DAY ELEVEN.FIVE: Botswana Hospital

Darn it!  We were just finishing a delicious, yet of questionable nutritional value, meal when Linda began not feeling well.  The meal consisted of hot dogs (labeled "American Hot Dogs"), buttered and salted popcorn, broccoli and cauliflower salad, and hot cocoa -- yum.  Most of us felt a tiny bit uncomfortable, but certainly not ill.  Within an hour, it was apparent that Linda was not just ill, but in terrific pain and getting worse.  After a blessing from Wendell and good medical advice from Katie, we all trundled off to the hospital.  Wendell drove as quickly as possible to the private hospital in Gaborone.  It was an interesting cultural experience to be sure.  Needless to say, we are all trying to avoid another hospital stay occurrence.  Linda is doing great and we are never ever ever getting back together with the American Hot Dogs or the Botswana Private Hospital.

After 5 hours in the ER.

ER bed.

Sink in ER.  Tools used for another unnamed/unknown patient.

DAY ELEVEN: Orphan Centre

Our main reason for coming to Botswana was to work with vulnerable children and orphans.  We wanted to make photobiographies for the children to give them a better sense of themselves as individuals.  This proved challenging because in the past groups have come ostensibly to raise funds for the vulnerable children and have kept the money for themselves.  Therefore, the government has become very strict about what is and isn't allowed.  It's complicated.  Fortunately for us, Susan Williams, a regional director for the Seventh Day Adventist Church here in Botswana has graciously allowed us unfettered access to spend time with the children at the centre in Manyana "A Place of Hope"  This was our first day.  We are allowed to photo the kids and photographed we did.

Opening the gate for us.

Love them already!

DAY TEN: Kgale Hill + Gaborone Self Serve Game Reserve + Mission Office Baboons + Sam Retreats

Sam's flight home was this evening.  We were so sad to have him go.  Sam is the perfect travel companion and we were not ready for him to leave us so we crammed in as many activities as possible.

Kgale Hill hike at dawn with the Botswana missionaries.  This spot is a much needed landmark for travel in Gabs.  We got a bit turned around on our way back down and ended up in a concrete blasting site.  

res ipse loquitur

Love that Sam!  There was some political graffiti up there and a road sign posted in a rock that said Beijing.

Crafting a dead grass giraffe on the hike OR finding an excuse to rest.

 We hadn't seen warthogs, ostriches or monkeys, so off to the Gaborone game reserve.  This is a self serve reserve where driving yourself can seem like such a great idea.  Wendell, Madeleine, Sam and I drove our newly rented car to and through the reserve.  We went over to a marshy area where we hoped to spot some crocodiles.  The road was a bit wet and Wendell thought it would be a good idea not to go through on it.  Madeleine and I had the stronger voting block.  Thank you, Sam and Wendell for pushing/pulling us out.  No crocs here.

Makes you want to go all Swiss Family Robinson.  

One of the "creepy" monkeys -- Mads quote

Pumba

Baboons behind the mission office.  Yes, we fed them to get them to come closer for photos.

Tribute to one of the truly great traveling companions of all time!  Love you, Sam the Man!

DAY NINE: Sunday Fun-day as I Think Most People Call It + Throwback Lion King Style

Sunday...We went to the YSA Ward here in Botswana.  The whole thing was once in a lifetime, wonderful.  The congregants' singing was loud, on-key and generally amazing; nevertheless the Bishop arose after the opening hymn and prayer to give a tongue lashing about learning the hymns better and that the hymns were not just to be used at church on Sunday.  No small wonder they sang so enthusiastically!  The women who spoke were well-prepared and engaging and the counselor in the Stake Presidency who wrapped up the meeting was direct, yet amusing.  He counseled the young women to not waste their time with a young man that had dated them for 2 or more years with no hint of a marriage proposal because they would just have to start all over again -- wise words, wise words.  Sorry, no pics.

Not to be outdone by the NBA in the USA, we had our own neighborhood futbol finals.  Apparently, 4 teams come to the lot to play, each playing a match. They are very good and draw large crowds.  The lot is marked off with rocks and chunks of bricks. The winners go to the finals that day.  We were approached by 2 ladies supporting the yellow team to see if we wanted to sponsor.  We declined.  We were going for the blue team.

Sam subbing in. JK. He was getting out of the way of my camera and I think he is amazing even then.

Getting ready to score.

TBDN (Throwback Day Nine) This is a little Lion King production we put together on safari...enjoy...

DAY EIGHT: Mom Drives and We Do Not Die + Running like Natives

On day nine we picked up the car; we were told that we owed around $1000 if the car was damaged. After a few minutes with Babs behind the wheel, I was confident that we would be returning home $1000 poorer. The combination of my mother's normal, sketchy driving, my aunt's backseat driving, the normality of cow and goat crossing, the standard transmission, and the whole...opposite side of the road thing did not bode well. However, I am pleased to announce that we are two weeks in and accident free! So Kyle, we might just make it home with that $1000 for ya (:

Later Sam and I decided to take a jog at our neighborhood futbol field (a big dirt lot). While we were running, an African kid asked if he could join us. I was feeling good about our pace and enjoying the conversation when he said, "your pace is stupid...increase," at which point I fell behind while Sam, who had already run over a mile, kept pace. Please note that it is NOT because he is more athletic or in better shape than I am... someone had to take the picture!

Camping in Africa at Game City

DAY SEVEN: Watering Hole + Wild Dogs of Last Night

The watering holes were bastions of activity.  This day we saw over 40 elephants come to drink, mostly mamas and babies.  When the boys came around, the girls chased them off.  The bulls were persistent, but so were the mamas.  The babies were soo dang cute!  One baby was so little it didn't quite know how to drink using its trunk.  A couple of elephants started toward us and our guide was quick to throw the Rover into reverse and circle back around.  Jonny told us these were the true kings of the jungle!

Having a quick swig for the road.

Sam and Mads standing still for another photo -- bless 'em!

Tawny Eagle and Buffalo Weaver nests.

Baby elephant walk.

Twerking, part ii.

Mufasa...oooh...say it again.

This big boy was 9 or 10 feet from our Rover.  Jonny does not carry a weapon.  We all chilled here for about a half hour.  On one side of the watering hole were the elephants and birds and a lion.  On the other, wildebeests, impala and elephants.  The lion would look under the Rover to check out the prey.  We thought we was looking at us.  Really.

So happy to be here!  Seriously loved each minute!

Checking out his dinner options.

Go around me.

Okay then.  The same night of the day of the rhino, we had a crazy once-in-a-lifetime wild dog pack experience.  A wild dog pack was devouring its kill, a poor impala, when 2 honey badgers made an impressive attack to seize the food.  Epic battle ensued, but the wild dogs won.  Honey badgers are vicious.  Our guide said he'd never seen anything like it.  These pics are not for the faint of heart.  I didn't get photos of the honey badgers -- too wily for me.

DAY SEVEN.FIVE: Batting Clean-up on All the Photos not Heretofore Included

Must include all photos...actually there are 1000 so far...not going to happen.  Very tough to go back to reality after being at the happiest place on Earth.  But go back we did -- to Botswana!  L & W are extremely busy with mission life, yet they still made sure to keep us happy.  We picked up the car this day too.  Eventful. Very eventful.

Mamas chasing off the young bulls

Madeleine narrates the lion close-up.

Sam the man.  Don't want him to leave us!

Sitting area where the Hett kids learn "O Shucks" card game from the hands of the masters -- L & W.

Dining al fresco with hot cocoa.

Open air sleeping quarters -- complete with wee hours of the night visits from a leopard, fighting wildebeests and a civet (ugly!)

Hot water heater.  The donkey.

Out back in the bush.  There were electrified wires all around the camp, however, they were elephant height only.

The great indoors.

Sam's bachelor pad.

Mads at the campfire with Bart and Moses.  We were really missing the British Airways pilots, Chris and Simon and the older (80s) gentlemen from South Africa, Peter and William.  Peter was a main inventor of the synthetic diamond and good friends with Tracey Hall of BYU.

Water source.

Shower facilities.  May or may not have better water pressure than one of our showers back home and provides 5 full  minutes of hot water.

Open air toilet with water pitcher flush.  Surprising inoffensive.

Our bush camp whip.

Sam with Bart and Jonny -- so sad to be journeying on.