Winter in Botswana

They told me that it gets cold in Botswana and I was forewarned to bring layers however, I am from the Northwest and I'm used to the cold (after all, some of my favorite things include snowboarding and snowshoeing), so I assumed that all the warnings were from wussy people who had no concept of what "real" cold means. Actually, when people started saying that "winter is coming" a few weeks ago, I had to suppress snowboarding dreams and thought I would have to readjust my perspective on winter and realize that flip flops were going to be the new norm for the next two years. Well, I am formally and officially stating that I was wrong. It is really really stinking cold here! And it's not just any type of cold. Nope, not at all. This is the kind of cold that gets deep into your bones and lingers. Yes, this is probably because the houses are made of concrete and there is absolutely no insulation whatsoever so you are constantly and continuously stuck in the cold. In fact, when I woke up this morning, the very first thing I saw in my bedroom was my breath. Brrrrrr. The past few mornings it has been below freezing when I woke up, literally. There is frost on the ground and talk of snow in South Africa. I was wrong. So, for all of you who want to come to Africa during its winter season (June-August), make sure you pack your puffy down jacket, a beanie and gloves, and your Uggs. It gets cold and it happens within the span of 24 hours. No joke. Brrrrrr.