Cultural Excursion

This past week I have settled into my classes, things are finally getting pretty regular. During the week I have been focusing on schoolwork, and hanging out with friends.

This weekend we went on a Cultural Excursion planned by the International Office. We left Saturday morning and drove for a few hours. This was my first time really seeing the countryside up close, and it was very cool to see all the flatlands and hills. There are many cows, goats and donkeys around the countryside and by the sides of the roads. (the bus driver used his horn numerous time throughout our travels)

view from the rock paintings

We went to a village and had a tour, including of their open air courthouse. We learned about wedding ceremonies. One of the traditions is that the groom gives a ‘bogadi’ to the bride’s parents, which is usually a certain amount of cows. The man standing on the right is the 'kgosi', or main chief.

the village courthouse

We also stopped at the Manyana rock paintings, which are about 2000 years old. They were very faded, but amazing to think that they are actually that old.

can you see the antelope?

some giraffes

The Livingstone tree

Livingstone was a doctor and missionary who did his work under this tree (along with many others) He worked under this tree in the 1850s, which means that the tree was already big at that time. It is a fig tree and is amazingly big and sprawling.

We spent the night at Bahurutshe Cultural Village. The people there showed us (and let us try) some traditional dances and ways of preparing food. It was cools seeing their traditional dress and dwellings.

the villagers preparing to show us a dance

On Sunday we went to Mokolodi Nature Reserve for a game drive. The landscape was mainly sparsely wooded savannah, and we were able to see quite a few animals.

I am thoroughly enjoying being able to go out and see and experience all of these cool things in between my classes here. Next weekend we are planning to go to the Okavango Delta, which is the worlds largest inland delta. Stay tuned!

view from just outside the village