Gabane

Today we went to Gabane (Ha-ba-nee). We walked from our apartment to a nearby combi stop. Combis are like big vans that will drive you to surrounding towns. They can carry about 15 people each and are like buses, but smaller. They are very cheap to ride, and our family rode about 20 miles to Gabane for only $1.75 (U.S dollars). IT IS SOoOoOoOoOoOo CHEAP!!!!

Willie in the combi

Packed in a combi

When we got to Gabane we went on a hike. We climbed a big mountain next to Gabane. The first part was cool, because there was actually a trail. We climbed up to a big water reservoir on top, but then dad said we should do some "off trail adventuring." So naturally, because dad was the head of the house, we started climbing.

Superman!!!

Gabane from the mountain

After about 15 minutes of hiking, I realized how hopeless this was. There were thorn bushes all over and at one point I turned around and saw Mitchell writhing in a pile of stinging nettles. Worst of all, we only had a 2 liter bottle of water to share. I think Willie backwashed in it at one point, but I wasn't taking any chances. In the end, I started to take the moisture out of the air. Finally, I slipped and fell a few feet out of some bushes, and found myself at the bottom of the mountain. A few minutes later, dad stepped out of the trees and said, "Wow. That was fun." We took a ride back and it was all over.

Safari Mitch

on top of the mountain

 

Softball

The field at Broadhurst Primary School

Yesterday I went from my school to Broadhust Primary School to play softball for my school. We played 3 games. In the first game, I got a home run and raised the score from 9-2 to 12-2. We won all 3 games. Our team is really good. I got to play third base. It felt like we were playing a bunch of tiny 2nd graders. The first game score was 12-2, the next one was 4-9 and the last one was 5-9. I scored runs in all 3 games. The ball was really easy to hit because in softball you pitch it under-hand and the ball is bigger compared to baseball. All of the games were really fun. Here are some pictures.

My team

At third base

Our coach, Andrew, has a background in cricket

After the game

The field at Thornhill Primary School

The Rhino Sanctuary

Yesterday I went to the Botswana Rhino sanctuary, where they keep most of the rhinos in Botswana. There are white rhinos and black rhinos in the sanctuary. There are 28 white rhinos and 3 black rhinos. In all of Botswana, there are only 7 black rhinos. We went on a safari drive, and the guide could tell apart black rhino poop and white rhino poop because black rhinos mainly eat leaves and twigs, while white rhinos eat grass. Rhinos only digest 40% of what they eat, so all the guide had to do was look at the poop. Here are some photos of the rhino sanctuary.

Here is a white rhino. When it is hot, he will lie down in some shade and eat grass. White rhinos are stronger than black rhinos, but black rhinos can run up to 28 MPH, while white rhinos can only run up to 22 MPH.

Those little black things you see are dung beetles. They have a hard shell on their back, and they can open it up. Under the shell are 2 wings so they can fly. I got to pick one up and hold it.

This is our camp site.

Botswana bicycle safety

Today a funny thing happened. On the way out the gate I smashed into Mitchell and was knocked out cold. Mitchell fell down and started screaming "DOH! My ARM!!!" Then both bicycles fell on top of me.

Can't you tell fakes when you see them?!?

Trip to Chobe

In the car

Last week we went to Chobe National Park in north-eastern Botswana. It was a hekuva long car ride (11 hours). There was a 60 mile section full of vicious man-eating potholes. Dad almost wrecked the car and was more stressed out than usual, due to the car being a rental and the fact that we had to get there before nightfall. You musn't drive at night because animals will lie on the road, which is warmer at night than the surrounding land.

On our trip we drove across the Tropic of Capricorn. This is the furthest point south in the southern hemisphere where the sun can be exactly overhead at noon (90 degrees) on the summer solstice.

The Tropic of Capricorn

Our campsite

We camped at a lodge in the town near Chobe called Kasane. There were lots of animals. Wild monkeys ran all over the place. Also I saw a croc in the Chobe river. There were hippos too. We went on a game drive and saw giraffes, elephants, baboons, impala (what's that?), kudu (huh?!?), and African buffalos. The monkeys were kinda weird. When they stand up they are about 18 inches tall. They weigh about 8 pounds. We also saw the sable antelope. While I was on a river safari I saw an Elephant writhing in a puddle of mud. At first I thought It was having a seizure or heat stroke or something but then I found out that was how they bathe. The mud also suffocates any parasites on the elephant's skin. We also saw warthogs roaming the streets of Kasane. They are the size of a large dog but they can weigh over 200 pounds.

 Giraffes

 African elephants crossing in front of the Landrover

Black sable antelope

 Baby baboon

Fish eagle eating a dead fish

Impala

African Buffalo

A pod of hippos in the Chobe River

An angry hippo!

Croc on the bank of the Chobe River

Croc waiting for dinner!

Baby elephant

Elephant rolling in the mud

Elephant crossing the Chobe River into Namibia

Elephant entering Namibia

Lilac Breasted Roller (Botswana's national bird, which has the colors of the flag)

Carmine bee-eater

Tree full of carmine bee-eaters

Vervet monkey

Vervet monkey

Ostriches on the way back to Gaborone

Warthogs