Victoria Falls

So I have just returned from the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my entire life - Victoria Falls.  It was the one thing that I really wanted to see during my time in Botswana and I am so so happy I was able to do it so soon.  It really is the most magnificent thing I think anyone could ever see in their entire lives.  Since it is the wet season you can see the spray from the falls from many kilometers away and can even hear it from a few kilometers.  As we entered the park we could hear the Mosi-oa-Tunya, or Smoke that Thunders in the local Zambian language.  The very first view we got of the falls is perhaps the most strikingly beautiful thing I have ever seen.  Obviously we expected to see a nice waterfall, but Victoria Falls is massive and goes on for miles - actually.  The falls is close to 2 km long while straddling the Zambia-Zimbabwe border.  The only drawback of it being the wet season is that we were absolutely drenched after about 5 minutes of being in the park due to the mist spraying up and the clouds caused by the mist which cause heavy downpours throughout the day.  We were not able to see the bottom of the falls very well either due to the high volume of water which was falling.  But nonetheless we got some awesome pictures (which I will try to upload at a later time) and definitely one of the top two greatest experiences of my life.

To get to Victoria Falls Grady, Michele, Sam, and I took the Lusaka Express bus to Livingstone, Zambia which is one of the border towns of the falls.  They really packed people in on this bus and unfortunately, Grady and I were stuck next to a rather large woman (but as sweet as could be - and a professor of economics at a university in Tanzania) and we were left with hardly any room.  After the 14 hour bus ride to Livingstone we met up with Luke and Taylor who had left Wednesday night to go to Vic Falls.  After we returned from the falls Luke proposed a very interesting plan which I do not think any of us would have ever thought possible.  Go to Zimbabwe and take the train to the largest city in the Southern part of Zim.  While some people were a little skeptical about doing it, we did and it turned out to be a fantastic decision.  We spent most of Saturday in the town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe at a market and then took the train to Bulawayo.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were unable to actually get into the city and had to then take a taxi to the Botswana-Zimbabwe border.  However, we were given the opportunity the see the Zimbabwe countryside, which was quite nice, and get that all important Zimbabwe stamp in our passports!  The whole time we were in Zim it was not uncommon for any one of the six of us to say something like, 'I know we have already said it six thousand times already, but we are in effing Zimbabwe!'  It was just surreal to be in a country where you know the President hates you just because you are white.  Yet, as with any country I have been to, the people are always welcoming of whites (possibly because whites are perceived as having more money, but regardless).  I think that most people around the world are accepting of everyone because they realize that we are all humans and there is no justified reason for any kind of racism of discrimination.  But yea, it was a blast just to even think about the fact that I was in Zimbabwe.

When we got to Zambia, everyone started saying that the way Livingstone looked is the way they had anticipated Africa to look.  And I can say that Zambia and the part of Zim which we saw were definitely a lot more like Rwanda that any part of Botswana is.  As soon as we arrived in Livingstone I knew I was going to have a hard time leaving it because it did remind me so much of Rwanda.  Just the way the people walked around the town and the shops on the sides of the roads.  The markets and the vendors and the mass chaos which taxis create were so similar to Rwanda that I almost felt like I was back in Kigali for a short time - minus the fact that everyone in Zambia spoke English.  It was definitely easier to leave Livingstone knowing that I was headed for Zim rather than back to Botswana.  But being in Zambia really reinforced what I loved about Rwanda - I don't know if it is something I can even put into words, but just the overall feeling I had in Livingstone was pretty synonymous to what I felt every day in Rwanda.  And the people in Zambia seemed much friendlier than those in Botswana, which I experienced in Rwanda.

The neighborhoods and villages we saw driving through Zimbabwe reminded me very much of those in Rwanda.  Most were set up in groups of 10 homes or so with huge farmland surrounding the homes.  It started to make me wonder if the people who live in Zimbabwe and Zambia have ever seen Victoria Falls since for many it is in their backyard.  In talking with vendors in Zimbabwe, most have never actually seen the falls even though they can hear the roaring all day for at least six months a year.  On the bus ride home tonight I was listening to a lot of Dave and Ants Marching came on.  And when I heard the line '...[he] remembers being small, playing under the table and dreaming' I literally almost cried because I could not help but to think that seeing Victoria Falls for me has always been something I could only dream of, and quite honestly, the chances of anyone making it to Vic Falls is slim to none.  However, because I live in a much more developed country where I can afford to do things like study abroad in Botswana, it becomes very possible to see Victoria Falls.  And to think back to being a young boy watching the World's Strongest Man competition from like 2001 when it was held in Livingstone and thinking that seeing Victoria Falls would be so amazing but it was in Africa and why would I ever go to Africa or how would I ever get there is another so surreal feeling. Just the fact that it was one of those things that was so far fetched that to even consider it as a possibility was an unwarranted expectation is now tough to grasp since I have seen it.  But it makes me think of the local people who live within walking distance of the falls who have never seen it - do they even care to see it?  Is is something they would love to see but just cannot afford it?  I guess it could be like people anywhere - no one thinks that where they live is a cool place because you just grow used to your surroundings and nothing really holds a special meaning to you.  I wonder if the locals just think of it as a damn tourist attraction which floods their towns with people or if it does hold a special meaning for the people who live there today.  And it also makes me wonder what people around here, and even in all developing countries, dream of doing as children.  In Western countries it seems very easy to dream of visiting different parts of the world because we all know people who have been everywhere and done amazing things.  But people here do not travel all that much, especially not to tourist attractions.  So I wonder if underprivileged children do dream of seeing the wonders of the world, or if their dreams are on a much smaller level - or if they even know of places like the Grand Canyon or Great Barrier Reef.  It really makes me appreciate everything I have and everything my parents have done for me so that I now have to opportunity to see Victoria Falls and hopefully soon enough Cape Town, Namibia, Mozambique, and possibly a return trip to Vic Falls (because that is how amazing it actually was).  I just thought of this, but when we look at what others have and do it is easy to see the difference in lifestyle and how much more well off the majority of Americans are compared to the majority of people in developing countries; however, when you start looking at the things which American kids dream of seeing because they know of the possibility of it whereas a child in a developing country may only dream to move to the capital city and find a job someday, you can really start to see that there is such a gap in wealth and afford-ability.  People in developing countries can hardly afford to cross their own border, let alone a country 6,000 miles away and then go to the most spectacular thing the world has to offer.  As I had mentioned, it really makes me appreciate the people who have gotten me to where I am today, specifically my parents, because without them then none of this would be possible. (Note that I have seen Inception probably a dozen times since I got it for Christmas and while it is a fictional movie, I do not think that the power of a dream can ever be underestimated).  

I also managed to lose my phone, apartment key, room key, and a necklace I was given on the return trip.  But I suppose that's a fair trade for what I got to see.  

I will probably say more about this trip later, but I was thinking about all of this stuff on the 9 hour journey home to UB and had to write it.

I know it has been a full week since I last updated, but I have been pretty busy and have not had a lot of time to sit down and write.  (And I only have about 25 minutes right now).  The last week has been pretty awesome.  Grady and I did not realize what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to play basketball with the UB team.  All of a sudden the coach starts showing up and instead of playing basketball we are conditioning with the team - which is great because I did not realize how out of shape I have become since the end of football last year.  We realized that since the inter-varsity games are over semester break and we would really rather travel than be stuck at UB we should tell the coach we cannot make it because we would be travelling and we would just have to find another way to work out.  However, he told us that we were more than welcome to come run and play with them, even if it is just for the workout which works out perfectly for us.  Monday and Tuesday were killers and it hurt me to walk up and down the stairs to my flat.  But last night we decided to go to the courts around 8 and we ended up playing pickup until around 10 so it was another great workout - but more fun since we actually got to play basketball.

Classes are starting to finally flow like a normal semester.  I had my first "test" the other day.  I use quotations because the teacher never told us we were going to have it so everyone was all worried that they were going to fail (which most did).  However, when I received a map of Africa that asked us to label the countries on Africa I felt a HUGE smile come across my face.  I ended up getting the highest grade in the class, although I mixed up Togo and Benin (sorry Mouph) and since Western Sahara is not an officially recognized country I did not put that even though that was the only thing it could have been (damn you Sporcle).  Needless to say the teacher called me out and asked the whole class how a white kid from the USA could do better on a map quiz of Africa than African students.  (Also, while playing basketball last night, one of the kids asked me where I got the black in me from - I found that to be pretty amusing, but also a nice compliment).

Politics of Poverty teacher continues to say that there is no poverty in the United States and that everyone there has money and does well for themselves.  I was so happy when Gerrica called him out and TRIED to explain to him that there are plenty of people who live in chronic poverty.  While he did not quite understand this, I think the other students got the message.

I am starting to enjoy getting called out by my teachers not only because the other students are interested in what an American student has to say about a particular subject, but also because I think it shows that the teacher has the confidence that I will know the answer.  It is nice to have had an awesome teacher like Peter Thompson (although at times we joked about what a joke the class was, he really did teach us well) and now I have a pretty full understanding of International Relations and International Politics to rely on when I am in my Political Science classes here.  So thanks to him.

Anyway, MOST EXCITING, I am leaving for Victoria Falls in about 3 hours.  (Yes, Mom, I know that means I will be skipping my classes on Friday, but hey, I am here and I wanna see Vic Falls).  Anywho, it was my number 1 priority to see Victoria Falls when I signed on to go to Botswana so to have a chance to get there now is awesome and it leaves the rest of the semester to go wherever I get to.  No pressure to see any one place anymore.  It should make for an absolutely awesome experience and I will surely take mucho pictures and post them as soon as I feel like it.

Well I finished this in 15 minutes - yeah I didn't think I could write this much that fast either - so I am going to pack my bag, go to class and head north to Zambia.

PS. Found out today I have a legitimate chance to go to Zimbabwe the end of March...thoughts?  I think I'll go anyway just because it will be sweeeeeet.

Late Night in Botswana

So going to sleep early in Botswana seems to be the way of the land.  I have been going to bed around 10.30 most nights just because there is not much to do after that time.  I had done the same thing tonight until I listen to Wave Your Flag by K’naan which just evoked enough emotion which I had to write something, anything.

(I will first apologize that this is really long, but I had a lot going through my mind).

 

Today I had my first class with Batsi, our program director, in which I am the only student who decided to do the optional class.  It is about Botswana culture and it is designed to get a more in depth look at the culture while we are here.  I figured that is the reason I am here – is to learn about another people and culture – so why would I not take the class.  It is nice that it is one on one and we can just talk about anything.  Anyways, he gave me a small article to read written by an American girl who studied in Tibet in 2005 and how she felt like it was impossible for Americans to become ‘global citizens’ due to preferential treatment and things of that nature.  I had never fully realized that until I read it but it does seem to be true that no matter where Americans go – at least in my own case – they are treated in a much different manner than the local people.  As I began to reflect on this point, I realized that in every country I have visited, there has been at least one instance in which it has happened to me.  In fact, it has already happened in Botswana.  On Saturday night we went to a club for a few friends’ birthdays.  The club has a rule that you cannot wear shorts or open toed sandals (for guys).  Although a few of the guys were dressed like this we were allowed in while other men dressed in the same fashion were continuously denied admittance.  It was nice that we got in and we had a great time, but I hate to think that the only reason it happened was because a) we were American and/or b) we are white.  It also brought me back to National Liberation Day in Rwanda (the last day of the genocide in 1994).  There were thousands of people packed in the National Stadium who wanted to celebrate another year of liberation.  Our group showed up a few hours late because we had had a late night, and while there were thousands of others still trying to get into the stadium, the police would not allow them in.  When we showed up, the police opened the gate and allowed us in.  Then as we went to find seats, the security created 10 spots for us to sit while they wouldn’t let others in.  Once again, it is tough to think that the only reason we got in was because we were white Americans, but it seems that that is the reality.  And while that, too, was a great experience it seems like the Rwandese people should have been let in first, because, after all, it is THEIR liberation day – their day to celebrate no fear.  Yet we, the Americans, were the ones “celebrating” Rwandan liberation.

And while I am speaking of Rwanda…I don’t know if it was the intense nature of the trip to Rwanda, or the fact that this is now my second time in Africa, but I feel like I learned a lot more and gained a lot more cultural experience in my 3 weeks in Rwanda compared to my first 3 weeks in Botswana.  In 3 weeks in Rwanda I felt like I gained a deeper connection with the Rwandese people and a greater understanding of Rwandan history and culture than I have even come close to in Botswana.  I am still trying to keep my focus on Botswana rather than comparing everything about it to Rwanda, but there is something about Rwanda that I just cannot let go.  I don’t know if it is the people, the history, or the magnificent landscape there.  But there is definitely something that will not allow Rwanda to escape me (not that that is a bad thing in any way).  After reading an article on CNN which I found on Facebook, by way of Kathryn to OJ (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/01/06/crossing.africa.author/index.html), and hearing what a surprise Rwanda was to author Julian Smith, I almost cried (maybe had a few tears fall).  It is incredible that a country which was so torn by tribal rivalry has become one of the most peaceful and stable countries in Africa.  Yet we never hear any of the good that comes out of the country.  Even to this day, all you hear about Rwanda is about the genocide, or things that have happened “since the genocide.”  It is never about the economic or social progress which has been made there.  And maybe that is what strengthens the love I have for Rwanda.  Knowing that they are the happiest peoples I have ever met, or that they work so hard for so little.  I cannot imagine there is a more lovely group of people in the world than the Rwandese.  And while reading that article reinforced my desire to work in Africa someday, I think it also showed me that there is something about East Africa, and Rwanda, that I really hold close to me.  And I couldn’t tell you what it is if you asked, but I know it’s there.  It’s one of those unanswerable life questions which you just have to believe because it is something you feel (almost like Santa Clause, but on a deeper level). 

Enough about Rwanda though, I AM in Botswana.  Classes have been very interesting.  My two psychology classes have been pretty lame so far.  Very basic things that I learned in General Psych have been good enough to get me through so far.  On the other hand, the Political Science classes have been taught in an entirely different way than I would have expected.  My Politics of Poverty in Southern Africa teacher seems to be just throwing propaganda out there when he says that the only cause of poverty in Africa is because of “white settler colonialism.”  Honestly, I couldn’t count the amount of times which this exact phrase has been used, but way too much.  It is really hard to take this guy seriously as I, along with 5 or 6 other white students, sit there and listen to this guy basically blame ‘us’ for the poverty problem in Africa.  The subject is incredibly interesting, but I want to just punch this teacher.  My other two poly-sci professors constantly make references to the United States and how this are “perfect” there – the political system, the market, the people (although they will say that the economy has not been so great).  And then when they call on me to answer a question and they ask me where I am from and all the students then look at me like, oh well this kid must be really smart or think he is better than us, why is he even here…It is definitely taking some time getting used to, but compared to last week, I feel completely comfortable walking around campus as the only white person for miles. 

We are working on putting some small trips together to Victoria Falls, South Africa, and Mozambique.  We will see how they work out, but it would be awesome to travel around while I am here.

On a side note, tonight my friend Grady and I practiced with the University of Botswana basketball team and the coach told us to come back whenever we want and that we can absolutely try out for the team.  UB is hosting the “Inter-Varsity Games,” in which teams from Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland compete, and if we were to make the team we would get to compete.  The only drawback is that it is over the semester break and that would be a prime time to travel around…but how many people can say they starred in African basketball???  As of now, while I think it would be super awesome to play in the games, I came here to see the land and people and not play basketball (unless of course my ATM card continues to not work, in which case I won’t have any money to go anywhere and playing basketball during break wouldn’t be such a bad gimmick after all).  We’ll see.  Looking forward to the weekend and more time here in SUNNY (and hot) Botswana.

Well after a few days of running around UB's campus to find where everything is, and get all of the necessary forms filled out, this was definitely a much needed relaxing weekend.  Most of my teachers showed up for class on Thursday and Friday, but I learned that one of them is currently in Sudan for the referendum which is really awesome.  I am not sure if he is Sudanese or if he is there because it is related to his field, but I really hope he will talk about his experience there and what is happening; the mood of the people, the security/dangers, etc.

There were so many things to do this first week that I felt like I was a freshman at Villanova again when I had no idea exactly what I was supposed to be doing and no idea where anything was.  I basically operated on hearsay for the first few days of school.  All of the international students had to take care of registration (along with the rest of the school), get our UB ID's, get wireless internet configured onto our laptops, among other things.  Luckily when I went to get all of these things done on Thursday afternoon I had the help of a Motswana girl to take me to all of the 'blocks' - what they call their buildings.  (Instead of naming their buildings after people or places like we do, they give every building a number and it can become very difficult to remember where numbered buildings are, especially when they aren't in any sort of order).  It took close to two hours because there are always lines, or queues as they are called here.

Last night was two of our group member's 21st birthdays so we all went out to dinner and then to a club called Fashion Lounge.  Dinner was at this really nice restaurant called News Cafe and we ordered drinks and got food.  When we got to Fashion Lounge a couple people were wearing flip flops and sneakers and they originally were not going to let us in because of the dress code.  Part of me thinks that the only reason we got in was because we were 10 white kids from the United States and they did not want to say no to such a large group.  I felt a little weird when they let us in, but when we got in it ended up being a fun night.

My roommate from Zimbabwe, Farai, has already submitted his thesis for his Ph.D. in Medical Biology and the guy loves to talk.  Sometimes it can get a bit annoying, however, the guy is so insightful and is obviously a brilliant man given what he is getting his Ph.D. in.  Anyway, the other night all 3 of us Americanos, Farai, and Max (from Botswana) got to talking about disease in Southern Africa.  Obviously the most talked about thing in the USA is the HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially in Southern Africa.  And given that Botswana has the second highest HIV/AIDS rate of infection in the world, it is a big deal here, too.  However, Farai made the point that while there is so much information about HIV/AIDS and the entire world is making an effort to try and eradicate the disease, malaria kills so many more people each year than AIDS.  Between 500,000 and 1 million people die every year from malaria, which is probably more preventable than HIV.  All you need is chloroquine, malarone, or some other malaria prevention drug and a bed-net.  However, people have made such a big deal about the decay of people with HIV, even though most only suffer for about one year.  If the pharmaceutical companies in the USA were not so corrupt and money-driven, they could provide the medication to people in Sub-Saharan Africa with incredible ease.  Farai made the point that while HIV/AIDS is a heinous disease, the people in Africa are far more fearful of getting malaria because of how it quickly debilitates the body and most people who get the viral type of malaria die within 3 weeks.  (And it is not to say that it is a good thing that people with AIDS suffer for an entire year, but it is important to understand that the people here are living in the midst of HIV/AIDS and malaria, and they know what really is best for the people here.  HIV/AIDS can be prevented with [more or less] common sense, whereas malaria is a product of your environment, and many people cannot afford to move to a malaria free area (let alone buy malaria medication).  Anyway, it really made me think about what we in the United States think when it comes to saving all the people infected with AIDS and what the people who live with AIDS all around them think.

Well it definitely is the rainy season here.  After having nice weather for the first week and a half, it rained a good bit on Friday, all day Saturday, and has been raining for a few hours now on Sunday - part of me wishes it was just snowing all of the time, but I guess I'll trade snow for temperatures in the 80s every day.

School has Started...I think

So yesterday we started classes, or at least I thought we were supposed to start classes.  I have had 5 scheduled classes so far and only one of the teachers has shown up.  All of the other classes I have waited outside of the classroom for 15-20 minutes to find no professor and leave feeling like I wasted an hour.  I thought this would be exactly what I would like about class in Botswana, but now I am realizing that when I make an effort to go to class it would be really nice if the teacher also made an effort to come to class and teach.  Even if just for a small instant, I gained a greater respect for teachers just for the fact that they show up to every class whether they think the students are going to show up or not.  We, as students, really owe it not only to ourselves to go to class, but we also owe it to our teachers for they are the ones who want to educate us and share their knowledge with their students.
We still haven't received our student ID's and some of the international students have not received their registration status yet.  Things really do move a little slower around here.  If we were in the United States people would be up in arms about the fact that registration has not yet been finalized, but here people just go with the flow; the students go to the classes they think they will be registered for and do their best to attend class.  Nobody really makes a huge deal out of the fact that registration has to be done by hand and you have to wait in line to get into the classes you want to take.  It is refreshing in a way to know that people aren't always in a rush to do as many things as possible.  If something takes a long time to do, then that is what they do for the day.
My friend Ronnie made a really good point to me that everything is so close to being so nice.  The new buildings here in Gaborone have beautiful but there are things with every building that take away from it.  The hotel we stayed in had incredible rooms, but there were cracks in the ceiling, bugs running around the floor, and lights that didn't work.  There was a pool with a bar, but the pool was green and the bar was never open.  The apartments on campus that we moved into are 6 single rooms which share a common kitchen and bathroom.  However, my room and a friend's room have no internet or lights.  The city has a lot of nice architecture and is way more developed than anywhere we went in Rwanda, but it has its places where you can see that it really is still a developing country.
This evening we played soccer with a bunch of locals on the campus tennis courts.  It was 4 white kids from our CIEE program and our friend Farai from Zimbabwe.  We didn't think we had much of a chance since they play almost every night and we were a bunch of white boys from the United States and we lost the first game we played, but we then won the next 3 games we played and felt pretty good about ourselves.  One thing I learned is that I am way more out of shape than I need to be, but hopefully playing soccer and basketball will get me outside and working out.
I am really hoping I am able to do some volunteer work either with the UN or with a micro-finance women's group here in Gaborone.  I don't want to just go to class and be in lectures just the same that I would be at Villanova.  I want it to be something above and beyond what I could achieve at Nova.  Whether or not I realized it before I got here, I think the most important thing about studying abroad is not necessarily to go to school with a bunch of different people and travel around a part of the world of which most people only see pictures, but is to get to know the people of the country you are in.  One of our groups goals is to get to know the people of Botswana on a deep enough level as to understand why they dress the way they dress, why they eat what they eat, where their customs come from...basically not only to see the culture from afar, but also to understand the meaning of the culture and where the culture comes from.
One of the most striking things I have been right at the center of is who I am most comfortable with.  Back at Villanova part of me always wonders why the black kids are always hanging out with other black kids, Asians are with other Asians, and the puertorriquenos are always with the other puertoricans.  But now that I am at a school where there are less than 100 white kids and 15,000 black students I, along with the other Americans, have found is very easy to see another white person and instantly feel like we have a bond or connection even though we know absolutely nothing about the other.  It really makes you think twice about criticizing other people for doing the same thing because until you are in that position it is impossible to know how it feels to be less than 1 percent of a minority.
In just over one week in Botswana where I am with Batswana every day, it is becoming much clearer that Botswana truly is a foreign land no matter what we see from the outside.  It has also made me much more aware of how the United States can create a culture shock to people who practice different customs.  We think that we just do everything a certain way because that is the way we have been raised, and there is nothing wrong with that.  However, to try and figure out why my parents raised me in a certain way or why my teachers at EHT, St. Augustine, or Villanova have taught me certain values is a really difficult thing to do.  I am starting to realize that every story I have heard from everyone who has had any kind of effect on my life is part of my own culture and has shaped the way I have matured and become the person I am today.  Without those people I would be a completely different person and I am not sure I would want to be anyone other than the person I am.  Culture goes much deeper than what we wear, eat, and do.  Culture is the things deep within us that drive us to eat, dress, and do the things we enjoy.  It is what creates groups and demographics.  Without culture everyone would be the same and what fun would the world be if everyone were exactly the same as you?  That has been the best part of my experience so far, is trying to learn about the customs and history of people in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, and Botswana, and what makes them so different from people in the United States.

A Week in Africa

Well, i know it has been quite some time since I have updated this, but this is really the first opportunity I have had to do so.  We had no internet at the hotel we stayed at for the first week and only one room in my university apartment has internet, but now that classes have started it should be more frequent.

The first thing I woke up to find out today was that the Packers beat the Eagles in the playoffs, which certainly puts a damper on my morning, but I don't think I care as much since I am some 8000 miles away.

Anywho, this first week in Gaborone (ha-ba-RONE-ee) has been a lot of fun.  We started off with a few days of program orientation where we met 9 students from around the US who signed up for the same program and so far we have all bonded well.  One of the craziest things we had to do was a scavenger hunt and find 20 or so locations in Gaborone.  Luckily we had a couple of local students to help us get around or else we would have been totally lost - we didn't even get every thing and it still took us over 4 hours!

We then had to go to International Student Orientation with all of the other international students at University of Botswana (UB).  There are probably 70 int'l students with 60 of them being from the US so it definitely was not at diverse as I would have hoped.  There are a group of students from Germany, 2 from Finland, and a few from Ghana, Swaziland, and Mexico.  Everything we had to listen to was pretty boring, especially since we heard most of it during our own group orientation.  However, I did find out that travel by combie - which is a small van which packs 15-18 people - is pretty cheap, so travel to other countries is very possible which I am excited about.

This past weekend we had some free time to hang out at the malls here - yes they have malls, which I was totally surprised by, and they are really nice (way nicer than the Shore Mall, which I guess isn't too hard to do).  We moved into our apartments at UB on Saturday which was a complete debacle.  The first room myself and another student from my group were supposed to live in did not have a key that opened the door. As I mentioned before, the room they moved us to only has internet in one room, and there were still clothes in the closets so we weren't even sure if we could live here.  But in the end it all worked out and we are pretty settled in now.  On Sunday we climbed Kgale Hill (elevation - 4,222 feet) which is the highest point in Gaborone and it took close to an hour and a half.  I realized how out of shape I actually am, but it was a really fun hike and the view of the city was INCREDIBLE!  You could literally see for miles.  And a there were two rainstorms in the surrounding area which we thought were coming straight toward us, but from the top we could see them move to different parts of the city and we only felt a few raindrops.  Sunday night we had an absolutely delicious dinner at an Indian restaurant called Moghul.  We had various types of chicken, beef, and some traditional Indian foods...sooooo good.

My first class was supposed to be at 8am today, but I showed up to find the gates in the doors locked and no one except 3 Americans even showed up.  I have a few classes this afternoon which are still in limbo which definitely suits my lifestyle better than always having class - although I am finding myself more motivated to go to class since I am in Africa.

It's time for me to go find out if I can officially be registered as a UB student now - which gives me access to the outdoor pool on campus which I plan to frequent - so I am going to head out.

Back to Africa

Well the time has just about come for me to return to my homeland.  I am never one to get too stoked about doing things like travelling to Africa, but I am definitely excited for my return to Africa.  As many people know, my experience in Rwanda is what really increased my desire to study abroad in Africa.  Initially I had hoped to go to Kenya, but the US of A told me it wouldn't be a good idea for me to go there, so I find myself heading to Botswana.
My 24 hours of flying begins tomorrow morning at 10.40am and thank god I will have an old pal to share the experience with.  Maybe it wasn't just a coincidence that Michele and I ended up picking the same place to go abroad, but I am excited that I am close with someone else who is going.
Anyway, I haven't finished packing yet so I need to get back to that, but I am excited about this journey I am about to embark upon and will try to update this as much as possible for all of you lovely people to live vicariously through.
Peace out America!