we could see the rhino better we realized that there were actually three, two males and a baby rhino.  It was so incredibly amazing to see such a powerful and regal animal up close, and we sat just watching them for quite a while.  The safari guide told us that the larger male’s name was Peter, and once he moved more into the open, I could not believe how enormous he actually was.  Eventually the rhinos began moving toward the road, and they even crossed right in front of our safari truck!  I asked the safari guide what he would recommend if one of us was chased by a rhino, and he said that we should climb up a tree or clap loudly to startle the rhino.  I still think that I would run in a zig zag pattern, although I am glad that I did not have to test out this escape method when in the reserve. :) In addition to the rhinos, giraffes, and zebras, we also saw wildebeest, springbok, impala, and dozens of different birds.  We were all so completely amazed at the multitude of incredible animals that we saw, and we could not believe that we had the opportunity to see even more animals later in the day during our sunset safari. 

We ate lunch at the rhino reserve’s restaurant, and during our meal a rhino came over to drink from the watering hole just outside the restaurant.  It was such a cool experience to be eating my meal while a rhino was taking a drink outside the window.  During our evening safari, we saw a mother rhino and her calf, a male giraffe and a young giraffe, ostrich, another group of rhinos, a family of warthogs, a vulture, more birds, and the amazing sunset during our ride.  As the sun was beginning to set, we pulled into a large flat area in the middle of the reserve that reminded me of The Lion King. :) The sunset was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life, and I could not believe how lucky I was to be in Botswana, taking in a spectacular sunset in the middle of a rhino reserve.  We drove back to the main restaurant in the reserve and ate dinner around a campfire near the watering hole.  After dinner we even roasted s’mores, and I was so happy that I got to take part in one of my favorite summer traditions. :) Several different animals came over to drink while we were there, and again, I had to pinch myself because I could not believe how lucky I was to be having such an amazing experience.  Here are some photos from our two safaris:

Rhino Sanctuary!

First giraffes we saw at the Rhino Sanctuary

African Sunrise

Wildebeest!

Mother and baby zebras

First rhinos we saw at the Rhino Sanctuary

Posing with the mother and baby rhino

Ostrich!

Second set of giraffes we saw at the Rhino Sanctuary

African Sunset :)

After dinner we went to bed early because we had to leave by 5:20 a.m. to make it to the bus station in time for the 6 a.m. bus back to Gaborone.  In the morning we all piled into the safari trucks and assumed that we would take a combi to the bus station, since there was one waiting near the entrance of the reserve.  As we got closer to the entrance, one of the other people in my truck said, “I wonder if we’ll take this truck all the way to the bus station.”  We chuckled and commented on how wild that would be, but as we got closer to the road, the truck did not stop.  Finally the truck just pulled onto the highway, and we ended up traveling about 20 km from the reserve to the bus station in an open-air safari truck.  Although it was bone-chillingly cold, it was still pretty exhilarating.  Afterwards I thought to myself, “How many times in my life will I get the chance to be flying down the highway in a safari truck?”  Now I can say that I have. :)

Later in the day after returning to Gaborone from the rhino reserve, we took a tour of the Diamond Trading Company.  It was really interesting to learn more about the resource that has played such a significant role in the development of Botswana.  We also had the chance to see many raw diamonds up close, and we learned more about the various stages in diamond production, including those that happen right at the Diamond Trading Company.  During that tour, it also became clear how well the diamond wealth has been managed in Botswana, unlike in many other countries in the region.  Our guide even explained that before diamonds were discovered in Botswana, school was held outside under trees, but now school is offered free of charge to all Batswana, and the government even pays for Botswana’s citizens to attend college.  It was great to observe a side of Botswana’s main industry that many people may not normally have the chance to see.

On Thursday I returned to my clinic internship in Gaborone, and I felt like I had a new perspective on my time there after interning for a week in Mochudi.  Thursday evening I also saw two chickens go from the coop to my dinner plate, which was definitely an interesting experience to say the least.  The meal was delicious though, and it was definitely the freshest meat that I have ever eaten.  Every part of the chicken was cooked however, so I asked my host mom how one would go about eating a chicken foot.  She began to show me and even offered me a piece.  She said that the best part of the foot was the palm, so I decided to try a piece.  It was unlike anything I have ever eaten before, so it is hard to compare the taste to any food I have eaten back home.  I am still glad that I at least gave it a try, and now I can say that I have eaten chicken feet. :) Since my last post I have also eaten several other new foods, including cow liver when I was in Mochudi.  I have recently begun trying everything and asking what the food is after I have already eaten it.  That way I can eat the food without any preconceived notions and more fairly judge whether or not I actually like it.  I have been surprised by some of the foods that I actually enjoy, and I am sure that when I return home that I will be an even more adventurous eater. :)

As I approached the half-way point of my trip on Friday, I began to reflect more about my experiences and the changes that I have seen in myself.  While I was in Mochudi I came to the conclusion that it is not possible for me to be the exact same person that I was prior to this trip.  There are people and experiences from this trip that will be seared into my mind forever, and these are the memories that will continue to shape my life long after I return home to the States.  I have been changed in ways I never would have expected, and yet there are also other qualities in myself that have been strengthened or reinforced through what I have seen and done.  While I have had some really exciting and enjoyable experiences throughout this trip, I have found that the difficult and challenging times have had the most transformative effect on me.  Never again will I think of HIV and AIDS the same way again, but rather I will live for the rest of my life with a completely different image in my head when I think about these issues.  When discussing HIV and AIDS in future classes or work environments, I will think about many of the individuals I have met and the stories I’ve been told, which will completely change the context in which I consider a multitude of different health crises.  Over the course of the trip I have also noticed that several of my values have changed with regard to how I live my life and what I decide to do in the future.  Perhaps the simplest and yet one of the most important things that I have realized is that I would not necessarily have been able to completely grasp many of the lessons I have learned about myself and various health issues without actually being here.  I have taken several classes and read many books about AIDS, Africa, and other health issues affecting this region, yet it was not until I actually witnessed firsthand many of the social barriers affecting individuals here that I began to more fully grasp some of the underlying causes of the health crises affecting Botswana.  Although I previously thought that I had a fairly reasonable understanding of various social issues that affect health, it was not until my time in Mochudi that all of my classes, prior knowledge, and experiences began to create a somewhat clearer picture of issues I had only just begun to understand before coming here. 

I have had some incredibly moving and powerful experiences over the past five weeks, and these are the moments that have changed me the most and also motivated me the most to make the most of my life.  I am looking forward to continuing to see changes in myself as I have even more incredible experiences during my final two weeks in Botswana.  This week I resume my normal schedule of classes and my internship, after which I will begin my final week in Botswana.  I also updated my photo album with new pictures from my safari and other adventures, so check out the album at this link. As I continue to gain new insights and experience new things, I will post them here!

Peace,

Lizzy

New Understandings

Today marks three full weeks since I left home, and I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by!  Even though I have already done so many amazing things in Botswana, I’m still excited about all of the remaining experiences I will have in the coming weeks.  Tomorrow we will all leave for a week-long visit in a rural village, and I will be staying with a host family during that time.  I will also be interning each day in a village clinic, and I am really looking forward to being able to compare my experiences in a village clinic to those in the city clinic, which I’m sure will continue to both deepen and challenge my understanding of public health.

Yesterday I completed my second week as an intern at a local city clinic, and I have already learned so much.  It has been so fascinating to further learn about many of Botswana’s current and future health care challenges through my discussions with the clinic staff, and I have met some really incredible health care workers.  It has also been really interesting to actually observe many health care challenges play out on an individual level, when I have only previously read about them or discussed them in a classroom setting.  I have continued to better understand the combi system here in Botswana, and I no longer feel the need to ask the driver each time if I am on the right combi, which is definitely a major accomplishment for me. :) I have even become confident enough to say “O eme mo stopong” (Stop at the stop) when I reach my destination, although it still feels like I’ve achieved something significant each time I get where I need to go via combi.

I am also starting to gain a better appreciation for some of the cultural differences that I have observed and experienced.  For example, one day this past week I needed to run an errand during my lunch break at the clinic.  In order to save time I decided to eat my lunch as I was running the errands, but I soon began to notice that I was receiving strange looks from several people I passed on the street.  It then dawned on me that I had not really seen many Batswana eating food “on the go,” but rather almost every time I’ve seen others eating, they have been seated and stationary.  Although I did not realize it before, it soon became clear what an American concept “eating on the go” really was, especially when our society places so much emphasis on time and squeezing in as many activities and appointments into as little time as possible.  Therefore, I began to appreciate what a strange sight it must really be to see me walking down the street in a hurry, eating a peanut butter sandwich.  Even in the Main Mall area of the Gaborone city center, I have noticed that although many business professionals may buy food from street vendors (the closest thing I’ve noticed to “fast food”) they still take the time to sit on nearby benches or tables and actually focus on one thing: eating their lunch.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have actually come to prefer a slower, more mindful way of eating and appreciating my meal.  I realized that this method also recognizes all of the time and energy that went into the meal, especially since nearly all the meals I’ve eaten here have taken quite a bit of time to prepare and been made completely from scratch.  It has been this new found awareness, as well as many other realizations throughout this trip, that have allowed me to gain a much better understanding of my place in this world.

Yesterday I received my Setswana name from my host mom, and it is Boitumelo, which means “joy.”  I think this is a fitting name, since so much of my time here has been filled with joy and appreciation for the beauty that I have found in this country.  Other students in my program have been given multiple Setswana names, and if I receive any other names, I will be sure to include them in a future post! :) Yesterday I also went shopping in the craft market area of the Main Mall, and I found some great souvenirs!  I even bartered for several of my purchases, which was a new experience for me.  However, I do think that the success I found was due in large part to all of the times I watched my dad negotiate his way into a great deal over the years.  I’m sure he was proud of me bartering with the best of them!

As I said before, we are all leaving tomorrow for a rural village, and I cannot wait to see what other adventures await me.  I am not sure if I will have the same level of internet access in the village that I do within the city, but either way, I am sure that I will have plenty of stories and pictures to share from that experience! 

Later today we will be visiting with a traditional healer and traveling to a local game reserve.  I am so excited to observe another side of the health care services that exist within Botswana, and I am really looking forward to seeing what the next week will have in store for me as I continue on my African Adventure!

Peace,

Lizzy