Gaborone Cultural Walk

What better way to spend one's last Saturday in Gaborone than a 20 km walk around the city to see the historical sites and raise money for a 'charity'? That is what I did this morning, meeting a group of other walkers at the Three Dikgosi Monument at 6:30. It was very cold for the first few hours; indeed it has been in the mid 30s the past few nights and there was frost all over the ground this morning! Most of the other walkers were from two companies, DTC Botswana and BSB. The idea is that their companies pay for them to participate (a hefty sponsorship fee) and in the process demonstrate corporate responsibility and provide their employees with a team building opportunity. We followed a loop and it was lots of fun though I have seen many of the sites already. From the Three Chiefs we went to see the grave of 'El Negro' in Broadhurst then to Village (where we live) to see the fort, the prison, the graveyard and the botanical gardens. From there we walked to the Notwane Suspension Bridge which was built in the BP days to allow Batlokwa to cross the Notwane River to visit the Village of Gaberones. From there it was into town where we took in the residence of the Prime Minister, that is of Seretse Khama who was PM for one year before becoming President at independence. From there on to the statue of Seretse Khama and to the Morula Tree both of which are featured in our blog. And then the long haul back to the Three Chiefs. Fortunately, we took a short cut along the railroad tracks and behind the Attorney General's Chambers and the Ministry of Health. No one seemed particularly phased by the long walk; I think people are more used to walking. It was a great way to spend the last Saturday in Gaborone.

And the rest of the family? Mave and Kuno were both busy nearly all day (and all night in Mave's case) with birthday parties; so they are together with friends. Moses will go with his friend Masters in the evening to a Herero celebration in a nearby village (there are Herero in Botswana too though mostly in other parts of the country).