I have never "smelt" this bad

So I find myself again, sitting in a fast food restaurant, sipping on a drink in order to use their wifi. Today the location is Barcelos, a Portuguese restaurant with peri peri chicken being the favorite Batswana dish. Think of Barcelos as one step above the golden arches but not yet Olive Garden. Before learning about all the free wifi at these fast food joints, I was doing it the super local way, going to the airport to steal their flaky service. The last flight normally got in around 6 pm, but for reasons unknown to anyone, the premises remains open until ten with its only use for those four hours to be for the ten or so of us surfers to be catching up with the online community.

Chess, the rest of the Pitzer crew and I returned yesterday from our first week working with the Fisheries Department (we ship out next Monday for our next adventure). Little did I know when I signed up for this stint with the Fisheries that I was setting myself up for memorizing copious amounts of names like B. Lateralis and S. Negro Maculatis (still can't spell them though) as well as deciphering the difference between a hard dorsal fin and a soft one (but first I had to learn what a dorsal fin was). Not only that, but I also didn’t realize I had signed myself up for maybe permanently changing my musk. I don’t think I will ever stop sweating fish stench and there is no amount of soap Dove could ever produce to stop my clothes from reeking (I quickly adapted a set of clothes for dealing with the fish and others for relaxing).
We were shipped up north to a small village near the slightly bigger village-and extremely more "google-mapable" village- of Shakawe, located about 10 km from the Namibian boarder in the North and right on the Okavango Panhandle. Our camp couldn’t have been better situated, 10 meters from the flowing waters. There was a sort of natural jetty created which allowed the locals (and us) to park the boats safely without the sweeping current taking them off. Although it remained quiet for most of the day, fishermen would sometimes come in the morning with their catches and we could watch mokoros passing by loaded with the reeds which surround the delta which are meant for creating fences and baskets. The location was gorgeous with pristine views and lots of animal life. Besides the livestock who were brought by farmers to drink in the safe waters of the small bay, there were - without even leaving the comfort of the banks - enough birds to satisfy even the most intense bird nerd. The waters of the Delta are filled with more crocodiles and hippos then people in department stores the day after Thanksgiving, but fortunately due to the jetty they are kept primarily out of our little safe haven, that didn’t mean though that we wouldn’t see crocs’ heads drifting out in the deeper waters and every night we would hear hippos tromping through the reeds.

Our purpose there was to assist in the sampling of the fish in the Delta. Every month the department conducts surveys at a variety of locations throughout its water. Every evening a net is set with different mesh sizes (in order to collect different sizes of fish) and every morning we would collect the nets. The setting and collecting the nets (along with the boat cruising to reach them) was the easy part, once the fish arrived then the fun began… First, we had to fish the fish out of the nets, not at all as easy as one would think. Fish can wind and tangle themselves so tightly into those nets that even for the expert de-weavers who have worked at the department for years, it can take minutes to get just to untangle one (of usually over 500) fish. Following the retrieval processes begins the sorting and recording process where each scaly creature must be grouped together with the rest of its family. Then each fish must be measured, weighed and cut open to determine gender and how developed they are. I am entirely sure that in this past week I have handled (along with dug around in their guts) more fish then I ever have eaten and possibly more than I will ever consume in my life.
The job, although tedious at times, was fun. It is hard not to enjoy yourself in the Delta, especially with three awesome friends and your cousin (who is not excluded from the awesomeness). We even were able to do a boat cruise on the last day where we did some pretty amazing things. Besides weaving ourselves in and out of the canals, we got off on a few islands and wandered through the palm trees and reeds, even using a crocodile path as our docking point. Going so deep into the Delta, and wandering around its islands allowed us to see places that very few, if anyone, has ever seen before. Everyday makes me appreciate this experience more and more; just being in the Delta is something that very few people ever get to experience, but on top of that we are doing things that are ridiculous. Not to mention that I am doing it with my cousin…
Working with Fisheries has given me new appreciation for those that fish and along with implanting a jealousy of fishermen’s hygienic secrets for keeping the stink off them. Oh, and Thanksgiving in the Delta with the cousin, YES PLEASE!

Where do I even begin?! Who would have thought a year ago that cousin Francesca and I would be together in Botswana?! And that we would not only be traveling and seeing the country together but also sharing an internship in the Wildlife Department and not only any wildlife department, but one of the top in the world! And, not just with the wildlife department anywhere, but in Maun (aka one of the most beautiful and wildlife plentiful places in the world) and not just doing office work, but solely field work. That’s like applying to sell popcorn at a minor league stadium and instead being told you not only are being put on the starting roster but being moved up to the Yankees (actually, the Giants) and-if that wasn’t good enough-your best friend can join you too! Basically, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Since Chess flew in nearly two weeks ago, it has been a whirlwind of adventure. In Gaborone, we traded stories of adventure as we watched the sunset while sipping on the local brew. After a few quick days of showing Chess my most recent stomping ground, we caught an early morning bus up to Maun. Here, we met our host brother (can’t call him a father, I don’t think he is 30 yet) who was totally ok with chess staying for as long as needed. The next day we headed to the department office hoping we could somehow by some miracle convince them to allow Chess to accompany us. I wish I could give myself credit for some diplomatic feat, using some persuasive and intelligent conversation, in essence to sell my cousin to them. I had speeches prepared about her doing graduate research in Africa for the past 5 months, etc. But those pleas were never needed. Maybe it was because of our dashingly good LeBaron looks or maybe some force unknown to us that has united us on four continents, but without even a blink of the eye they took Chess in as an intern! What!? Life is ridiculously awesome. They said we would be going out to the bush very soon but due to a meeting of the directors, we wouldn’t know until Wednesday; we gladly took these as sightseeing days.

That afternoon we took a scenic flight over the Okavango Delta to see where we shall be spending the next five weeks. Let me just say it is big and beautiful. Waterways wind their way though grassland and trees as buffalo make their migration and elephants bathe. The five of us-Katie, Ian, Karen, Chess and I- flying in that single propeller plane began to understand why we had heard so much about this place and why we are so lucky to be working here (this would not be the last time).

The following day we did a mokoro trip. A mokoro is a dugout canoe, built from the sausage tree (baboons love to eat their kiwi skinned cucumber like fruit). Using sausage trees has caused environmental harm; due to the extreme rise in tourism, the once traditional form of transportation has become the favorite form of sightseeing in the Delta and because the trees take nearly 100 years to mature and the canoes only last 5, the government has put a limit on the number of sausage tress cut each year. Now, most mokoros are made out of fiberglass, but interestingly enough last for less time than the traditional canoes. We booked our trip through the community polers’ trust, which was created about ten years ago. It was created out of necessity for community empowerment. Many Batswana (people of Botswana) lack capital means to start a business, especially in the lucrative tourism industry which accounts for Botswana’s second biggest revenue (behind diamonds). Most hotels and tour companies here are owned by foreigners and while employing many Batswana, the majority of the profits tend to leave the country. But recently many community-based tourism operators have sprung up around the country. With this being run by the community, it allows profits to go directly into their hands (as we directly pay the polers) and eliminates the middleman. They make more money, we pay less, win win.

It was one of the most sublime and tranquil days I have ever experienced. Before heading out they allowed us to try a mokoro ourselves, which gave us an extreme appreciation for their work as we all nearly fell in multiple times and after only a few minutes were completely sore. For the rest of the day we cruised through the "place of reeds". We passed through pristine waterways and learned from our guide, Maita, about the local flora and fana. Having grown up here, he could tell us what we could and couldn’t eat. We passed frogs-some even hopped into a mokoros-and so much birdlife. Eventually we came upon a big island where we enjoyed lunch and then did a walking safaria (something I never expected to do while here). Quickly, we saw a heard of Zebras off in the distance and approached from down wind; once we got within 100 meters, at each step we took I thought they were going to run, but no! We got extremely close before they decided to gallop not away from us, but directly in front of us - one of the coolest experiences I have had here so far. The rest of the day consisted of some swimming in the clear waters and watching an elephant cool itself off in the fresh waters. If my trip ended there, I would have had no complaints. But it was just beginning.

They next day we arrived at the department and were told we would be heading to Moremi Game Reserve (National Park) and working with them for the next week. We were sent home to pack our bags and by three pm we were in the back of a pickup heading north to our next playground. What transpired last week - I am still waiting for Pitzer to send us the bill - it was that epic. We were in essence toured around the National Park in order for us to see what happens there. We were shown the daily activities of the officers stationed there, which consisted of a lot of directing tourists but also patrolling, which basically consists of driving around the park (aka game drives). I would be lying if I wrote that I didn’t see tons of animals. There was too much wildlife that even math major Chess couldn’t keep count. On one of our drives, we ran into a super rare pack of wild dogs; they are sooo pretty, but due to human misunderstandings, they have been driven to near extinction. We were just driving on the road, when literally we saw a few laying on the road, turned out to be a pack of twelve with their puppies.

If doing daily “game drives", having hyenas roam around us at night, and watching zebras up close by foot wasn’t enough, how about going out with the vet to collect blood and skin samples from an elephant. YES PLEASE! The vet, Johnny, was collecting samples to add to his DNA research of the animal. We spent that day driving in a pickup eyes peeled looking for one of these massive creatures. After seeing many our first few days it took us nearly five hours to find our first, a matriarch and five youth. Although this is beneficial for research purposes, at the very least, for the elephant it is traumatic. A gunshot sounds as the dart is shot (which spooks all creatures around), then fear as the elephant feels itself getting hit and runs for its life, family in toe. Immediately, we hop out of the truck, chasing it on foot until the tranquilizers kick in over ten minutes later (elephant tranquilizers are extremely strong; if just one drop gets into a human system, they will most likely die, or be in an unreviveable coma for the rest of their life). As we ran after the elephant-more like tried to keep it in sight-it stampeded off until it eventually stopped and with a huge thud, fell over. Then the crew quickly rushed in, scaring off the rest of the herd with an actual gun’s warning shots, masking and covering the elephants eyes and ears to reduce stimulation. Johnny then rushed in and collected the blood and skin and then we were allowed to approach. Having only gotten close to elephants while sitting in the comfort of a car I had not truly appreciated the enormity of one of these creatures. As it lay there snoring 100 times more powerful than my dad, we all had a moment of awe. This quickly ended when its legs started to twitch, where upon we immediately scampered back into the safety of our land rover.

Tomorrow we begin our tour with the Fisheries Department. We were told (surprise surprise) that we would be eating a lot of fish. There are bound to be many more stories upon our return, but until then I hope all is well.

Four Down, Three to Go!

So here it is! Continent number four for the dastardly cousin duo! Chess arrived safely last night and since then it has been a whirlwind of trading stories and getting each other up to date on our lives these past few extremely eventful months. Memories of China, London and the states have been discussed and future fantasies are already being planned, but for the most part it is all about being here in Botswana. Chess still can't get over that you can drink tap water here, keeps saying that we are "so spoiled". Sunday we will be catching the 6 am, twelve hour bus north to Maun where we shall continue our epic adventures! Thanks for the shirt Uncle Tim, now I can be repping the black and orange on the other side of the world!

(oh by the way, Chessie is pointing to the Botswana flag)

Sights of Gaborone

Nah, this isn't a California sunset, but this is what it regularly looks like here (minus the palm trees, these are the first I have seen here)

The skies here are so gorgeous. I could fill posts and posts of photos like this.

This is the Orapa House, thats where De Beers wheels and deals its diamonds.

The French Embassy.

Right by my house, the Orapa Building is in the far left.

This is the first (and maybe the only) bike lane I have seen in Botswana.

No, that is not the launching pad for Botswana's space program, but rather their telecomunications tower.

Take a closer look, yes... you remember that logo on the left of that fortress, they're the ones that put all the oil into the ocean. Insert witty comment about their priorities here.

Tourists

Journal Entry from Wendesday September 22nd in Chobe National Park:

We were heading back from an extensive day of wildlife viewing, when we saw a herd of 4 or 5 safari vehicles along with their patrons all stopped and staring off into the thick bush. This was a good sign. When these packs of vicious viewers congregate you know you are in for a show. Finding the critter that these khaki clad campers have come across can be more difficult then finding cell phone service in your house. Just like tracking a creature, it is vitally important to follow the signs. The most useful sign is to look at the khaki crew and see where they are looking, along with what they are looking with. What to watch for:

-If point and shoots are being used (especially at rapid fire) then it is safe to assume that the findings are close. Note: Don’t automatically deduce that just because point and shoots are being used that the animal is close, some people just don’t have a clue, but if what they are looking at is far away most will give up the feeble attempt fairly quickly and put down the camera.

-If binoculars are being used, than it is a pretty safe assumption that the creature is further away. Note: Again don’t immediately infer that because you see binoculars that creatures are fact away, some people are just blind, or stupid. It is vital to assess the entire field before pulling out your weapon of choice. Once you have done that, let the searching begin!

After reading the signs, it became obvious that today was going to be a "Where’s Waldo" type of day. Our scene today was a rocky, slowly sloping hillside about 50 meters away. In the bush you can ask where something is located, but even the keenest linguistics will have trouble sometimes. Saying things like: “It’s next to the rock” or “They are in front of the tree” is useless. Why? Because do you know how many trees and rocks there are here?! Duh it is going to not only be around just a single rock or a lone tree, but a plethora of them! They are everywhere. Fortunately though, Mother Nature has provided us wildlife junkies an easier way to get our fix; I will spare you the charts, technical graphs and extensive scientific jargon and simply call it hydration. Animals need fluids, so it is a safe bet (especially in the current dry season) that animals can be found in the more open areas, near water. Today, this was not the case though. Unfortunately, nature also does this thing called evolution (for further reading see Darwin). In a place as hot and dry as Botswana, all creatures that required their equivalent of 8 cups of water spaced evenly throughout the day have long since died of dehydration or been a tasty treat to a predator who was waiting near the watering hole. Animals who have small bladders died off long, long before there was medication to treat it.

Today we were attempting to spot two baby cheetahs, left by their mother so she could go hunt for them. If trying to spot them wasn’t hard enough due to nature, you also have to deal with your own ecosystem. And by that I mean, dealing with the dynamics of your tour vehicle. The vehicle is a pick-up, with the bed having three rows of raised seats and an overhang to protect the patrons from the blistering sun. Getting a good view is half luck and half skill. You never know what side you are going to see something on so you either could be in the best spot, or behind everyone. In that case it is up to your wormy attributes, mixed with some ancient and forgotten yoga poses and your diplomacy skills (remember you have to ride with these people and repeat this process many times) to get you into a prime viewing position. And even then, animals are animals and they move; it is a constant ebb and flow and one must be able to adapt at all times. And that is what I had to do today. Fortunately because they were cubs, they didn’t move around too much and once I found my position I was set.

After taking full appreciation of the sight, it was time to move on. As we continued on the path, giddily searching around every tree and stone (ok many of the trees and stones) for the next critter which we were to see. Where then, we would scramble over our seats and scamper to get the best look and shot of our new friends.

Just heard a lion howl, feeding time.

I find this photo particularly amusing, as it portrays and mother elephant and her child crossing the river, accompanied by a hundred or so on lookers.

Early Morning Joy

It is nearly 6 am and I have been up since before two. Why? No, I have not been tracking the pesky leopard. I was tracking something I have seen less of here than the carnivorous cats. I don’t think some of you know just how lucky you actually are, everyday, at a reasonable time mind you, you can sit down relax and just appreciate something great on multiple mediums. That is not the case for everyone in the world (ie me). Every morning, you can find in-depth info on them and every night you get to appreciate them directly. I am speaking of the Giants of course. Do you know how hard it is to get info about them here?! It is funny how the time I decide to live super rural, the Giants MAKE THE WORLD SERIES!

It worked out perfectly; Saturday we wrapped up our Mochudi home stays and we were to spend one night in a little lodge before meeting our new families in Gaborone. When I walked into the front door of the lodge and saw a computer on the internet, I knew it was going to be a good night (well actually morning). Unfortunately the Yankees lost the day before, so rather then getting the afternoon game which would start at the reasonable time of 10pm for us, we got the night game which meant 2am… rough…

Four of us all manager to stumble out of bed only to find that the computers speakers didn’t work! Then, with some "MacGyvering", we hooked up one of our computers and got the Giant's broadcast and man did those voices sound like sweet velvet pancakes! There we huddled on one of the couches and listened to the trials and turmoils of our valiant crusaders.

Soon I will be meeting my new family, hopefully they or someone else will have internet so we can continue cheering on the orange and black!

Address

There was some confusion about my address so here it is:
Vincent Giannotti
c/o Pitzer College in Botswana
Box 1482
Gaborone, Botswana

Quick Update

Currently, I am living in the village of Mochudi. It is about a 30 minute drive or an hour and a half bus ride from the capital of Gaborone. I have been living here since the beginning of my stint with the Wildlife Department, which is turning out to be more than a stint. After working with them for the past three weeks, I am pretty sure I have secured a one month internship with them working in the Okavango Delta (AKA one of the most beautiful and wildlife plentiful areas on this planet)! You know, life couldn't get much better... oh wait, it just did! Flying in November 1^st and staying with me for two week is cousin Francesca!!!!!!! Yeah we're not going to do much... When we’re not going to Zimbabwe, visiting Victoria Falls, rafting the Zambezi River for a few days and camping, or going on boat safaris! Life is tough, but somebody has to keep the tourism industry going...

Much love and thanks

Working with the Wildlife Department

The Crew:
Back Row: Me and Bitumelo
Front: Jolly and Bitumelo (Billy)

"FEAR THE BEARD"
(Been growing it since my last Giants' game)

My hair, my hair is so disheveled that Einstein himself would be jealous. My arms, my arms have been scorched brown by the ever present sun. My face, my face is burnt tomato red and I don’t dare to take my shirt off for fear of seeing the Neapolitan monster I have become. Put me in a plastic container and people will try and scoop me. And I couldn’t be much happier.

Why, you ask? Well because I just got back from a week of camping in the bush with the Wildlife Department’s Problem Animal Control Division. Every day we would go out on patrol and everyday you could find me standing in the back of the pickup bed. I was standing, for two reasons. First, it feels ridiculously good to have wind whipping in your face (dogs totally got it right). Second, it was out of necessity. If one were to sit down or even attempt to sit down on this real life version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, they would be bounced and tossed around more than the basketball used in a Globetrotter’s game. You see, tarred roads are a luxury here, and if you aren’t headed to one of the few major cities you’re primarily going to be traveling on dirt/sand/gravel/rocky roads. I spend my time alternating between Windward Facing Dog and a new extreme hybrid sport that is a cross between mogul skiing using the roll bar as my poles (and the moguls are pretty much anything Botswana can throw at me from dry river beds to rocks to dead trees to boar holes), and some upper body form of Dance Dance Revolution, ducking and dodging the oncoming bugs, birds and branches (all of the branches are covered not only in rose-like thorns but also toothpick long ones as well, in case the first didn’t get you). The only difference is that in Dance Dance Revolution if you mess up, your score decreases; in this, if you mess up, the amount of blood you have decreases.

Our primary task was responding to claims of leopard attacks (leopards because all of the other predators have been driven out/killed in the district we were covering). Think CSI: Botswana Bush. The Botswana Government reimburses some of the losses when livestock has been killed by native predators (very few other governments participate in this practice). This is a measure taken to help combat the killing of the native predators. It was as much predator conservation work as it was social. To deal with these claims we were going to the ruralist of the rural areas where the cattle posts are located. We write the claims for the ranchers (ie using “I” and “my”) in English because that is the required language for legal matters in Botswana. We were also writing the claims because very few, if any of the ranchers not only didn’t know how to write or read in English, but also Setswana; for some, we had to write their name down so they could copy it for a signature.

When reflecting on this it is hard not to have a voyeuristic perspective. But the more I see of the world, the more I learn about myself and also the more questions I begin to have. It is something that is hard to avoid, but also it is a two-way street. As I see and speak to Batswana (people of Botswana), they also are speaking to an American and we are sharing a cross-cultural experience. And although I am fortunate to be able to see many different aspects of Botswana and its people, many of the people I meet are not as lucky and to them I represent a population that they are extremely alienated from. It makes me feel good that the first person of light skin they see is not riding a UNICEF or Red Cross chariot of aid, but rather coming to them just to speak with them in their language (or at least try) and share maybe a cup of tea and a story or two.

The (Lack of) Bird(s) Sanctuary

On our way back from Chobe, on Katie's and my recommendation, we decided to check out the Nate Bird Sanctuary. Which according to Lonely Planet is a worthy stop filled with life; the only hint of hesitation in the text being that there was not going to be flamingos during the current dry season. They forgot to mention that not only are the flamingos not there during the dry season, but nearly all signs of life. After visiting, I have now chosen to re-title it The Nata Tourist Trap Salt Pans That Say They Have Over 150 Species Of Birds, But Really Only Have One Ostrich That Is Super Far Off In The Distance And Runs Away When You Get Within Four Miles Of It Sanctuary. Or the NTTSPTSTHO150SOBBROHOOTISFOITDARAWYGWFOI Sanctuary, for short.


After a 30 minutes of driving through the park of flat, treeless plains with everyone questioning my judgment/sanity/reading ability. We finally arrived here, the look out point described by the woman at the park entrance for the best viewing...



Ian and I decided to pull out the binoculars to get a better look at the plentiful amount of the lack of life this sanctuary provided. With so much of nothingness to be seen it was a mystery why we were the only ones in sight.
But to our astonishment (and probably its), we saw a lone ostrich off in the distance (look in the center of the photo right on the horizon, yeah that is not a smudge on you monitor but a fully grown ostrich). One can only image how fortunate and enthralled we were to see this creature so up close and personal in such a natural habitat. (Keep looking you'll find it eventually.)



By personal intrigue or maybe some ancient magic, we were lured in to venture into this unknown and barren land which soon proved to be a nearly fatal mistake.



We struggled, questioning if we had made the right life choices (ie if we should have chosen a colder location for study abroad). Around this time, Nepal was looking like a far better decision.



After much strife, stumbling and bumbling through what felt like the purgatory waiting room for hell we decided to embrace our predicament and film a music video for Waka Waka.



When we finally found the van again, we realized that we must have done something right to appease the poltergeists that ever so deviously chose to torment us, or we turned around when we heard the van honking... But on my way out I found a mysterious feather sitting on the ground - was this a sign that at one time this barren and uninhabitable landscape did possess life or was this another diabolical scheme put on by those tricky tormentors?

Safari Study Trip (yeah I know my life is tough)

This past week I was fortunate enough to visit Chobe National Park, in the north eastern most corner of Botswana. We made the ten hour ride up north passing through Nata and Francis town before arriving to Kasane. During my time up north, I was able to travel on some boat trips around the Chobe along with camping in the park for three nights. Here are some of my photos and stories from the trip.



My first elephant! I had read in Lonely Planet that I should not be surprised if I see some on the side of the road as I near Chobe National Park, so when I saw this one I tried not to look surprised. Oh and just as a clarification, we took this from our van, and cars do drive on the left side of the road (most of southern Africa does), but out of respect/safety we pulled over to the right to appreciate it.


We were fortunate enough to go on two boat safaris where we saw soo many animals! The water ways of the Chobe allow one to explore and venture very close to animals. This elephant, one of the over 1000 (no I didn't add on an extra zero or two) I saw was about to cross the river from his day of feeding (oh and how do I know it is a male? Besides anatomical features, I know that it is a male because elephants are part of a matriarchal society and the older males wander around solo).


We got super up close and personal with these elephants. Every morning we would see their fresh tracks around our camp. This one decided to say hi to us as it passed us on the road.


I'm not going to lie. After my travels, I have become to become a mini bird nerd. It is actually super fun not only spotting these feathered flying friends, but also identifying them. This gorgeous one is the Lilac-breasted Roller and is the national bird of Botswana (and Kenya).


Vultures posted near a dead elephant carcass waiting for there turn to feed. After the lions feed, then the hyenas crush and eat the bones, and after the vultures pick up the scraps, then bugs finish off.


Doesn't get much better than a sunset over the Chobe.


Maybe a little better while watching Impala feed...


And only better if you are watching elephants as it sets.


Four corners! In the water behind me is a point where 4 countries meet - Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia. There is no bridge to Zambia (the other side of the river) so smaller boats carry individuals across, but there is only one "ferry" to take freight trucks across. Which means there is a major back up even when the ferry isn't having mechanical problems (which it "frequently does") or when it is not stuck on one side due to too strong a current. The alternative for shipping goods into Zambia is going through Zimbabwe, which costs way more and can take nearly a month to cross, one of our guides said. I found out why it took so long when I crossed to visit Victoria Falls, when I saw the huge line of trucks all waiting in a line which lead up to one man at a wooden desk, this was Zimbabwe's lone customs agent.


The two most important locations to know while crossing the boarder.


Victoria falls with some of my friends. Katie is on the left, she goes to Swarthmore and is from NY. Patricia is next she is our friend/mentor/assistant teacher who grew up in Manyana, then me the dashingly good looking traveler followed by Cameron who is from Pitzer. Oh and the photo looks so hazy due to the extreme amounts of mist the the falls create.


Victoria Falls really is one of the most amazing places on earth! Although most of the actually falls are in Zambia (when it is low season, you can walk out on the river and even swim in some of the pools on the edge, look up images of 'devils pool' of google), but the best viewing is from the Zimbabwe side, which faces nearly all of it. The enormity of it is astonishing; its length is amazing and so is its power. We saw it while it was nearing its lowest point, where the waters can get to a little as 4% of the max flow. When it is flowing at the high season the mist can be seen/travel for miles around.




Zimbabwe's failed currency. The biggest bill ever created was 100 trillion... I think in February they discontinued printing. What is crazy is that I saw a 500 Zim Dollar bill printed in 2006 and since then their currency's value has imploded and become worthless. Now everything is done in US dollars and sometimes in Pula (the name of Botswana's currency, which directly translates to "rain" showing how important the rain actually is to the people). Another interesting note about Setswana (one of the two official languages here, that and English) is there is no word for weekend, which actually makes a lot of sense. It shows a lot about their lifestyles prior to Europe's influence along with the introduction of the monetary system and the 5 day work week. Hopefully soon, I will write a piece about the language because it is truly fascinating.

More of Botswana