Down by the Waterhole: Botswana

Sitting just above South Africa, I found myself in without a doubt the friendliest country I've visited. Here I was greeted by the most welcoming curious faces and people open to sharing elaborate stories about their lives with complete strangers. The physical environment and animal life were as diverse as the rich history, culture and people.

Welcome to Botswana. You won't want to leave.

A young Bushman in Ghanzi shares some secrets of the semi-nomadic Saan lifestyle

Since gaining independence in 1966, Botswana has grown from one of the poorest underprivileged countries, to a largely successful developing democracy. Its expanding economy is mostly thanks to a thriving diamond industry. Botswana is also famous for its prime cattle, with beef exports stretching as far as Europe. Cows even outnumber people in Botswana twofold.

Driving through Botswana regularly involves suddenly slamming on the breaks to avoid yet another cow, goat or donkey meandering on the road. When you’re not steering around farm life, you'll get caught up in looking at the ever-changing terrain.

From dry white arid sands, vibrant red leaved trees and rich green ecosystems, Botswana will keep you guessing what to expect next.
A trip to Botswana would not be complete without taking in the 1000th UNESCO World Heritage Site- the Okavango Delta. Pristine and unhampered by excessive tourism, the delta really does feel untouched.
If you get the chance to visit, be sure to grab a ride on a mokoro (dug out canoe) and see the best of the delta first hand. Watch as elephants stroll past unfazed by your presence, and count the number of different bird species fly out of the reeds as you float by.

Mokoro drivers make this strenuous task look like light work

Easy days on the delta

Scenic flights run over the delta and are highly regarded as a not-to-be-missed experience amongst tour guides. Flying overhead you can began to comprehend the size and biodiversity of the delta and understand the way herds moves and ecosystems intersect.
Admittedly for me however this was a little hard to appreciate, but hey, not everyone has the stomach for scenic flights. Don't be put off, it is an amazing view. But do check the weather. If you don’t have a strong stomach and it’s a windy day, probably don't spend the $135AUD to stare into a sick-bag for 45 minutes.
The mokoro trip will be just fine. 

The scale of the Delta is easier to understand from air

My slightly disastrous scenic flight experience leads me to my absolute favourite story of my entire time in Africa.
Hands down the coolest campsite I’ve ever stayed, Elephant Sands is an absolutely a must-visit. After driving hundreds of kilometres through open semi-arid terrain, it was both bizarre, and absolutely incredible, to suddenly turn off to a lone watering hole surrounded by large tents, a bar and a small pool. Wild elephants wander through the campsite while you sit back and enjoy a cold beer with friends. I’m not sure whose idea it was to build a campsite here, but they need some kind of serious award.
It was a little slice of heaven in the middle of absolute nowhere.

Hanging out with my new friends at Elephant Sands

As if this wasn’t enough, my friends and I weren’t the only visitors that day. Down by the waterhole we met an elephant who regularly pays visit to the campsite owner. After getting a thorn stuck in it's foot, the elephant used to show the owner its foot as if asking for help. Once figuring out the problem, the owner called in a vet to remove the thorn. Now, every few days or so the elephant continues to return to visit and say thanks.

This is what I was saying about friendly locals and unique stories. Where else in the world would a someone befriend an elephant? It was a truly incredible place.

And I’m not done there. 

If there’s one moment I’ll never forget, it’s sitting on at an empty table underneath the leaking drip of the outside rain, watching countless numbers of elephants flock to the waterhole to drink and play. Just when I thought the moment couldn’t get any more perfect, the sky cleared up and a rainbow appeared right above families of elephants. I can’t imagine a moment more perfect. It just didn't seem real.

Life don't get much better than watching elephants play under a rainbow

It wouldn’t be a complete trip to Southern Africa without stopping over in Bots. Get ready for over-waving to countless smiling children, exploring peaceful and clean ecosystems, and constantly brushing sweat off your body in the searing sun. Botswana is certainly not for cold climate lovers, but it is a place that you will carry with you long after crossing the border.






I travelled to Botswana in November/December on an overland trip with Acacia, staying at Thebe River Camp, Elephant Sands Lodge, Delta Rain’s Sitatunga Camp, Elephant Camp and Ghanzi Trailblazers


 I've journeyed through 6 other countries in Southern Africa. You can follow my top posts on the right hand side or follow my new and upcoming Asia adventure at ditchedinasia or @k_ditch on twitter
  

In the Dark: Load Shedding, Power and Water Outages in South Africa

I'll be the first to admit that we first-world folk are a little spoilt. It's so easy to underestimate how much we rely on water, power and internet. 

I'd always considered myself a pretty low maintenence type of person in Australia. As it turns out, I cope very poorly when I’m left without basic utilities- even for a few hours. 
There's the obvious things, like being in the dark and only using bottled water. Then after a while I forget and try to cook something on a stove that won't turn on. When my laptop and phone die I don't know how to get up and go to class on time. 
And all of a sudden I can’t shake the craving for toast. 

Let me introduce you to load shedding : this is where the supply of electricity is not always enough to meet the demand. When it becomes too much, it’s see ya later power, hello candles and take-away food. 
Welcome to Johannesburg. 
For me it’s the uncertainty that can be frustrating. There’s a website that tells you when to expect load shedding, but it’s rarely even a little bit accurate. All of a sudden you’re cooking dinner or studying for a test and things stop working. And soon this could be the reality of water as well due to population growth, depleting natural resources and a lack of infrastructure.

For all my complaining, load shedding has actually been extraordinarily low for the most part of my trip. Power, internet and water still randomly go out far more often than they would in Aus. However this post is largely inspired from two water outages and a five-day power failure on campus. 

Candles in wine bottles always make good decoration in power outages

Both water outages have been because of some kind of fault. We don’t really know why, and we definitely don’t know when it will be back. The first time water was gone for a few days. After one day you’re starting to smell, you’re thirsty as hell- and don’t even get me started on the state of the toilets. And guess what happens when all your pans, bowls and plates get dirty? 
Eat from a cup? Take-away pizza anyone? 

I think the electricity outage was the worst. Firstly, let me be clear that I’m incredibly happy living in South Africa and I adore so much about this country. However, after five straight days without power, I had reached my first-world limits. 

I firmly like to think all the hype about Johannesburg’s high crime rate is way overstated and it’s perfectly safe to live here. In saying that, we did lose power after some major part of the system (don’t ask me to get technical) was stolen one night. That caused an initial outage. Then campus power also failed. And when electricians tried to fix it there was an explosion and two were severely burnt. Oh and then the back-up generators overpowered and stopped working. It was just one thing after another really. 
On the plus side, most uni classes were cancelled and assignments extended. I also used it as an excuse to do my first video news assessment (see me play journo below).

I almost laughed when some students in my class personally apologised on behalf of South Africa for having power problems. They seemed embarrassed, like they wanted to disprove all the overstated African stereotypes, or I was some kind of precious first-world princess stuck in the slums. And don’t get me wrong here, it was frustrating as all hell. My coping abilities were truly tested (and I’m not too sure I passed the test) but it honestly doesn’t make me think any less of this dynamic country. It’s just something to adapt to.

Back home you completely forget how much you rely on utilities and how fantastic it is that we have maintained systems in place. Even though it sucks sometimes, when the lights go out it brings some kind of unity. Everyone heads to the lounge room, pulls out the candles and for a few hours we can slow down and forget the crazy routines of our lives.

This of course wears off after a few hours when you start to feel hungry or would like a warm shower, but I’ve definitely learnt to be more grateful for everything I have. A feeling that, in my opinion, is completely neglected back in the comforts of my home in Australia.

There's something so much nicer about candle light than regular lighting

This is my second post during my 5-month stay in Southern Africa. Read my first post on the beautiful country Lesotho here.  
Follow me as I try to convince you to pack your bags and get on a plane to Africa, before I make my way to South East Asia (for a third time) in 2016.

When I'm not writting, photographing, exploring and studying overseas, I keep myself busy posting about Melbourne life @ ditchedinmelbourne