I never truly appreciated Labor Day until today because I get a free day to enjoy Botswana and relax. The Peace Corps arranged for our group to go on a game drive at a rhino sanctuary. I woke up at 5:45am and was anxiously waiting in the parking lot of the school by 6:30am.
The short drive was about twenty minutes before arriving at the sanctuary. We divided into three groups, each in a different truck. The bed of the truck held three rows of bench seats and I climbed into the first row, ensuring I was seated on the outside in order to get the clearest short. It was a chilly morning and on top of the tshirt, fleece sweater, and jacket, I was happy to have brought a blanket to drape over my legs. It was a brisk morning which brings out some animals like the leopards who want to hunt, but forces others into hiding to avoid the bitter cold.
We started our drive into the dry grass, trees, and bushes with thorn trees reaching into the side of the vehicle whenever our driver drifted too close to the edge of the pathway. The only way through the brush was through this narrow path as wide as our truck. We drove along the sanctuary fence before turning fast into the brush, getting lost in the trees. I’m glad someone knew where we were going because I was about to start leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back, but I imagine it is the same as the zoo where you can’t feed the animals. I would either get yelled at by our guide or the animals would eat the bread before I could find my way back, and besides, I didn’t have any bread.
Within a few minutes of driving through the brush, we pulled off to the side of the road where a man-made fence enclosed an adopted black rhino who was slowly being introduced to the wild. Our tour guide encouraged us to get out of the truck and approach the fence that safely divided us form the rhino. After a few minutes, the rhino slowly sauntered up to the food and began eating. The tour guide then let us touch his skin which was surprisingly soft. It was a beautiful, massive creature which moved with surprising ease.
After seeing the rhino we continued the drive when all of a sudden the bush cleared to reveal an expansive plain with giraffes and zebras out in the distance. The view in the morning light was breathtaking and I had the sinking reminder that we are truly in Arica. We slowly made our way towards the beautiful creatures, spotting an ostrich, springboks, and other gazelle-like creatures on our way.
The family of giraffes were elegant and magical creating a silhouette standing in front of the sun. And then they started to walk. They are the most silly, awkward creatures as soon as they move. Their heads bob up and down with each step and I was afraid they were going to trip over their own feet. With such a disproportionate body structure, I don’t know how they were able to run at all. With all their awkwardness, they are still my second favorite animal behind the elephant.
Farther along we saw more springboks, zebras at a distance, and herds of blue wildebeests. Talk about another silly looking animal. The wildebeest reminds me of the body of a cow, the striped neck of a zebra, the horns of a buffalo, and the mane of a horse. It was the most interesting looking creature I’ve ever seen.
Our final stop was at a bird blind where we were able to walk along a path and look out over a watering hole. There we found many birds sitting in the trees and along the water. We even saw a guinea fowl before it quickly scampered off.
It was a beyond wonderful morning and my excitement continued to grow knowing I would get to explore more of Botswana wildlife in just a few months. By the time we returned to the College of Education it wasn’t even noon. I went to Sara’s house to have lunch and study Setswana for the majority of the afternoon.
I really want my host sisters to like me, but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I get back from Sara’s and go into the kitchen, where my sisters are, to make tea. I offer to help, but they refuse. As soon as I leave the kitchen they closed the door and resumed their talking, singing, and laughing. I went back in shortly after to wash dishes and the talking discontinued. As soon as I left again it was the same drill and they resumed talking. I sat on the couch and continued to study Setswana, ready and available if they ever wanted to talk. Hopefully they’ll come around sooner or later.
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