Yesterday my family took a trip to Maun (said Mow-oon), which is the next city north of Ghanzi. The Okavango Delta touches... no more like entangles the city. Maun has one of the country's two international national airports and is my favorite vacation spot.
We went there because of a money transfer that was just easier to take care of in person. The sun had not yet risen when we left and consequently, was in my eyes for the first hour-and-a-half. I spent most of that time listening to music; Matt, Josh and Becca watched Phineas and Ferb; and I'm honestly not sure what Kathy was doing. When the sun had gone up far enough that I could see we were somewhere near Sahithwa.
The climate, that part that is visually apparent, was as different as Ghanzi is from Windhoek. The ground was absolutely bare, with the exception of the trees that grew, not quite thick enough to be called a forest, but not thin enough to be called The Bush. The sand was (if it was sand) was greyer than that which we have in Ghanzi, about the shade of grey the elephants find fashionable, and seemed to also be dustier than ours. The trees of the same sort in Ghanzi which are rather diminutive, there were quite formidable. Those trees in question being those of the acacia and similar varieties. despite the lack of grazing material, there were a lot of really really fat cattle, and that was as amazing to me as the grammatical structure of Black Speech.
As we approached Toteng, I prayed vehemently that the bridge hadn't washed out. "But Chris, it's dry season." Right, like the fact is gonna stop the river. As we came upon the bridge, I could see that the water was lower than it had been the last time we'd gone there, but even so, it lapped up against the tops of the hydro-channels. We got across with minimal difficulty, and proceeded on to Maun.
Upon our arrival, much to my surprise, we drove past the bank that we needed to go to. I was just about to ask why when Matt did. That's just one of those funny things about living in a large family, if you take too long in wondering about something, chances are someone else will notice too and ask first, if you're not quite quick enough. By the time he had finished his long winded, and serial interrupted interrogative tangent, we had already driven and nearly parked in front of the answer. We were in front of Eshinee's house.
We went in and and visited for a while. The house they (her and her husband) live in would've been comfortable for two, cozy for four; but for all seven of us... let's just say we were a (little) bit cramped. My mom and dad talked with her, a diversion that would allow for us to use the toilet (Bathroom to you Americans). She inquired as to what were doing in Maun and when my dad had told her, she asked if she could come along.
So with that, we waited for josh to get out of the bathroom, and then we were off. The our destination was less then ten minutes from her house, it was the mall near the Maun air port. As per the plan that we formulated on the way there, Kat went with Eshinee, mom, Josh, Becca and I went to the gift shop.
I don't know the name of the shop, and in all likeliness I probably never will. But it is one of the coolest places in all of Botswana-- that is if you are in to trinkets and random souvenirs that have no practical use for every day life. Between their supply of copper jewelry and incense related items, from time to time, they do actually manage to have some thing interesting. I was particularly drawn to a certain walking stick which was extremely intricately carved (for the craft of a Tswana) when Josh dirrected me to a brightly colored glass object that he could not identify. I chuckled. I knew from the hose that was attached what it was, but I really didn't want to tell him. Then mom came she looked like she was ready to leave, but when Josh asked her, she asked me. So I told them that it was called a hookah, and explained it to them. Josh looked thoroughly intrigued, a fact that causes me to worry.
After we left, we decided to have lunch."... and what better place to have lunch," Eshinee said a little too enthusiastically, "than Hilary's!" We did end up going there, and it was probably the best food I've ever tasted (sorry mom).
After we'd finished eating, our conversation drifted from banks to mental disorders, from earthen wear to noses; until we settled on the ever-so pleasant topic of major dental surgery. Upon which I was thoroughly amused, and it was after much slap-happiness that we had to go most unfortunately. A quick end to a good day it was.
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