Rhino weekend, Part 1

This past weekend was a four-day weekend, thanks to the Botswana government. Mike and I went with another couple up to Khama Rhino Sanctuary on Friday. The four of us went on a game drive Friday night. It was pretty cool! Literally and figuratively. I got to see a jackal for the first time, ever. I thought they were bigger (I blame those darn ancient Egyptians :). I also saw zebras, steenbok (these cute little antelopes), some deer like creatures (DLC's, as Mike puts it), and various birds.
On Saturday we went treasure hunting first thing. We found the only geocache in Khama. The website above lists geocaches in 214 countries. You need a GPS device and a shovel to geocache. Someone buries a container at specific GPS coordinates. They will then post the location, what was buried, and any hints about where the cache is. If you find a cache, you can take one item out and replace it with something else. I took a Swaziland coin and left a Botswana coin. We were going to bring some US state quarters, but we forgot. Later that day we created our own cache.

Dining differences

Dining out in Gaborone is not something to do if you're in a hurry. We have been out to eat many times since we've been here, and it's usually the same. You wait to get your menus and place your "starter" drink order. Then the waiter will come back in 10-15 minutes with your drinks and take your food and dinner drink order. If you ordered an appetizer, you will get it in a minimum of 20 minutes. Then you wait another 20-30 minutes after you finish your appetizers to get your main course. After your main course plates have been cleared away, you wait for the waiter to come back with dessert menus. If you don't want dessert, that doesn't mean they will bring you the check. You have to specifically ask for it. And don't ask for separate checks. Even if you ask when you sit down, they won't do it. Oh, they'll tell you they can, but at the end of the meal, they'll only bring one check. The good news is that a reservation means your table will be available whenever you get there. Last night Mike and I had dinner with his boss and two contractors who were in town for a couple of weeks. We had a reservation for 6:30 last night, but didn't get there until 6:45, because of traffic. When you reserve a table, it is reserved for the entire night. They even put a reserved sign on it. There is no double seating here. Oh, and there are no refills on drinks, either. That's what annoys me! I'm usually thirsty (no matter where I am here), so I frequently have 3 340mL cans of Tab with a meal. Tab is the only drink in this country that has no sugar, caffeine, or alcohol (besides water, of course).

We're famous

Botswana is famous. A beauty pageant that has been advertised for months here was mentioned as part of the odd news on myway.com. I find it amusing that they would put it under the odd news when to us here it's just news. The fact that it's necessary to have a pageant with that name is not so amusing. Botswana and the US government have been spending a lot of money to improve the HIV/AIDS situation here. On the inside of the car registration in the windshield it says "Speed Kills, Condoms Save." People have definitely gotten the first half of the message. Ignore a red light, sure, but when they go through it, they're definitely not speeding!

There is a radio serial drama called Makgabaneng that's on twice a week (in Setswana) that deals with all sorts of issues related to HIV and AIDS. There are government funded facilitators that get together with groups of listeners during or after the programs air to discuss the issues raised. I'm actually working on a database right now to track the listening and discussion groups, participants, what they think of the discussion guides and topics discussed. Another big program is PMTCT (Preventing Mother to Child Transmission [of HIV]). There are billboards around town advertising the free program. In a place where 40% of the women of childbearing age are HIV+, it's a vital program. Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is another big program. That is also advertised. The Botswana President (Festus Mogae) got tested publicly to encourage other people to do the same.

Anyway, the Miss HIV Stigma Free pageant was held last Saturday. Here's the link to the article that started this post: Beauty Pageant to choose Miss HIV