Busy busy.  Went to Oodi Weavers last weekend.  The combi (bus) system is rather hectic but remarkably efficient.  Off to Johannesburg for the weekend tomorrow. 

This past weekend the UB International Ed Office loaded up the busses and took a group of us international students out of Gabs and into the countryside.  It was the first real chance to get out of the city I’ve had since getting here.  The countryside is incredibly green right now and the scrub brush that covers everything actually makes it rather difficult to see far at all.  The grass stands in sharp contrast to the dirt, which peeks through everywhere and is incredibly red. 

First stop was at the nearby village of Kanye, where we met the chief and learned some about traditional customary law and its function.  I found its uses and application really interesting and is probably what I am going to study for my independent research project.  We went on to see several thousand year old rock paintings (very cool) before heading to a cultural village to stay the night.  The night started with a traditional dance and a word from one of the women who lives there about their cultural history before ending with a bonfire. 

            The next morning is when the real action started: Mokolodi Game Preserve.  Botswana is really banking on eco-tourism as its economic way forward and thus the national parks are catered towards wealthy foreigners.  This was clearly evidenced by the rather nice glass of champagne they served for free at 10 am.  The game drive was really a lot of fun: you just sit (pretty comfortably) in the back of a pick up and they drive around and you see what you see.  Mokolodi has no lions, elephants, or water buffalo, but we did manage to see a herd of wildebeests, plenty of impala and kudu, baboons, warthogs (with babies in tow), zebra, and some very strange looking birds.  A really fascinating experience, to say the least. 

"Botswana is South Africa's Canada."

I am living in the grad student dorms in an apartment/flat with five others--another American student, a German international, an American Fulbright Scholar, and two local students--all in singles around a common area/kitchen.  Naturally I am yet to test out the kitchen, but they all seem very friendly and pleasant.  Yesterday I went to the nearby Game Preserve and saw ostriches and warthogs and zebras and antelopes and oh my.  Better updates to come when I have more time. 

Made it

The flight out of Heathrow was delayed for an hour and a half on the tarmac because a flight attendant injured herself and so they had to switch out the entire crew.  As a result, I missed my connection in Jo'burg and had to take a later flight, which was also delayed for an hour and a half on the tarmac because of a thunderstorm.   But I made it, luggage and all.  Berea to Gabs in 46 hours.  Now it's bed time.