This is it, the last journal entry for my extended summer in Gaborone, Botswana. I must admit, I should take this time to reflect on my time here, but that would make a ridiculously long entry. Plus, I need to talk about what I did during my last two weeks here! So I will simplify my reflection to this: This has been the most amazing experience in my life. Made most special with a visit from my beautiful girlfriend and also a visit from my parents who took me on a fabulous vacation (which you are about to hear about).
I last left this blog in a pretty poor mood. Let me correct that. My first two days back to Gaborone was a bit anxiety ridden, true, but I was able to get a lot of work done and my parents arrived only 3 nights latter. So, all-in-all it really wasn’t too bad. Although I returned to a house without JW and Lisa, which was very sad, I was greeted by Mitul and Nisha, a married couple from the states. Mitul is a medpeds resident entering his 4th year and Nisha is a high school English and Spanish teacher. They got married on July 4th and have been spending their honeymoon in Africa ever since. They are a fantastic couple and they made my transition back to Africa very easy.
I greeted my parents at the airport on Friday night and escorted them back to the Gabs Sun, had a couple drinks, and left them to get some rest. It was, oddly, raining in Gabs, so Saturday was an especially lazy day, filled with football, good food and good parents. We ate dinner that night at the hotel restaurant, which was very nice. Sunday, we climbed Kgale hill (which I plan to do tomorrow; my last day here) and once again relaxed at the hotel. It was very nice just to sit and relax with them. Its something I really haven’t done since high school. Monday, they joined me at the clinic and went on rounds at the hospital. Tuesday, we left for Kasane.
We spent three nights in a lodge on the far west side of Chobe national park, called Muchenje. This small 8 thatched hut lodge was magical. By far, the best place I had yet visited. We enjoyed two nights there in ultimate, blissful happiness. Days were spent roaming the huge herds of buffalo, elephant and zebra (as well as watching a baby leopard stalk a warthog; he was cute, but unsuccessful). Night were spent with the company of the English, Australian and Kiwi. Bottles of Amarula and cartons of Chobuku birthed conversation of sports, life, and any other guy talk you can think of. By the end, besides a hang-over, I gained the understanding of cricket and rugby and a few new friends. I left Chobe an educated man, excited for the Okavango delta.
Returning to the Kasane airport led us to a small, 6-person Cessna airplane. A one and a half hour flight in the co-pilot seat of this plane left my mother grabbing for the barf bag (sorry mom) and left me in awe. We flew low enough to not only catch the turbulent hot air, but also to watch large animals move slowly through the self-made criss-crossing “roads”. A semi-smooth landing on a dirt runway in the middle of the delta marked our arrival at Kanana (paradise in setswana).
I’m going to unfortunately end my last entry here. It has been a couple weeks since I wrote this and I don’t think I’m going to have the time to finish. Thank you to all who have kept up with my adventures and e-mail me or call me if you more details or stories on any of this.
Josh.wiedermann@gmail.com
