Recent Explorations

Here's a quick rundown of a few of our recent adventures!

Karin, Pat and Jon under a Mokongwa Tree at Khama Rhino Sanctuary

The weekend before last, we went to Khama Rhino Sanctuary about 4 hours north of Gaborone with our friends Pat & Karin who have a 4-wheel drive -- necessary for those deep sand roads.  When we arrived we got a large campsite with several gorgeous massive mokongwa trees.  For the next 2.5 days we drove all over this preserve birding and enjoying the amazing wildlife (photos are on both Priscilla's & Jon's facebook pages).  Pat and Karin have great and somewhat unusual stamina for this sort of thing, are avid birders, and  are a pleasure to spend time with, so we are lucky indeed to overlap with them in this part of the world.  The weather was unusually cold and windy and the temperature plummeted at night.  We signed up for a guided nighttime safari, figuring it would relieve one of us from doing the driving at night, and it lasted two hours!  Our guides were friendly and knowledgeable.  All along the route hundreds of little springhare hopped around like kangaroos with glowing eyes.  We arrived back at the campground happy but colder than we ever expected to feel in Africa!

We saw so many beautiful birds -- eagles, hawks, kites, kori busturd, owls, so many songbirds and of course ostriches galore.  At the waterholes we could see rhinos, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, springbok and more drinking and more or less ignoring each other.  Incidently, when rhinos are walking somewhere they will stop to let an ostrich go by.  No one messes with ostriches.  Rhinos are mellow though.  Some of the savanna scenes were amazing with so many different species grazing and browsing across the landscape.  Giraffes stick up above the acacias.  Two males giraffes were circling each other and occasionally banging necks.  Zebras are the most hyper and will dash hither and thither for no apparent reason.

Last Wednesday afternoon we went to Gaborone Game reserve to see the place and also to practice driving.  As is the case for so many things, the form that had to be filled out to enter the reserve was extensive although the entry fee is only about $1.40.  The reserve is mostly thorn woodland and savanna, with some small rocky hills and outcrops.  There is currently a large pipeline construction projects in the reserve that entails closing random access points and the people at the gate are no help in figuring out how to avoid the closed areas.  (You wouldn't believe the lack of "Best Management Practices" associated with construction here.)  A sewage generated wetlands is located at the north end of the reserve and, like most sewage ponds, it attracts all kinds of waterfowl and other birds and mammals.   We were very pleasantly surprised because of the density of wildlife and the many nice birds we saw throughout the Reserve.  Ostriches and monkeys are all over the place!  The male ostriches are black with a fluffy tail puff and the females are dusty brown.  This is because the females sit on the nest during the day and the males are on the nest at night.  We saw many impala, groups of warthogs rooting around, zebra and kudu.  Kudu are a large placid antelope that remind us a bit of a moose.  We also saw one steenbok -- a very shy tiny antelope that always seems to travel alone.  The sewage wetlands contained lots of Egyptian geese, sacred ibis, stilts, plover and lots of shorebirds.  Various mammals were rooting around or grazing in the wetland. 

Road Construction With Water Truck
 (This photo is for Pat Doty)

On Saturday we went to Molepolole, the third largest town in Botswana (large being a relative term here), to see the nearby giant aloe forests.  We left at dawn to avoid the traffic as we are still getting used to the hazards of driving here.  The first part of the trip passes endless construction projects and strip malls newly finished and still under construction.  This part of Gaborone looks a lot like the outskirts of Phoenix or Vegas, but lacking logical construction regulations. In one lengthy stretch of highway a median is being installed and solid brick walkways are being laid on each outside edge of the median.  You would not believe the endless string of broken wasted bricks that border this project in work.  Relatively shortly, the City is left behind and it is rural between Gaborone and Molepolole with pleasant views of thorn woodlands and the various cattleposts where people have arranged bundles of tall grasses, firewood,  freshly cut poles, and basins made from tires for sale by the road.

Donkey Cart near Mountain Aloe Forest

Traditional house in Molepolole

Children love to have their photographs taken!

The best known aloe forest is located just north of town adjacent to the highway people take to access Khutse Game Reserve and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.  The highway divides the former forest and construction of homes and the network of cattle paths and fences has further degraded it.  We also found another forest on a gravel road southwest of town.  We walked around the aloe forests for some time.  The aloes are single stemmed and get very tall -- some more than 20 feet.  This time of year long flowering stems sprouting from the top are covered with young fruit and a few end-of-the-season flowers.  The legend has it that ~120 years ago a Boer force was going to attack Molepolole at night and they saw the forest of giant aloes and thought it was an army of very tall warriors with spiky headdresses so they fled.  One reason for visiting the aloe forest is that we are thinking of doing a simple research project there to characterize the populations.  There seems to be little known about the age structure or longevity of these plant communities in available literature.

The View From Mosopa

Molepolole Crafts

After exploring the forests, we drove back through Molepolole and spotted nice homemade cowbells for sale  and purchased three goat-sized bells.  We then went through some of that beautiful dry Botswana savanna landscape to a small town named Thamaga and stopped at Thamaga pottery where we purchased a few plates and mugs of this basic pottery.  We then headed down the road to a small town named Mosopa.  This town has picturesque rocky hills.  We walked up one that had a water tower on top and we rewarded by beautiful views of rural Botswana and a fig tree full of birds stuffing themselves on the sweet fruit.  On the trip home we hit the crazy traffic of Gaborone but made it safely here to share our adventures with you!  Next stops: Nata, Kasane, and Tule Block.  By the way: the strike is over!

Hope you are all well and enjoying the onset of fall as we enter spring!
Jon and Priscilla

In The Spirit of Effective Communication

Hey!

This is just a quick note to let you know that, although I seem to be receiving email from most of you, some of you are not receiving the responses I have sent to you.  One person in particular has sent me several emails telling me that I have not responded in weeks, even though I have answered every email received. On my end, the emails look as if they were sent and I received no error messages, so I can only conclude that my emails are being filtered out by spam filters on the other end.  I know that other people HAVE received my emails.

If you are a follower of this blog, you can always leave a comment below the post.  Please know that I DO seem to be receiving emails, and I appreciate them, even though you have not been able to receive my response.  And also please know that despite the many hurdles we have faced in recent weeks, we are actually doing pretty well, all things considered!

Hope this post finds you well. You are missed!

Priscilla

Navigating the University of Botswana Labyrinth

The University of Botswana was the first institution of higher education established in Botswana in 1982.  There are now campuses in Gaborone (the main one - where we are),  Francistown, and  Maun, with approximately 15,000 students enrolled.  The majority of the students live on campus in dorms.

When investigating opportunities for Fulbright Scholarships, the University of Botswana was requesting scholars from all disciplines. I decided to apply because Botswana seemed like an interesting place to go with fantastic natural environments and I received an interested response to an inquiring email that I sent to the chair of the Biology Dept. as he was excited about getting me there to teach a course.  This email reply is one of the main reasons we are here instead of elsewhere in Africa where my emails went unanswered.  Upon determining that applying to UB was feasible, I then had to develop a research proposal.  This is the case for many Fulbright Scholars, although some have pre-existing research projects and relationships.  I developed an idea of  investigating plant succession on islands in the Okovango Delta after floods have disturbed the vegetation; i.e. "How does the vegetation recover after scouring floods?"  I would base this research at HOORC field station.  I couldn't get much of a response to this research ideat from anyone at UB or HOORC, but I quickly learned that just getting a reply from anyone about anything is a feat.

Upon my arrival at the University I was confronted by a maze of brick and mortar pillars, archways, walkways, and buildings scattered around, and very deep network of concrete drainage ditches meandering throughout in unsuspecting places.  At least five new huge buildings are currently under construction, and giant cranes dominate the east end of campus.  A very strange looking university.  The biology building is enclosed in iron bars and has large open courtyards within containing  fetid little pools and some plantings and various stairs and walkways much like one of Escher's drawings.  People walk around in white lab coats.  It took some searching to locate the Chair of the Department's office and then ensued several days of confusion.

The chair  informed me of the days of the week and times that the class that I was going to teach (Biostatistics) was scheduled, but no one seemed to know where the class met. No one knew if  anybody covered the class during my absence  (I arrived a week after classes had begun), if there was a textbook assigned, and things of this nature.  Luckily, a Fulbright Scholar who taught in the Dept. last year had mailed me a key, because they weren't sure what office to put me in because of the missing key.  I wandered around the building for a few hours and figured out how to get some office supplies and how to fill out various required forms for the supplies. Late in the day, I was provided with an ancient but working computer and two non-working printers.  I was fixed up with email after a few days, but after about 9AM surfing the web becomes impossible due to the EXTREME slowness of the connection.   I eventually found out that I was told the wrong days and times for the class but was able to resolve this, and then later found out about a 3-hour lab that had also been overlooked.

The first day of class I looked at 50 happy well adjusted students.  Almost all are 3rd year Biology majors from Botswana with a smattering from other African countries (Zimbabwe) and one French guy here on an International Exchange Program.  Just like in the US, the front rows are dominated by girls and the back rows are dominated by boys.  I thought I would mix Powerpoint slideshows with lecture as Powerpoint can be quite useful for showing graphs and examples, but the complexities and pitfalls of using Powerpoint are a long story and quickly dissuaded me from this.  Avoid dependence on technology at any cost!  There are only white boards and instructors must have their own whiteboard pens.

This is a new class for me (never taught it before) and it takes me at least twice as long to set things up as a similar endeavor would in the US.  You have heard about the photocopying escapades -- that sort of thing is what makes things take soooo long.

The class meets on Mon. and Wed. at 8am.  On Tuesday is the lab portion -- I prepare lab exercises for these sessions and the students practice the problems.  After a few weeks my demonstrator (similar to an undergrad TA) surfaced.  I had been looking for her for awhile.  She grades the lab exercises and took over the photocopying just as long as I provide her with the material a week ahead of time so that she could print and photocopy -- a long process!  This saves me massive amounts of time.  In the Dept. there are hordes of  technicians in white lab coats who set up labs and do all sorts of things -- I am not sure what, but there are a lot of them.  They are all quite nice. The Dept. is desperate for instructors and wanted Priscilla to teach human anatomy and me to teach other courses as well but we said no!

After I had been at UB for 2 weeks or so, I received an email from last year's Fulbright who said I was supposed to be teaching another class.  Hmmm...  So I tried to track the info and eventually determined that I had been assigned a section of the beginning biology tutorial that no one had mentioned.  These are small sections because the beginning biology class has 500 students.  But where, and when, and teach what?  Well, I have finally figured out where and when, and I just wing it and we discuss the sorts of things that are covered in every beginning biology class.  So I missed a few lectures and we have met on the lawn due to the lack of a classroom but the class is composed of 30 very earnest pre-meds from all over Africa. 

Meanwhile Priscilla and I have been navigating the bureaucratic channels of the University to get an id card, residency and what not.  This is a LOT of time in offices, but people are mostly quite friendly and mellow (let's not rush on anything unless we must get to some government office NOW!) -- all of these processes are still ongoing and are nearly impossible to describe in any coherent manner.   

We have also been navigating the University's maintenance channels to get the endless problems at our flat fixed.  This is also still ongoing. Perhaps on Wednesday we will get a new hot water tank! And by the way: why in the world would you put an electric hot water heater in an upstairs closet in a climate like this?  And then position the overflow valve so that boiling hot water lands on the front door mat?

I soon found that my research plan for the Okovango was not practical.  It would take at least a year to have a slot at HOORC and the appropriate research permits, etc.  I have spoken with the faculty who engage in ecology an botanical pursuits about collaborations -- something may come of this but I think pursuing independent project may be better.  There is much talk about research but I haven't actually seen much evidence of it.  Identifying field sites is difficult due to transportation and permission issues. Tomorrow we'll be going to scout out a potential project in a mountain aloe population just outside the town of Molepolole.

Recently, the former head of International Programs, John Holms, gave a talk about a recent article of his in the Chronicle concerning the lack of research at African Universities.  He posited that this was due to the extensive familial ties that "bind" an African and make it difficult for them to commit to research projects.  He discussed the family ties in terms of the "cattle post".  Most middle-aged Batswana are of rural origin and have a piece of land with cattle where they love to spend as much time as possible with their relatives.  The number of cattle a man has is extremely important.  We are hoping to get invited to one of these cattle posts.  John's presentation created quite a ruckus on campus.  I think he may have underestimated the impact of the remarkable amount of time that is drained away by the filling out of forms, four-hour faculty meetings, and other bureaucratic necessities.  
See the link below for a recent article about the aftermath of his presentation.

http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=8769&GroupID=4

For the last week UB has been on strike.  Mostly for me this meant an information vacuum -- not knowing if classes were going to meet or not.  The Biology building has been quiet except for students wandering around trying to determine of their next exam will be canceled or not.  I don't want to get into the issues here.

So that's it.  It has been a unique experience and the saving grace has been the wonderful people we have met whom have exhibited remarkable amounts of patience and kindness.   If you want to see some good smiles just say "Dumela!"

Advice For Potential Visitors

Titus B&B: The Living Room

Titus B&B: Master Bedroom

Titus B&B: Guest Bedroom #1

If you know us very well or you have visited us before in any of the many places we have lived, you'll know that we like to treat our guests as well as were are able. We figure, if our friends have gone to the trouble and expense to get to our location, we want to pick up much of the tab from that point on, and to make sure they are happy, well-fed, and entertained so that they are glad they made the trip. 

Botswana poses new challenges for us in that regard.

Titus B&B: The Kitchen

The trip to get here is expensive and long. The City of Gaborone, though certainly interesting, is probably no place you would want to go as a destination in and of itself. There are almost no restaurants outside of the pricey chains found in malls and ex-pat hangouts. Grocery stores are fairly limited, especially if you have any dietary restrictions. Our apartment is modest and although we have two window air conditioners, we don't know how effectively we will be able to cool the place in summer, given that our hot water heater is still not working after 6 weeks of trying to get it repaired. We have a small washer, but it doesn't spin, so the clothes come out sopping wet and must be line dried. We are short on supplies like guest sheets and towels though we have just enough to get by. Our car is a 12 year old Toyota Corolla with very little clearance and not appropriate for rough unpaved roads such as those found in the remote parks. If you can live with these kinds of limitations, we would love to see you here and will do our best to make you comfortable! Below is a little info to help you evaluate what you could expect to see and experience in and near Botswana.

THE BIG FIVE & SAFARIS

Lots of people who come to Africa are intent on seeing all of the "Big Five", a term originally used by game hunters to refer to the five most difficult animals to hunt on foot-lion, cape buffalo, elephant, black rhino, and leopard. If you are intent on seeing all of the big five, you will need to book a guided "safari" with an outfitter that supplies 4WD transportation, luxury bushcamp facilities, and logistical support (and often cocktails at the waterhole). Most of these are very, very expensive (500 USD per person per night and up) and often they are booked many months in advance. The good news is that high season is almost over, so advance booking may not be an issue when you come.

The closest of the big game reserves that offer safaris is located just over the border in South

Africa at Madikwe Game Reserve:

http://www.madikwe-game-reserve.co.za/

A budget alternative at Madikwe might be to make a day visit, but day visitors are allowed in the Reserve only if they book through a lodge prior to the arrival date. According to the website, a two and half hour guided game drive, which includes lunch, will be arranged for day visitors at a reasonable fee. Different lodges charge different fees. We have not yet had a chance to look into this.

What many consider to be the jewel of Botswana is the Okavango Delta. It is renowned for it's unspoiled terrain and abundance of wildlife. We really hope to go there at some point, but are still trying to find an affordable option.

http://www.okavango-delta.net/

Another popular destination for safaris is Chobe National Park, which is near the border with Zimbabwe, and thus tourists often add a side trip to Victoria Falls. Google it to learn more!

Also check out:

http://www.botswana-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=931

You could rent a 4WD (some of which have pop-up tents on the roof) when you get here and plan your own trip, but bear in mind that the roads vary and there are entrance fees for all of the parks, some of which are significantly more expensive for foreigners.

There are lots of other places you could go; too many to describe here. Look at Google Map and explore not only Botswana but also Namibia and South Africa.

ALTERNATIVELY

Below are some places WE could take you, if you are comfortable with rustic

camping and are satisfied without seeing the "Big Five."

Mokolodi Wildlife Reserve-this would be a day trip as it is only about 15 miles

from Gaborone. Roads are rough but drivable in a sedan. Lots of wildlife,

especially birds, rhino, antelope, and warthogs, but none of the big predators (lions, etc), except for a few cheetah and hyenas in an enclosure:

http://www.mokolodi.com/

Mokolodi offers horseback safaris also for a very modest price.

Gaborone Game Reserve-right in town and drivable in a sedan. Abundant wildlife but none of the big predators. Plentiful zebra, ostrich, warthog, kudu, impala and steenbok.  Terrific birding and inexpensive! See:  http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/attractions/gaborone_game_reserve.html

Botsalano Game Reserve in South Africa-about a 4 hour drive from Gaborone

including the border crossing. Drivable in a sedan, and camping is allowed (You would need to bring your own camping supplies as we only have a 2-person backpacking tent).

http://www.tourismnorthwest.co.za/botsalano/

The National Botanical Gardens is just two blocks from our house and they are working to propogate native plants collected from nearby villages but are hampered by budgetary and staff limitations. Still, it is a nice place to walk and there are many birds and a colony of rock hyrax as well as the occasional monkey troop going through for added entertainment.

Downtown Gaborone consists of a pedestrian mall near the government offices with lovely gardens and a variety of handicrafts vendors. We can also take a bus to a number of nearby villages to see traditional architecture or just admire the countryside.

Another closeby destination is Otse Cape Vulture Reserve: http://www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw/cape_vulture_environmental_club.html

The Nata Bird Sanctuary is about 6 hours away:

http://www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw/nata_sanctury_trust.html

Next weekend we'll be making a trip by car to Nata (near the Sowa Pan), Kasane (near Chobe), and then to the Tuli Block (eastern Botswana by the Limpopo River) to a private farm with Birdlife Botswana. When we return, we'll let you know how that went, what we saw, and how affordable the trip would be for you.

So we imagine you are wondering about timing. It seem like many folks are thinking of coming over the holidays in late December-January. This should be fine as Jon will have a break from UB, but unfortunately, we can't give you specific dates for his schedule right now. The University has a lengthy process after classes have ended during which every professor's tests and grades are reviewed and approved by departmental committees before the grades can be recorded. We are not sure how long this will take. The other possible complication is making sure we are here for multiple houseguests (that, for example, we are not out on Safari with one houseguest when another arrives at the airport.) So if you are thinking of coming let us know the dates as soon as possible and we will pencil you in on the calendar so that we can plan with others accordingly.

We really do hope you will come. After you make your plans, we'll let you know about vaccinations and things you will need to bring if you like.

Send us your specific questions and concerns via email or comment and we will try to make this as easy for you as possible! 

Springtime in Gaborone

The view from Kgale Hill

Our Mochudi Guides

Southern masked weaver building a fresh nest

Southern rock agama on Kgale Hill, Gaborone

Springtime appears to have arrived in Gaborone. Like each and every day, it is a chance for renewal, but the current pace of changes here makes it harder to overlook. Leafless vines, shrubs, and trees are producing tiny new leaves and, in some cases, flowers are bursting from leafless and seemingly lifeless limbs.  The male southern hooded weavers, which were sort of non-descript streaky little brown birds when we arrived, are now bright yellow with black faces and throats and they are busily building fresh green hanging nurseries. Two of the shrubs in our backyard, which had tiny green clusters on them when we arrived, are now covered with ripening mulberries that attract bunches of red-eyed bulbuls and red-faced mousetails as well as the ubiquitous English sparrows, and yes, even a few monkeys just now as I type (no wonder the branches are sagging).

Our brisk nights appear to be a thing of the past, and leaving the windows open with our tattered screens means we've been awakened by occasional mosquitoes. There has been no rain since we have arrived and it is dusty, dusty, dusty everywhere. I guess this explains the popularity of the spontaneous carwashes that spring up overnight on about 1/3 of the empty lots around town. A car wash consists of some assortment of the following components: wooden or metal posts with shadecloth stretched above them, a generator, a large water tank such as those used for cattle posts, a shopvac or two, a lot of rags, brushes, buckets, and a bunch of guys drinking sodas or coke mixed with red wine while waiting for the next customer. Sometimes these places are jam-packed with customers since having a nice-looking car is a high priority for some people here. We haven't visited one yet because we still don't have our car up and running due to a dead battery as a result of the car sitting for several months, but a kind neighbor is helping us charge up the battery tonight and we hope to practice driving tomorrow. Many of the other empty lots around town are also the sites of impromtu "driving schools", which consist of a lot of orange cones and a small used car of some sort with a big L on the front. One of these driving schools is adjacent to the fence in our back yard.

Yesterday we were invited by a new friend to take a walk up Kgale Hill, a prominent rocky outcrop on the southwest edge of town. There we saw a pair of Verreaux's eagles, a bright turquoise and rust-colored rock agama, a bar-throated apalis, a southern black tit, and a troop of baboons. The hike was wonderful and to get to the peak you must cross a small saddle so you really feel you have left the City and the views are wonderful. Our friend took her dog Lessie along and it was nice to spend some time with a canine, but I worried over canine-baboon interactions. All ended well, however, and we topped off the hike with a trip to Game City, Gaborones biggest mall where we were able to get necessary supplies for our car and and a few camping items.

By the way: now the monkeys are using our shadecloth structure on the back patio as a trampoline for accessing some of the mulberries! Lets hope the shadecloth is strong!

In the small shopping center near our house, someone has just reopened a small restaurant and pub called "The Locust." It is a very pleasant place and a nice spot for us that we can walk to when we want to get out of the house. For about $3 you can get a heaping plate of chicken, stewed greens, corn mush, and coleslaw, though we haven't yet had a meal there. Next door is a bakery that sells white and wheat bread, creme-filled donuts, and "fat cakes", which are round balls of fried dough.

Last week we went and collected seeds for a research project that one of Jon's students will be conducting. To get to the seed collecting site, which is just beyond the northern limits of the City, we took one of the legendary combis. Luckily for us, a scientist at the University volunteered to go with us and helped us figure out how to catch and pay for a combi, and a bit about the various routes around town. The next day we caught a combi on our own to the bus station, and caught a bus to Mochudi, a village about 40 km north of Gaborone. There we hiked up to a hilltop museum and took a walk along a creek with two village boys as rambunctious guides. On Sunday we participated in the monthly birdwalk organized by Botswana Birdlife, a local club. We went to some spectacular rock outcrops near the Village of Madepane, not too far north of Gaborone. Perhaps our most spectacular bird sighting that day was a pair of swallow-tailed bee-eaters. Afterwards, everyone had lunch together at the site and discussed their experiences.

So, in short, life is busy and full of both stumbling blocks and pleasant surprises. We continue to adjust and grow more comfortable in our lives here, while we still miss our family, friends and DOGS back home. We wish we could write to each and every one of you individually, but with the logistical hurdles coupled with the slow internet service, it just isn't possible. But know we think of you each and every day, hope you are well, and cherish the letters, emails, and good wishes we receive from you.

Priscilla and Jon