Perfect solution? Instead of sitting around doing nothing in my clinic with my "PMTCT team" I figured that time would be better spent spending the day exploring with them- and we could educate anyone we found in the bush on AIDS as we went. The team was down, and before I knew it me, my friend Smalls, and two girls set out into the bush.
I love hiking in chinos and a cardigan.
The hills give way to an old riverbed still strewn with rocks, and you find yourself in the gorge that must have been cut away millions of years ago by strong waters. We found a few waters sources, took a plethora of pictures, and stumbled into a herd of cattle. The guys tending the cattle were outraged when they saw me- "What are you doing here?!" They didn't believe me when I told them I lived in Shoshong, and they wanted nothing to do with a white person in this isolate and undiscovered spot. Rumors about developing a tourist site in Shoshong are rife, and they feared I was the first of the Sea Vomit to invade their privacy. The guy went on to say he lived in a cave four kilometers up the mountain and had never been to Shoshong, but that I was only allowed to come back to treat his illnesses (he thinks I'm a doctor). After a lot of unfriendly conversation in Setswana that I didn't need translated to understand, my friends and I turned around and started hiking back the way we came. Angry cattle farmer scared us off.
Smalls and I decided we wanted to hike up one of the hills, which are actually just giant boulders stacked upon each other. We left the two girls at the bottom to wait and set off, hoping to be back in two hours time. Climbing up was a blast and the views were spectacular. Getting near the top, Smalls saw a small indentation on the rock filled with a tiny bit of water and goes "Kiki, I'm going to take a bath." I think he's joking, when he starts taking off his shirt. I think to myself "Dear God this boy is ridiculous, it's not like he hasn't showered before work this morning and I really don't want to see him in his underwear" but I laugh and say "okay I'll turn around." This guy (who has kids and a wifey) then proceeds to take off ALL his clothes on top of the mountain and tells me I can take pictures!!! Turned the opposite direction, I just yell at Smalls to enjoy his bath and that no, I am not taking naked photos of him on top of the mountain. (I got cajoled into taking PG ones)
Eventually his luxury bath comes to an end (and I'm not going to lie- I was a little jealous of his experience, especially since my house has had no water for two months and I needed the bath more than him) and we start descending the hill. We collect some medicinal herbs from the mountain that only grow out of this rock, found a few caves, and Smalls taught me how his ancestors used to run up the hills during times of battle and heave boulders down to crush their enemies. Getting the bottom my legs were shaky and the two girls went through our pictures ... and decided that they were jealous that Smalls vindicated himself on the mountaintop. They too wanted their shot at freedom. And before I know it Diana and Nkamu are hopping from rock to rock in their underwear, demanding a photo shoot.
Who am I friends with? And why do they all like to run around without their clothes?
These people are insane.
Anyways later on in the day I'm hanging around "town" and this mentally retarded guy that I love named John comes up. It was the first time I had my camera out and of course John was fascinated, so I decided to teach him to use it. John had a ball- and quickly mastered the point and shoot. He went all around the village taking pictures of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. So I know have a few hundred pictures on my camera of close-ups of peoples faces (John never learned how to zoom, so he would stick the camera right into peoples faces. I love people with no inhibitions) and the reactions on peoples' faces are priceless. Some people pose, but most people in Shoshong look pissed off that this retarded boy is sticking a camera in their face.
So between my friends running around without clothes in Shoshong Hills and angry people with watermelon on their heads, I have pictures that will forever leave me laughing about ridiculous times in Shoshong. It really is the best village in Botswana.
And for added entertainment. I love this guy:
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