The sun was getting warmer but Julie and I were loving this rare chance to stretch our legs and walk through these dramatic rocky hills on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. The Tsodilo Hills, dubbed The Mountain of the Gods, are not just an aberration to the flat bushy nothingness of the desert – they are the ancestral home to some of the oldest inhabitants on this continent, the … Continue reading →
The Kalahari Desert is a harsh dry environment stretching across many countries in southern Africa but its heart and soul, and its most extreme conditions, are in central Botswana. Here the sand is deep and the low thorny scrub, long golden grasses and dry salt pans dominate. The last river in these parts stopped flowing about 16,000 years ago. Animals out here have to be able to survive these conditions … Continue reading →
Here’s some fun facts about Botswana. They have about 150,000 elephants, the largest amount for any country in the world, they have the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world (22% of all adults are infected), a third of their government revenue is based on their huge diamond industry, of which they are heavily dependent, they have had the fastest economic growth rate of any country in the world … Continue reading →
The border process to enter Botswana was going very well, everyone was friendly and we were getting all the necessary stamps. Then…a very officious Customs lady bursting out of her large uniform came out and asked if we had any fresh meat while Julie was being asked by another official to wash her shoes. Botswana is trying to stop a spread of hoof and mouth disease, which is principally passed … Continue reading →
