Khama Rhino Sanctuary
After the rhinos moved beyond our sight into the the thicket, we drove back onto the road. Not long after, we all gasped as our headlights suddenly shone on the graceful form of a massive, largely unperturbed rhino munching grass within meters of our vehicle. Our guide told us the rhino was a young male white rhino. White rhinos tend to be larger than black rhinos, and are grazers (grass-eaters) while black rhinos are browsers (shrub-eaters). Our driver kept driving back and forth to give us a good view, shining a spotlight on the rhino as it casually tried to meander away from us while it ate. All of us had of course heard the horror stories of aggressive rhinos charging vehicles and goring tourists. Black rhinos are known to be more aggressive, despite the fearful retreat we had just witnessed, and the white rhino we saw looked downright blasé, even if it was a little annoyed by our light and erratic driving. Nonetheless, my heart raced as I took in just how large and powerful the rhino was, and how close I was to a living, breathing being that I had only ever known from photos.
Back in 1993, there were four rhinos left in Botswana--poached to near extinction within its borders. Khama Rhino started out with these four, plus a donation of eleven more by South Africa. Thriving rhino communities now exist in the park, and many have been relocated to other parts of the country to regenerate the wild rhino populations.
We saw a variety of other animals. From afar in their herds they seemed unfazed, but sometimes the car would come a little too close for comfort and the animals would be startled. Usually though they just told us to talk to the butt and we went out separate ways.
 |
| oh... awkward... |
It was so cool to see the animals at night, even if it meant visibility was a little compromised. My senses felt heightened, and at certain points I even felt a little scared which I thought made for an amazing experience. After the drive we stayed in cabins inside the sanctuary.
Jwaneng Diamond Mine
On Friday April 11th we skipped our UB classes and CIEE took us to Jwaneng to tour the diamond mine. Jwaneng is operated by the Debswana mine company, owned 50% by the government of Botswana, and 50% by the DeBeers company of South Africa. Diamonds are the nation's #1 source of income and the Jwaneng mine is Botswana's most lucrative. International mining standards stipulate that a mine should have 30 carats per hundred tons in order to be economically viable. Jwaneng has between 150 and 300 carats per hundred ton, depending on the deposit, making it the richest diamond mine in the world. The mine is an open pit, and on our tour we traveled up to a vantage point where we could look out over the whole operation. Our guide pointed out the green patches around the pit: kimberlite, the ore from which the diamonds are extracted. From above, the enormous 30-foot-high, 30 million dollar dump trucks looked like Tonkas, edging up the switchbacks of the vast pit. We could also see a few lines of specks where our guide told us dynamite had been buried, and would be detonated that afternoon to break up the earth. The approximately 300-meter-deep mine is supposed to nearly double in depth by the year 2017. Past the pit we could also see the processing equipment, where the ore is crushed, washed, sorted, etc. with the assistance of one-of-a-kind technology. The mine is a huge energy consumer: just one load of rock scooped and dumped by one of their large crane/frontloader thingies (I wish 7 year old Marshall would have been there, he would probably have known the proper name) uses as much power as the whole township of Jwaneng uses in a day. Botswana relies on coal power (mainly from South Africa) so the whole endeavor has an enormous carbon footprint.
On the other hand, the success of virtually all of Botswana's social welfare programs, like universal education and health care, can be attributed to diamonds discovered just one year after the country gained independence from Britain in 1966, and exploited within the following decade. The funds have been used to create and maintain the nation's public health infrastructure, including the provision of free ARVs to all qualifying HIV positive individuals (CD4 < 350) in the country. With an HIV prevalence rate around 20%, the provision of ARVs has spared Botswana demographic collapse. (Interesting side note: I read an article that noted the fact that many war-torn and poverty-stricken countries in Africa have not been as profoundly affected by HIV, compared to countries with comparatively higher incomes like Botswana and Swaziland. Both of the these countries also have highly mobile populations. hmmm...) Diversifying the economy is thus a major concern for Botswana, as diamonds are a finite resource, and as a luxury commodity are highly vulnerable to market fluctuations. While Botswana is wealthy compared to many places on the continent, it still fits the mold of a developing country, infrastructurally limited to the production and supply of raw materials to the developed world, and largely exploited by global capitalism. Botswana sorts its diamonds and has some small cutting operations, but essentially all processing and jewelry-fying of diamonds, the most lucrative part of the industry, happens after the diamonds have been purchased by other suppliers around the world.
Security is really tight at the mine, and we weren't allowed to bring cameras inside. We had to go through security on the way out, with individuals randomly selected for a bag search and questioning. There are huge penalties for stealing diamonds found on the ground, but to further remove incentive, those who find a diamond are promised a 30% share of its worth up to P30,000. Our guides told us this occurs around once per month, or less. Alas, no such luck.
After the mine we headed back towards Gabs and stopped at a pottery co-op started by a missionary and operated by local female artisans. We got to have a tour and demonstration, and the opportunity to buy some pottery.
Birthday Party
The day after the mine tour, Saturday April 12th, I went out with friends to celebrate my birthday. We hired our regular cab guy, Bethel, to take us around for the night in his combi while 15 of us partied our way through the greater Gaborone area. First we went to a sushi place called Rhapsody's ("Sushi in Botswana???" yes, ok, kind of iffy but I'd been craving it) then to a newly-opened frozen yogurt place then to two different clubs in the area. It was a perfect 21 celebration with some great friends, mostly people from my program but a few local friends as well.
 |
| The party combi |
 |
| I had a birthday dress made by the same tailor who did my traditional dress. This one is a Malawian fabric. We collaborated on the design. |
 |
| Tarikwa and Nahara |
Below: Thanks to Anandi for the photos
Durban
Good Friday and Easter Monday are national holidays in Botswana, so we had a four-day weekend. Naturally that means we hit the road before dawn for a whirlwind trip. We left around 5:30am on Friday in a hired combi (the bus had sold out) to Pretoria, South Africa. We spent the afternoon there before taking the overnight bus to Durban. Pretoria is the capital of South Africa (you may know it now as the location of the Oscar Pistorius trial...) and much of it has a very polished feel fitting for a capitol city. We visited the Union Buildings, which I recognized from Invictus. In front of the building now stands a huge statue of Nelson Mandela, in mid stride, smiling, and arms open in a peaceful gesture. Around the buildings was a lovely park where we relished the rare opportunity to lay around in the grass. Real grass. The desert life is tough. Afterward we headed to Brooklyn Mall for some delicious Thai food before catching our bus.
 |
| Thai iced tea |
We arrived in Durban around 6am on Saturday. We found our hostel and quickly showered before heading out for the day. We got breakfast at a local chain called Wimpy's and headed toward the apartheid museum, which we had all been looking forward to visiting. The museum was closed for the holiday weekend, unfortunately, so we just hung out downtown for a bit, shopping around the street vendors and hanging out by the lavish city hall.
Later we made our way up to a mall where I'd found out about a piercing/tattoo parlor that I wanted to pay a visit.... don't worry nothing drastic. Just a nose stud. I tried to surprise mom on Skype, but she was not even fazed. Almost disappointingly so. I guess it takes more than a hole in my face to get a rise out of her. Good to know.
In the afternoon we got to attend a rugby match! The Sharks from Durban were playing the Cheetahs from the Free State. Despite my reputation for being apathetic and clueless with regard to sports, I really enjoyed the game. For those who unfamiliar with rugby, it's like a hybrid between soccer and American football. Tackling is involved but padding is not, and action is non-stop (makes football time outs seem lame). I even understood most of what was going on and why. My three weeks of rugby practice came in handy! It's such an amazing combination of different types of athleticism. During a throw-in, teammates might hoist a player in the air to catch the ball. During a scrum, teams match their strength by locking together and trying to hook the ball and kick it behind for possession by their own team. At pretty much any other point, players are sprinting up and down the field, kicking, and tackling. The day was a scorcher, at least by early fall standards, and we were in direct sunlight the whole time, but we managed to cool off with some cold beers.
After the game we walked from the stadium to the waterfront and played a bit on the beach around sunset. Then by recommendation we found an Indian diner on the waterfront. Durban is known for its large Indian population and the contributions it makes to the city's culture-- including some great food. The Durban specialty is called bunny chow: a loaf of local bread hollowed out and filled with a curry of one's choice. SO GOOD. We had the option to choose a 1/4, 1/2 or full loaf. I couldn't have stuffed more than the 1/4 loaf inside of me, but I definitely would have eaten more if at all possible.
On Sunday we paid a visit to Victoria Market in the Indian district and did a bit of curio shopping. We fueled up with more bunny chow at yet another delicious, bustling, and inexpensive Indian restaurant--about R20 or $2 for a 1/4 bunny. We spent the afternoon and evening at the beach. Collectively we had more skin exposed than most of the rest of the beachgoers combined, save for kids. There were actually way more women in burqas than bikinis. We were warned both by other people and by an intercom to watch our bags, and a few beggars paid us a visit. Other than all that though, just like Laguna Beach... The sand was soft, the weather a perfect 80 degrees, and the clear water was a comfortable temperature. We just lied around and played in the waves.
 |
| India meets South Africa |
 |
| It looked better before I started eating it. I remembered to take a picture and plopped the cilantro back on, but not quite the same effect. It was so good though I couldn't resist. |
 |
| Nahara, Krista and Anandi and a couple of Anandi's friends studying in Durban |
After a pizza dinner we boarded another night bus back to Pretoria, followed by a layover and a bus back to Gaborone yesterday afternoon. It was a fun time with the usual suspects, plus Tarikwa's Motswana boyfriend named Prince. He was great to have around: he makes friends everywhere, and has absolutely no problem asking for directions. Many people in South Africa speak Tswana which is similar to Setswana so he could easily converse with just about anyone. He is hilarious as well, and is actually a celebrity in Botswana-- he hosts a TV show and is a popular stand-up comedian.
My apologies for a lack of pictures... I realized too late that I did not have a memory card in my camera when we left Gabs. I took a few on my iPhone and I'll try to steal some from friends.
So today is officially 33 days until I come home. Yes, the countdown has begun. Actually it began a while ago, but it's becoming more and more tangible every day. It's strange to be at a point in the semester I've imagined so many times. "Once we hit Easter break, time will fly." I guess we'll see but I imagine I'll be right. I'm starting to feel like I need to start reflecting, mentally preparing to return home. My friends and I are having more and more conversations about how we will handle certain aspects of leaving Botswana and returning to the States. I am so ready to come home. But I am so not ready for random acquaintances to ask me "So, how was Africa??"
