On a hunt for more fuel as well as cash, we left Shakawe down the same road we’d traveled the day before. We would stop in Gumare and hope that the ATM worked so we’d feel more prepared for whatever came at us. After filling up the tank, we picked up 2 women in Gumare that needed rides. We dropped one of them after an hour of driving, but the other was with us until our final destination. She was Herrero so we learned more about her culture and customs. We also asked lots of questions about life in Botswana to help us understand more of what was going on around us.
A Herrero woman
We stayed at Thadaku, which had different game on-site and a waterhole to watch the animals. Kudu and ostrich came to drink and while it was interesting, it was different from seeing them by chance when they have acres upon acres to roam free. Most of our time was spent relaxing and speaking with other travelers about the road conditions. The same rain that caused Namibia to be green had flooded several sections of Botswana. We had been told that several parks were impassable due to flooded roads and that one highway had so much water on it that they would ferry the small cars across.
Our truck in the Thakadu campsite
Thakadu campsite
Bushman walk
The camping offered a walk with the Sans Bushmen and that was our real purpose for being there. The area has several descendants of the Bushmen and many that live in reservations nearby. While their way of life is no longer possible, as they are typically nomadic and feed off the land, they were able to recreate scenarios.
The Bushman family
Our guide led us to the family of four as they stood in their tradition clothes of animal skins near their huts and around a fire. All of them were small in stature and light skinned. They led us around the bush showing us different trees, roots and leaves while explaining their use. We tried a leaf off of a vine that they use as their vegetable and they dug up a root of a plant to show how they squeezed water out for drinking and cleaning.
Bushman opening a wild melon
Squeezing a root to drink water
Then, it was time to make fire. The bushman had branches from specific trees that would be rubbed together forming a ‘T’ with dried grass at the base. Our guide, the bushman and Tico all took turns rubbing the sticks as fast as they could. Smoke would appear, but after 15-20 mins of trying the decision was made to give up. It had rained the night before and the conclusion was the grass and branches were too wet to make fire. Tico did come away with battle wounds on his hands in the form of 4 blood blisters. Lucky for us, we were in the bush and could use one of the leaves they had pointed out to aid in the healing process.
Making fire with the Bushmen
Blisters on Tico’s hands after attempting to make fire
Bushman kids walking
The Bushman family
The next day we made a trip into the town to refill supplies before making our way to Maun. It was time to make a plan and learn more about the road conditions. We still didn’t really know what lie ahead of us, but we were getting more excited to see the Eastern side of the Okavango.
Helpful tips:
- If traveling from Maun to Ghanzi, make sure you don’t have raw meat of a hoofed animal as you cross a foot and mouth control.
- Remember that this is a recreation. They also do dances as well as other activities, but they can no longer live as they did.
Hi Maria! Glad you’re having such a wonderful and interesting time!! I have a couple of photos to send you from the goodbye dinner we had here at my home – what is the best email address to send those to you? – Kate
Hola. Si pasan por Dar es Salam tal vez podemos tomar un café. Saludos cordiales de otro chapín.
Hola! Pensamos estar en Tanzania en Julio-Agosto pero le mandamos un correo más cerca a la fecha. Saludos
Hay varios guatemaltecos en Mozambique cerca del lago de Malawi que estoy segura van a querer conocer
Hola! Soy de Guatemala, estuve por trabajo en Mozambique, espero que hayan disfrutado de las bellezas de ese pais, con su gente sencilla y amable. Si se encuentran en Beira espero que todavia puedan disfrutar de una buena mariscada en un lugar que se localiza por el faro de la playa de Beira (Macuti) y visitar a Anselmo, es un lugar sencillo, pero la atención es muy buena, asi como la comida. Otros lugares para visitar en el pais: seria la Ilha de Mozambique con su fortaleza de la epoca de los portugueses. El archipielago de las Quirimbas en Cabo Delgado. No dejen de pasar por Ihmabane y pasar por las playas de Tofo, una buena opción para el relax, o el Archipielago de Bazaruto (aunque tengo entendido que es un lugar muy caro). El parque de Gorongoza en Sofala, o la visita al Lago Niassa en Niassa. Exitos!
Gracias por las recomendaciones! Estamos en Nampula ahora y vamos a Ilha de Mozambique mañana.
Hola paisanos soy chapín de la zona 19, y estuve como parte de blue helmets of United Nations peacekeeping (UN) por si pasan por la República Democrática del Congo (RDC) pueden visitar la logistic base, en las comunidades de Bunia, Kisangani o Dungu frontera con Sudan del sur ahí se encuentran desplegados los cascos azules guatemaltecos en el mantenimiento de la paz en ese país, si van por Liberia, Costa de Marfil, Cabo Verde o Sierra Leona hay observers (MILOBS) guatemaltecos con sede en las embajadas norteamericanas en esos países, en Uganda exactamente en Entebbe donde nace el gran rio nilo (Jinja) esta una casa de hospedaje para los legionarios guatemaltecos y sin van de party hay unas discos que se llaman Red Rooster y la otra es 4 turkeys siempre en entebbe, ahí dejamos banderas de Guate que dejamos como recuerdo de nuestra estadía y si visitan Kenya les recomiendo Mombasa a orillas del océano indico donde también dejamos banderas de Guate hahaha Chapín fibrudo en cualquier parte no hahaha, les dejo el link de la Guasfor Hause en entebbe,Uganda http://www.resdal.org/genero-y-paz/Engendering_peacekeeping.pdf que la pasen super paisanos.
“Yanbo sanaa”
Gracias por los consejos! Estamos en Kenya ahora y en camino a Uganda en los próximos días. Miramos el link pero no encontramos la info sobre la Guasfor Hause en Entebbe. Nos gustaría pasar por ahí si nos puedes ayudar con más detalles. Asante sana!!