Weathering the Storm with the WP#146

How to begin as I write this week’s entry. I suppose it should be about the departure to this amazing exotic destination in which I am writing today’s entry. I am here in Botswana at sunrise and the sounds of life are all around me. I hear birds calling in all different melodies, some pretty others, not so much. I just saw a monkey in the trees, but he was gone before I could get a picture. As you all know, I am a city boy, and this is such a 180-degree difference. I have all the amenities of home in this lodge, if I am in the main area, but my tent (and it is a tent with all the amenities, I also have Wi-Fi. It is good sometimes to be disconnected from everything and this place certainly allows it. ​

Of course, to get to a place like this, some few kilometers from the South African border, it was quite the travel time. As I posted a few days ago, it was certainly the 31 hours of travel to Botswana, but then once settled into Gaborone, pronounced with an “H”, after all those flights, 4 in total and many connection hours, there was the drive time. At least, I had an overnight to relax before the day’s drive here. The drive here was easily another 6 or 7 hours, but the result was being in the middle of the bush in a very nice lodge and camp along a river, very dry right now, even though it is rainy season, but I have seen no rain and the vegetation shows it. Along the way, I saw cows, donkeys, and sheep along the roads, but then you cross into the game reserve and that is where you come upon the wildlife. Starting with a few elephants and impala and wildebeest. It brought me back to when I had done my first safari in Kenya and Tanzania. ​

Of course, to get to a place like this, some few kilometers from the South African border, it was quite the travel time. As I posted a few days ago, it was certainly the 31 hours of travel to Botswana, but then once settled into Gaborone, pronounced with an “H”, after all those flights, 4 in total and many connection hours, there was the drive time. At least, I had an overnight to relax before the day’s drive here. The drive here was easily another 6 or 7 hours, but the result was being in the middle of the bush in a very nice lodge and camp along a river, very dry right now, even though it is rainy season, but I have seen no rain and the vegetation shows it. Along the way, I saw cows, donkeys, and sheep along the roads, but then you cross into the game reserve and that is where you come upon the wildlife. Starting with a few elephants and impala and wildebeest. It brought me back to when I had done my first safari in Kenya and Tanzania. ​

I asked in a post this week on Facebook, about whether I can count countries visited in terms of getting an entry and exit visa, even if I did not step out of the airport and even gave an example, of a time when I transited an airport in a country, Japan, specifically, but did not leave the airport, nor did I get an entry or exit stamp. I put it out there to see people’s opinions and there was certainly a mixed response, which I expected. Some said, if you physically landed in a country, passport stamp or not, you could count it, others, not, but in the end, I thought it was a good discussion and certainly look forward to hearing other opinions. For the record, I never did count Japan in the countries, visited, but yes, I was physically there. I plan on going back to make it official and yes, leave the airport, explore that country in depth, but for now, it is not counted, or perhaps list it with an asterisk, and Botswana remains for the moment, the 81st country I have visited. I did not count Japan then, some 5 or 6 years ago, and, for now will not count it, but the reason I started questioning it, is that I did get a stamp in and out of South Africa and got to thinking about if it could be counted. The funny thing is that if I had taken a moment to outside the airport which I could have done, then the question would have not been as poignant. Not a world crisis, just an interesting dilemma and I actually had plenty of time to do so, but I did not, given I was exhausted and simply waiting for the last leg of the journey to Botswana. In the end, I won’t have time on the return, the connecting flight is too short, so I guess I will simply have to return, but that is for another time. ​

Not as interesting as my experience to date at the Koro River Lodge with nature all around me and the reason I am here, the first part of this trip to Botswana. I have seen elephants, warthogs, impalas, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, and others as well. The last time I went on safari, I had the pleasure of experiencing this some 7 years ago, but for me, it does not get old. I love seeing nature in nature. I remember when first I returned from my last experience and going to a zoo, and just being not happy, seeing the animals fenced in. Yes, they had room, but they were there for the enjoyment of humans. Here I am seeing them in their home, and I am a guest in their home. What they do, goes, and I must respect that all the time. I know, many of the zoos in the world now have the missions to protect the species, and that is honorable, but to let them be and let nature takes its course, is something I believe in and that ruffle some feathers. In any case, I love the opportunity to breathe fresh air, decompress, and disconnect at times and with all the craziness in the world, being here currently, allows me that luxury. Yes, I am connected and here for my clients traveling, if need be, and still working on travels for others forthcoming, but for just a few days, it is nice to take it all in and not be connected, if I don’t want to be. Just doing a bush walk which we did yesterday or the night game drive, or my colleague pointing out crocodiles in the river to the lodge. All of this is so different than my daily life, but it is theirs and that I very much respect.

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What also makes this such an amazing experience are the people and their passion for what they do. Sound like a theme. They all here at the lodge are very passionate for the animals and their livelihoods depend on it. Whether it is the management, the guides, the cooks, the reception, the housekeepers, all love what they do. This is also their home, and they take much pride in what they do. I mentioned that while it is rainy season, there is no rain and one of the groundskeepers here was watering the grounds. I asked why and he said it was for the animals. Without the animals alive and well in a well-balanced ecosystem, there is no tourism here at all and that, here in Botswana, is their major export, to the world. Well let me re-phrase that. They take their wildlife very seriously and protect them from poachers as vehemently as I have seen in Africa. Shoot first and ask questions later. I am just fine with that, and this is a stable country on a continent that still has its share of problems. In any case, the passion is real, and it shows. I will only be in certain parts of the country and will have to return in the future, but I expect over the next several days to share more and learn more about this destination, one perhaps you had not considered. Also, Americans and many other nationals, don’t need an entrance visa, which should help tourism more in this country.

Last thoughts for now and as I mentioned a passion for what they do here, of course, I can’t forget a shout out to the lady in my life whose passion for what she does, back in Roma, makes me happy every day and I can stay connected to her with Wi-Fi, of course. She is only a one hours’ time difference away from here in Botswana but is a totally different world and hemisphere away from Roma. So, yes, having to be apart from her until we are together again in person, which will be in February, is something I hang on to dearly.  When you are in the middle of nowhere, and even though, other people are around, you have time to think and clear your mind at the same time and for me, that is something I need to do, and it gives me more clarity. I continue to see that my relationship with her gets stronger and stronger each day. I can only imagine a time in history when people were thousands of kilometers away from each other and contact was by mail, not email, not phones and not other forms of communication. I have an appreciation of what I have now and able to do what I am passionate about, but out there somewhere in the northern hemisphere, is the lady I love and thankful for the connectivity I have, even if is spotty at times. 
As always, I look forward to your comments, questions, concerns and continuing the discourse through whichever means you read my posts and if you want to chime in on my earlier post this week, count the country or not, I would love to hear back from you. Thank you as always for your support of my crazy little world and crazy little business. It is truly appreciated!!!