Hello friends and family,
I apologize for not being more consistent in my blogs. To say that the pace has picked up since my last blog entitled "A Whole Bunch of Nothing Exciting" would be an understatement. In fact, I wasn't able to write in my final days in Botswana, so I am writing to you all from my family's home in familiar, safe Ohio. Yes, I arrived safely in Ohio on Sunday around noon after traveling for over 30 hours from Gaborone to Columbus! I am actually one of the lucky few on our group that had a shorter trek. Poor Stephanie didn't get in until around 1am on Monday morning!
While the journey was tedious, I think that the general opinion was that everyone was very excited to get home and conclude our time in Botswana.
Since my last blog entry on July 4, much has taken place...
The U.S. Embassy in Gaborone decided to put on an Independence Day celebration for U.S. citizens, only this celebration was on July 7. The most exciting thing that actually happened on July 4 was the beginning of cockroach fumigations in our living quarters. I was impressed with the embassy's attempt at capturing the essence of the 4th, but it wasn't the same as being home. There was a soccer game going on in the field next to the school where the event was being put on, but it was Batswana players. And while the red, white, and blue balloons, hamburgers, chips, beer, etc were certainly reminiscent of the States; there were no fireworks, no humidity or summer heat, and really not much enthusiasm or overall patriotism.
Out of event disappointment, my group and I decided to create our own fun by heading to Fashion Lounge that night, which is Gaborone's most "exclusive" and happening venue for Batswana chic. Before our arrival, we were told that it was lady's night and that women got in free before 10pm. Upon our arrival we were told differently. Women were indeed offered free admission, but the attire had to be "nearly naked" whereas men were admitted for free if they came wearing a blazer. Yet again the bitter irony of a patriarchal society. Overall the club was fun. It reminded me of my days in New York at the Fashion Institute when my peers and I used to volunteer for fashion shows and thought we were something terribly important.
The last couple weeks at Lifeline were relatively stagnant. Stephanie and I had arranged to visit several other organizations during our time with Lifeline in order to evaluate the counseling programs, but they always managed to fall through. This was usually due to Lifeline's director, Vicky, forgetting to follow through with our appointments. This began to deflate Stephanie a bit and the efforts she seemed to want to accomplish during our time there, but I had grown used to the organization's pitfalls so I decided to focus my attention on observing the counseling groups in which we had already become active participants. I was given the opportunity to lead the women's counseling group when our usual leader, Barbara, had an emergency appointment. Later on I also received an opportunity to counsel a women individually. She came to Lifeline per her social worker's suggestion to sort through mixed emotions about adopting a child as an HIV+ young woman. It was an intense hour and a half session, but I was able to release my guard and fears, and my time with this woman seemed to flow much easier than I had anticipated.
However, the highlight of my time with Lifeline came when Stephanie and I delivered and presented the women of Lifeline Botswana with their couch. As most of you know, and many of you helped contribute, due to Lifeline's tight budget, one thing lacking from their facilities were comfortable furniture for their clients. Stephanie and I decided to have our friends and family donate money to obtain a new couch. After some searching, we bought a couch at Carnival Furniture Store in Gaborone and our friend Dennis helped deliver it to Lifeline, unbeknownst to the women who work there. Needless to say the women of Lifeline were overjoyed and overwhelmed by this delivery! They were extremely grateful and send their thanks to everyone who made it possible!
Since I had gotten sick twice on this trip, I had a lot of extra time to accomplish key tasks earlier than most of my peers. Our 'big' paper that we had to write as part of the academic component on this trip was an analysis of the organization that we worked with during our time in Gaborone (aka "Gabs"). While our paper was not due until the day before we left Botswana (July 21), I finished the paper on July 7. I am simply explaining this because the last week we were in Botswana turned out to be a whirlwind of events that initially disappointed us, only for new experiences to emerge and change our lives...
Our last full weekend abroad was scheduled around a trip to Kasane, the furthest north town in Botswana. Kasane resides on the Chobe River, which incidentally filters into Chobe Game Reserve - home to the highest abundance of elephants in the world. Our program coordinators also chose for us to stay in Kasane because it is only 45 minutes drive to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It also sits on the border of Zambia and Namibia. You could actually see Namibia from our lodge across the Chobe River. We left on a Friday morning around 4am and drove north to Kasane, getting us to the lodge a little after 2pm. Right away we were taken on a river cruise, which also served as a safari. We saw at least 40 elephants, crocodile, hippo, baboon, giraffe, and Buffalo. It was incredible! After a long day of traveling, we sat down for a glass of wine, which was quickly interrupted by an emergency meeting that our program coordinators urgently facilitated.
The meeting, as we quickly came to realize, was about to be our biggest disappointment on our trip abroad. Our program coordinators, Lucky and Mandi, were told only that night by Ohio University that we would be unable to travel into Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls. With the political and economic strife Zimbabwe has seen over the last years, there has been increased awareness and protection of U.S. citizens on behalf of the U.S. government. Per OU's insistence, we were not allowed to cross the border because it was rumored that a possible civil war might occur in Zimbabwe within the week. Sufficient to say we were all disappointed. After all, much of our trip had been spent working and being surrounded with serious situations, and I think that Victoria Falls was viewed as the climactic highlight of our time abroad. More than half of us intended to bungee jump off the bridge that connected Zimbabwe and Zambia, so that came as a huge blow. We were all psyching each other up so much about overcoming our fears, and here we were unable to face those fears and adrenaline intrigue because someone tells us that we're not even allowed to get there in the first place. The fatigue and disappointing news quickly turned many people in our group bitter, but I knew that Mandi and Lucky had done all they could. We decided to stay the weekend and enjoy our lodge and the other surroundings.
The Chobe Marina Lodge where we stayed that weekend was flawless! I suppose it's what you would expect to see in Africa as a very wealthy tourist: an Infinity pool overlooking lounge chairs and the Chobe River, gift shops, fantastic continental breakfasts, our own chalets with mosquito net canopies, and an activity coordinator who made our second day in Kasane very worthwhile. A small group of us took a speedboat down the Chobe River to Namibia to go on two different tours. One was a village tour, but the one I took was a canoeing trip through the Chobe marshlands. We were taken through the grassy waters in three canoes and we had three separate tour guides that led us. Our canoes were hand-carved and our tour guides stood and pushed us through the water with large sticks. Somehow it was reminiscent of being in Venice and taken through the canals, yet this was not quite as romantic, nor as smelly. ;) Our guides pointed out the various birds and plant life of the Chobe marshlands. It was the perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon, particularly after all the tension from the night before.
That night we decided to buy some drinks, and before the night was over I had managed to get almost everyone in our group into the Infinity pool. This was quite an accomplishment seeing as the pool didn't seem to exceed 60 degrees. Granted, a few people had to be thrown in, but the spontaneity of the evening and the stars above us in the southern hemisphere somehow made the sting of the water a little less shocking.
Before we had even left Kasane, more than half of the 12 of us on this trip had been plotting new ideas for a vacation seeing as the Victoria Falls trip had been somewhat of a bust. While Mandi reminded us that it was Sunday and that our lengthy final papers were due no later than Friday at 5pm, this did not seem to stop any of us from our plotting. The second we were back in Gabs after an additional 10 hour bus ride, we began looking up prices for plane tickets to Cape Town, South Africa. Tim, one of my peers, was very insistent on Cape Town because this city had the highest bungee in the world. It would seem that Victoria Falls and that jump had only inspired him to seek out even more thrilling opportunities. None of us complained, and we made our ticket arrangements. The thing about travel in southern Africa is that you have to be prepared to be flexible with travel if you're on a budget. While we had looked into flights going directly from Gaborone to Cape Town, it was much cheaper if we got a plane from Johannesburg, South Africa to Cape Town. Johannesburg, or JoBurg as the locals call it, is about a 5-hour bus ride from Gaborone.
While we had gotten back to Gabs from Kasane at 10pm on Sunday, we were up and on our way to the bus station at 5am Monday to make our way to South Africa. The bus rink in Gaborone is insane. There is a combination of large buses or combies (mini vans), which serve almost as taxis and/or public transport in Gaborone. Regardless of combie or bus, most vehicles in Botswana are white, which makes locating a particular vehicle extremely challenging. I was told by my Kenyan friend, Mary, that most vehicles in Africa are white to offset the heat. There are also no schedules or organization to the bus rink. The way that you find the bus you are looking for is to ask. It becomes amusing actually! No two people ever seem to share the same opinion, so whenever you find a majority answer, you generally go with that as it is the lesser of two evils. The other evil being that you just don't find your bus.
While we had wanted to take Intercape, which is a luxury liner, we learned that Intercape requires reservations. Instead we took a combie all the way to JoBurg. There were seven of us from my group and then six other Batswana. The ride was very uncomfortable and we all agreed that we would make reservations for Intercape the second we got to Cape Town. Going through customs was interesting. We crossed the border by foot and then waited in a line for over an hour to get our passports stamped. On the way to JoBurg, our combie driver was the king of cheesy music. Excuse me if I offend anyone, but Bryan Adams, Britney Spears, Mandi Moore, and Michael Bolton just weren't cutting it. On the other hand, we found amusement in it and began to sing as we approached JoBurg. The Batswana in the combie seemed rigid when we first got in with them, but as soon as we started singing "Lady in Red" they couldn't help but laugh.
Johannesburg really took me by surprise. We had been warned that traveling in JoBurg could be dangerous, and I think that the area that we were in did not dispel these rumors. Downtown JoBurg and the bus rink there were absolutely chaotic and filled with thousands of people, vending stands, combies, buses, and inquisitive glares. At various points in our brief time downtown, many vendors tried jumping in our combie to sell us something with a persistence I don't know if I've ever seen. We paid our driver extra Rand (South African currency) to drive us directly to the airport. It was interesting being at the airport and to see how many white travelers there were. When we had been in the downtown area we didn't see one white person. It was completely homogenous. I guess I know what it must feel like for most ethnic minority groups that travel to Athens, Ohio!
Our flight on Mango Airlines to Cape Town was about two hours and relatively painless after all the travel we had just done over the last few days. Flying into Cape Town was quite a sight! When I first looked out, I saw very wealthy homes, but as we neared our landing at the airport, the homes went from upper class down to aluminum shacks and trash everywhere. I had become accustomed to seeing this though in Gaborone. Economic injustices and the wealthy vs. the poor can be found anywhere you go.
Since we had arrived just after sunset, it was hard to see the city on our way to our hostel, but as we got closer, all of us seemed to discover some type of energy reserve within us. Our hostel was called Zebra Crossing, and the seven of us stayed in one large room with four bunk beds. The hostel was luxurious compared to some of the hostels I stayed in when I traveled to England and Ireland. The people were gregarious and resourceful, and the facilities were safe, clean, and very cozy. I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Cape Town. Having been exposed to nothing but chicken and beef for the last five weeks, we decided to splurge and get some sushi that night. We also took a walk down Long Street, which was very close to where we were staying. Long Street is full of bars, hostels, and cool shops. You can sense that it's very much a twenty/thirties something neighborhood.
The next day we decided to go to breakfast on Long Street and then head to an Internet cafe to send an email to friends and make our reservations with Intercape for the way back from JoBurg to Gabs. The food was incredible and as we walked around, we all talked about how Cape Town reminded us of different cities. Our overall conclusion was that it reminded us of a combination of Rio, San Diego, and Amsterdam. Rio for the beautiful mountains surrounding the ocean city, San Diego for the downtown layout and architecture, and Amsterdam for the Dutch-inspired architecture throughout various neighborhoods. We had all fallen in love with Cape Town. Coming from Gabs where we had received poor service, evil glares, or just overall apathy from the Batswana, Cape Town seemed like a dream. So beautiful, clean, diverse, and so much to do.
We walked quite a distance up a series of huge hills until we got to the gondola entrance for Table Mountain; one of Cape Town's most beautiful attractions. Table Mountain is over 3,000 feet high, and the top of the mountain is made up of smooth rocks. This makes it very easy to take longer hikes once you've reached the top. The hiking was great, and the views were spectacular. Table Mountain is also known for usually having a large cloud that envelops the mountain every afternoon. We got to walk through clouds, which was awesome!
The next day, however, was the highlight of our trip. We were picked up at 5am by a small bus that had seven other American tourists and we made our way two hours southeast to Gansbaai - the Great White shark capital of the world! All and all there were 22 people who crammed onto a small boat and we headed out on the Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to lure in Great Whites so that we might have an opportunity to see them for ourselves. The night before everyone but me decided to go out and bar hop. While I was the oldest person of the seven of us and I was called an "old man" numerous times for deciding that my rest trumped my need for partying, I think everyone ate their words the next day on our boat. Or should I say threw their words up? ;) Yeah, eww. Steph and I were the only ones who did not get motion sickness out of the seven of us that day on the ocean.
Soon after our guides through in a tuna head as bait, within fifteen minutes we spotted a Great White. There was a cage on the side of the boat that fit five people at a time, and we were simply there as spectators. We suited up as quickly as we could in wet suits, and before there was any time for fear to set in, I was in the cage and being told "GO UNDER" by our guides. I quickly held my breath and went under the frigid water and saw a Great White charging the tuna bait with his jaws wide open and less than a foot from my face. We were each given about fifteen minutes to observe the sharks before another rotation of people were given their opportunity to observe. I took two turns to go under water, and I spent the rest of the time taking pictures from on top of the boat. By the end of our four-hour excursion, we had seen nine Great Whites, the largest exceeding five meters! It was pretty unbelievable!
The rest of our trip in Cape Town went by very quickly. We had to get up and leave on Thursday by 4:15am to catch our flight at 5:45pm. While we got into Johannesburg by 7:45am, our reservations with Intercape did not leave for Gabs until 2pm. We stayed at the airport until just after noon and then took a taxi into the city and to a smaller, less intense bus rink than the one we had seen just a couple days before. Our bus was over an hour late, and by the time we crossed the border and went through customs, we did not make it to the University of Botswana until nearly 10pm. Overall it turned out to be an 18 hour day of traveling. This was also unfortunate for everyone but me seeing as everyone still had yet to write their final analysis papers due the next day at 5pm!
Since being home in Ohio I have calculated my travel time in the last nine days that we spent abroad. From the time we left Gabs for Kasane and then ventured all the way to Cape Town and back, we had traveled 45 hours. This does not include the 32 hours it took for me to get home from Botswana to the States only two days later. All together, I traveled a total of 75 hours over a nine-day period, and the trip from Kasane to Cape Town alone is the equivalent of going from Boston, Massachusetts to Miami, Florida. Insane! I will be content if I don't travel for quite some time.
Leaving Botswana was not difficult, but it was bittersweet. Having spent this much time away from home and all the familiarity that home entails, I think that all of us were happy to leave and not turn back for any reason. We experienced so much red tape and apathy from most people we encountered, and the only exception to this was our program coordinators and/or tour guides in Botswana. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the groups I worked with both at Lifeline and the girls at Maru a Pula school. I felt that while my time was limited, I had the opportunity to make a difference regardless of how large or small that difference might have been. At a farewell dinner that Lucky hosted for us, the women of Lifeline joined us as a surprise and presented Stephanie and I with cards. The women commented what joys we were and how grateful they were to have us. Sometimes it's hard because I feel that many people don't take me very seriously. I am clearly a very sarcastic and playful person, but I felt that I was truly appreciated for these qualities on this trip, and in a way it was very relieving. It's nice to be accepted, and it feels even nicer being appreciated.
The hardest aspect of being home now and away from Botswana is the camaraderie that my peers and I established without truly knowing it. The twelve of us were together constantly, and this can obviously cause some friction. At times I wanted to strangle almost everyone on the trip, but more times than not, we made each other laugh and we got to know each other the way family members do. In many ways we did become a very dysfunctional yet very loving family, and I will remember these people and this experience for a very long time.
Thanks for tuning in! I hope that you guys might have learned something. If I seemed overly detailed at times, it was only because I want other people to understand the details and make it seem like you are there with me. As cliché as it may be, all of you were.
Moving Lifeline's new couch from truck to counseling room! I sat in the back of the truck on the couch where I recieved many inquisitive looks from the locals! 
Lifeline's new couch! Thanks to all of you who made generous donations for this cause!
Cassandra showing her appreciation
The women of Lifeline Botswana and their new couch. From left to right: Cassandra (Finance), Caroline (Receptionist), and Vicky (Executive Director). 
Steph and I thought it was comfortable!
Enjoying the Chobe River safari cruise
Party tricks with a head lamp! Wahoo!
I might have looked as though I was questioning if I should take another dip with the sharks, but to be honest I was completely excited! 
While Stephanie made me take this goofy picture with her, I'll admit that it captured the essence of our enthusiasm for Cape Town!
The beautiful homes and beaches in Cape Town, South Africa!
Drinking coffee at Lola's Restaurant, Long Street, Cape Town
My partner in crime, Allie
One of the nine Great White sharks we saw on our dive off Gansbaai, South Africa
Sunset on the Chobe River after a river safari cruise, Botswana & Namibia
My new friend Fee Fee and I at the Kenyan Festival
Our apartments aren't too shabby, huh? 
Boulders and landscape in Thamaga, about 35km west of Gaborone
These children volunteer for a project that attempts to uphold certain traditions of the Tswana culture including a dance, which celebrated our presence!
Our guide and friend, Lerox, a child at SOS orphanage, and Stephanie
The elephants of Mokolodi Game Reserve
Preventative signs like this can be seen all over the University of Botswana's campus. A lack of sex education is not the main reason for high HIV/AIDS prevalence in Botswana; the major concern is a lack of behavior modification(s) from the Batswana. 
While there is litter everywhere in Gaborone, I have been told that Ghana is much worse! The goats don't seem to mind some afternoon grub!
