Botswanan Smiles, Trials and Chobe Park

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The Botswanan people are some of the most genuinely friendly and helpful people I've met recently. They have glowing smiles, easy laughs and seem to feel quite at home accepting cultural differences. There is also a mild reserved-ness which I think comes from not wanting to be at odds with anyone.

Though the current government has made great economic and peacetime strides for the country, and the country itself is considered on its way to success, the population, like a lot of southern africa, is facing disaster.

Approximately 40% of Botswanans have HIV, and the vast majority of the cases in the past have gone untreated. A cheap anti-retroviral program was instituted in 2003, however the statistics are telling: in 1990 the average life expectancy for the country was 64. In 2004 it was 35. Condoms are now available in places like public toilets and roadmarts, but it is going to have to be a pretty vast change in both cultural stigmas and sexual practices (more sexual freedom for women) before many great strides are made here.

It is appalling to think that so many of the smiling people I've met will someday soon fall sick to AIDs. Its something worth thinking about when considering how lucky we all are!

Okay, onto a less depressing subject. Still, clearly in Botswana, we had made it to Chobe National Park. Chobe is known for its population of elephants, which are protected, however, it is has gotten to such a state they are considering culling them. For me this means we have a great chance of seeing a lot of elephants!

My group and I went on a 'boat' game 'float' which really was an excellent way to see the animals, as many come to the river to cool down, drink, and play. We had plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with the most elephants I've ever seen gathered in one place. We saw a herd marching at a pretty fast clip down the riverbank to meet with another group. It looked like it was going to be rumble in the jungle, but turns out they all knew each other. As they breached the waters edge "en masse" it seemed they were playing and enjoying a break time. Drinking, bathing, and a little tiny baby elephant was pretty much completely submerged and rolling around doing elephant flips.

Watching animals being social in their own environment amongst their own kind is fascinating to me!

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