10 things you probably won't see in America

10 pictures you probably won't see in America

When is the last time you saw ostriches when you were driving down the road? To be fair, this is in a small government game reserve, but it really is in town about 2 miles away from our church! 

                     

 

Our termite mounds are a wonder of nature! They are larger than some trees! Ant hills always look so small when I see them in the States! 

                    

 

The drought is so bad that monkeys are stealing water from taps!!! Look closely at the stomach of the monkey on the right. (You can click on the picture to see more clearly) There is a tiny baby hanging on!

      

              

One of my children's favorite snacks is Mophane worms. They are spiky caterpillars which people catch, squish out the insides and then dry out. Some people soak them to plump them back up before eating them but my kids eat them crunchy like popcorn! In case you are wondering, NO I do not like them! They just taste like a old dried out leaf that pokes your mouth! 

I never know what I will see walking down the street. A VERY common sight is a lady carrying large items on her head. Typically, in addition to toting heavy bowls/buckets on her head, she will have a baby strapped to her back with a towel. 

The other picture is a pack of horses just meandering down my street! The drought is so bad that owners let their livestock roam the streets in search of food to keep them alive.

Of course you have all seen big buildings, but the interesting thing about Gaborone is that less than a mile from our modern downtown area are people who still live in huts with no electricity or running water.

Without indoor plumbing or electricity, a common sight is an outdoor kitchen. In this makeshift area, all cooking, washing dishes. and boiling water for bathing is done.

STRIKES: There is almost ALWAYS a strike going on somewhere in Southern Africa, usually in our volatile southern neighbor, South Africa. Currently, all universities in South Africa are striking to protest rising tuition fees.

There is also some strike going on the road that leads to Botswana where friends of mine have posted pictures of boulders that have been placed all over the road so cars can't drive. There have also been stories of locals throwing rocks at anyone who tries to drive on the road.

I don't fully understand what is going on with the strike with one of our main grocery stores, but somehow their shelves have been empty for the past two weeks as a consequence of some other strike going on in South Africa. Being a semi-arid desert, we grow very little food ourselves and depend almost exclusively on importining it from South Africa. So their strike becomes MY problem when I can't find food on the shelves.

A friend took this photo at the grocery store. Almost nothing on the shelves!!!!

I took this photo at another grocery store. Here is what was on the shelves, spread out as to appear as more food. 2 bags of croutons, 1 bag of celery, 1 bag of fennel, a few ready made meals, and a bag of vegetables = the sum total of shelves that are normally overflowing with fresh food.

This is an extra one thrown in for fun! We are experiencing a terrible drought with extreme temperatures over 100 degrees every day. This was taken in a local grocery store of the STORE MANAGER!!! Bet you won't see that in America! :)