Study Abroad, Botswana: All roads lead to... Maun.

Our second safari of the trip is over and so many memories were made. We arrived back in Maun on Thursday after spending four nights in Khwai. We started off our safari with a bang and on our first morning drive we were able to see a pack of African wild dogs feasting on the remains of an impala kill. On the very first night in Khwai, we had two elephants walk right through our camp while we were all sitting around the campfire. The elephants were plentiful and often walked right in front of our vehicles. We lost a juice box and a salad dressing to the monkeys that inhabited the trees surrounding our camp, but for the most part, they were welcome entertainment. Our nights were filled with noises from the hippos grunting, lions roaring, monkeys screaming, birds screeching, and hyenas howling. The game cameras we had set up in camp were able to confirm that hyenas were strolling through our camp during the night. Some other highlights of the trip were seeing a lioness, a leopard (for some of us, two!), and having a pack of wild dogs swarm around our cars, and then watching them (this time unsuccessfully) hunt an impala. This trip was also a bonanza for our lovingly deemed “Bird Nerds” of the group, who spent the trip spotting and identifying a variety of birds in the area.

Now we are getting settled back in Maun, finishing up presentations and lectures. Last night, we set up a projector in the main tent and had a movie night. Madagascar was the movie of choice featuring all of our friends we had just seen on safari.

This morning, we had the pleasure of meeting Milton, a man from Zimbabwe that now lives in Botswana, and makes a living selling his bead artwork and other handmade crafts. Milton patiently taught us how to string the beads on the wire and then how to wrap them into simple flowers and keychains. Our work was nothing compared to the impressive pieces he has created, but they were made with love and a good bit of laughter.