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