A Country with many faces

Dumelang,

Today is my last day in Botswana. My volunteer placement finished two weeks ago, and I have since then been backpacking with five other Canadians from the group. My final thoughts on the Holy Cross Hospice: I left a community that was becoming like my family. This experience has been incredibly different from any other international volunteer position that I have done before. Both in Mexico and Costa Rica, the work I was doing was project based: run a one week day camp, plant x number of trees, build a rec court, paint a playground etc. When we finished we finished and although sad to leave, our work was done. The hospice was very different. In three weeks, Brianna and Warren and I were made part of their daily operations. We sat in on meetings, we went on home visits, we built relationships with the patients and did activities with them...it was very relationally based. I didn't leave on the note of having completed something, ready to leave. My time at the hospice was still an open book, ready to develop. But alas, we were on a timeline, and had to say goodbye. Did I impact anyone's life? I hope that I made it clear that I really cared for both the patients and the staff. If anything, I was touched by them. By their energy, excitement, and willingness to welcome three Canadians into their family.

Not Built for Backpackers

BOtswana is a beautiful country. It is full of animals and nature that you will never experience anywhere else in the world. It has so much potential for a booming tourism industry. I say potential knowing that tourism has been developed quite intentionally, but it is not very accessible. BOtswana tourism is safari tourism, which is quite exciting but also quite expensive. It is dominated by wealthy white Batswana, or foreigners, and is rarely accessed by the greater local population. I talked to a Motswana man on the bus today who was conviced that Batswana just want to stay put and are afraid to see what their country has to offer. But I think it's a matter of affordability. Not only would developing lower end tourism cater to younger backpackers like myself, but it would involve all Batswana in discovering the attractions of their own homeland.

Above rant aside, I have had an incredible time traveling here and have done more in 10 days than thouht possible. For those who really know me know that my biggest fear in the world is to get eaten by a wild animal. I have been challenging myself a lot as I spent an entire night camping on a game reserve that was stocked with Lions, Hyenas, water buffalo, leopards, elephants and worst of all hippos. The challenge has been worth it. I have never thought myself an animal fanatic, but i think that has really been based on my dislike for zoos. Learning the habitat and behavioural patterns of elephants, hippos etc. has been so fascinating, and a clear confirmation of God's perfect design.

As the animals have wooed me over that past 10 days, so have the adrenaline rushes. As if learning about birds wasn't enough, I decided to try being one. I bungee jumped 111 meters of a bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe, with the waters of Victoria Falls crashing down behind me. That's something I never thought I would do...but I seriously recommend it. The freedom that comes with just falling was like nothing I have felt before. I wonder if birds have any idea of how lucky they are.

Victoria Falls brought us to Zambia for a night, where we stayed at a popular backpackers hostel. The differences between Botswana and Zambia are overwhelming. We got off the ferry from Botswana that took us across the Zambezi river, and stepped in a country of black markets and an air of chaos. So different compared to the relatively calm and organized Botswana. But I loved it. Petrol is sold on the side of the road by men with plastic jugs because it's cheaper than the pumps. The vendors at the market don't just deal with cash, but they are up to trade for anything. One woman gave me in the loveliest peace of ZAmbian fabric in the exchange for the blanket that came from my long KLM flight and a piece of brightly coloured fleece that Brianna had brought. But my favourite moment by far was when our hostel had an electrical fire and lost all power for the second day that we were there. Brianna and Siobhan and I knew that after several days of putting off showers, we were stinkballs. So we took a walk and ended up showering in the bathroom of a Chinese Food Restaurant down the street. I didn't anticipate that one. Zambia is somewhere that I know I would love to return to. There is so much colour, creativity and life. But I suppose that will be for another time.

I don't have time or the finger muscles to share the full extent of my travelling, but I can say that it was quite an adventure. I am a little bit tired of sitting on buses full of people eating greasy fried chicken, but I think I could keep going. Brianna has returned home and Dustin, Kristi, Siobhan and Laura are continuing on to Namibia. What's next for me? Tomorrow I fly into Johannesburg where I catch a flight to Chennai, India. A new country where I will meet a totally new culture of relationships. I will be meeting my dear Alexa there, and for that I am so grateful. When I am with Alexa, I feel like I become my best self. I am nervous and excited...but i think I'm ready.

Goodbye Botswana. Thank you for putting up with me.