Guest Blogger: Benida Solow (Honorary-Aunt)

This is a guest blog written by Benida Solow. Benida has been an honorary member of my family for as long as I can remember. In her post, she shares about her time in Botswana and about how it opened her heart to Africa. It was amazing to have her on our family trip and I will be forever grateful for all of her love and support throughout this entire experience.

"This was one of my all-time favorite travel experiences! The people, the place, the animals - I loved getting a glimpse into Tija's life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. That is something that I have always wished I'd done when I was younger. It is so difficult to imagine taking myself out of my life and away from my family for two years at this stage in my life so it probably won't happen. But, then again, who knows?!

Visiting Tija's NGO and meeting the wonderful women and kids will always be a truly memorable part of the trip. The kids are so adorable and were so thrilled to meet us and receive the stickers and animal cookies that we brought. To realize that they were just one classroom of little orphans and that there are so many more is so heart-wrenching. Yet, to see the big smiles on their little faces and know that we brightened up their day, literally brought tears to not only my eyes but to all of us that day. It was very cool to have seen the video on youtube of the kids singing to George and Laura Bush and then to see that same pink classroom full of the same little kids for real!

It was a challenge to learn how to use my new camera while being in the moment and wanting to capture the best photos possible and, at the same time, not wanting to be saddled with carrying around a heavy camera! A minor detail for sure but a consideration nonetheless. Good thing we were in the vehicle while most of the photographic moments were happening!

Revisiting being roommates with Tija's Aunt Patti was just as fun as it was way back in 1965! I am so honored to be included as an honorary auntie in this amazing life. Tija has a great house, she's surrounded by caring friends and the most perfect boyfriend a girl could want! Tuan, I can't wait to see you here one day!

What fun it was to cook in Tija's kitchen and then just throw the food waste out the window for the chickens and goats... now that's recycling!! And also going over to Lovey's house for a traditional home-cooked lunch was really special. I loved her welcome: "The house is small but the welcome is BIG!" That summed it up perfectly. I can't wait to try her recipe for dikgobe, although I may have to substitute some of the ingredients if I can't find them here.

It was a thrill to be able to go on a camping safari that was literally down to earth (funky mattresses with sleeping bags on the ground), yet we had the luxury of having our tents set up for us and yummy meals cooked for us. Compared to camping in Peru with Tina in 1971, this was definitely luxury! We even had hod water camp showers with a real shower head at the bottom of a canvas bag (Jena posted a picture of this!). Tija chose an amazing guide for our experience. Anthony (the guide), his brother Phatsi, and our chef Victor were all wonderful and full of warmth. We became a little family for those five days. We were shown an abundance of mammals, birds, and plants. Of the mammals, the three leopards we saw were my favorite. They were magnificently beautiful. And, of course, hanging out right next to two sleeping male lions was pretty amazing too! I also loved the male kudu - they look like mythical creatures with their long winding horns.

The Lilac Breasted Roller was gorgeous - no wonder it's Botswana's national bird - and the male Saddlebilled Stork was like a cartoon bird (or maybe he has actually inspired many cartoon birds wearing tuxedos!). I remember how excited we were to spot our first hornbill as we were driving to the Rhino Sanctuary! And then they were almost everywhere! And Tija, yes, you told us it was winter and that it would be cold buuuuut... 30 degrees Fahrenheit for our first early morning game drive? We definitely weren't prepared for that! Even with four layers of clothes and a blanket wrapped around each of us so that we looked like we were all wearing burkas, we still froze until the sun came up!

I was surprised to find that we didn't find many restaurants serving local "African" food. I guess the food at the Rhino Sanctuary came the closest to that. But, I have to say, I'm glad we weren't served any mopane worms! That would have been difficult for me after seeing the dried ones on the street in the marketplace in Gaborone! I have tried some pretty weird foods, including a few insects, but when they look like big fat caterpillars (even the dried ones), I don't think I could have done it! Victor's cooking on the safari was quite yummy and once he saw how much we all craved the Botswana spinach they got arms full of fresh spinach for us!

Our itinerary worked out perfectly! We ended our safari in Kasane at Kubu Lodge, which was beautiful and right on the Chobe River. I took a swim in their pool (to avoid the crocs and hippos) while everyone took their "real, hot showers" after five days in the bush. The next day, we drove up to Zimbabwe for a quick overnight visit to see the breathtakingly beautiful and amazing Victoria Falls. We stayed at the Shoestrings Backpackers Lodge, which wasn't as nice as the Old Bridge Backpackers in Maun but had good food and a really fun atmosphere. Then it was back to the Kubu Lodge the following day for some relaxation before flying back to Gaborone for our last night in Africa.

We didn't have time to explore traditional villages, see dancers, or do other cultural things and I am sorry I didn't just stay another week. Our two week visit was way too short! But, Tija, you sure succeeded in trying your best to fill every minute with something fun and interesting for us to do. I remember when, during the itinerary planning stage, some of us thought that spending an entire day just hanging out with the "Kums Kids" seemed like it wouldn't be something we would enjoy... Boy were we wrong! I loved getting to know Bokena, her brother, and her cousin, and spending the day with them. By the way, have you been able to visit adorable Bokena in her new home yet?

I am going to admit that going to Africa (except for Egypt) had never been a travel priority for me. I guess it was all of those movie images of Englishmen walking in line carrying guns while on a safari that I saw throughout my life that had turned me off. But this blog of yours sure sparked my interest and now that I have had a taste of Botswana and Zimbabwe and see what it is really like, I definitely want to go back and see and experience more! If you stay another year, I would love to come again, stay longer, and travel farther to see more! Tija, thank you so much for such an amazing experience!

Guest Blogger: Tina Danzig (Mom)

My Mama with "Her Lions"

This is a "guest blog" post written by my mama, Tina. She shares all of the things that she loved about Botswana and her time here. And, I have to admit, it warmed my heart to share it with her. Mama, we are ready and waiting for you to come back! Can't wait!

"I wasn’t sure what to expect on my trip to Botswana to see Tija.  All I knew is that I was so happy and so excited to finally see her after 16 months. And knowing that I was headed there with Jena by my side made it perfect. Of course, sharing this experience with my sister Patti and dear friend Benida was incredible beyond words (obviously), but knowing that Tija, Jena, and I would be together again was so overwhelming to me. 

The trip there was LONG, uncomfortable, and felt never-ending. When we finally arrived in Botswana and were standing in the passport line, I could see Tija up ahead whenever someone opened the exit door. My heart was pounding - I could hardly stand it. When my passport was stamped, Jena looked at me and said “Mom, just go to Tija, I’ll get the luggage!”. I ran, opened the door, and finally felt Tija’s amazing hug. I was “home” in some sense of the word. It felt so good and I was so happy.

I won’t bore you with information about flights, luggage, car rentals etc., except to say, if you want something done now or right away (in Botswana), Tija quickly taught us that we have to say “now-now” (and not just “now”). This was a lesson we continued to learn throughout our amazing adventure. 

Tija’s house is beautiful and big and comfortable. I loved being there. I loved being in her village and meeting all of the people she calls both “friend” and “family”. I honestly felt that I needed more time there and at her NGO. I really did. But I am grateful for the time I had because it showed me this beautiful world she is living in.

I know Jena has covered a lot about the kids and women of Tija’s NGO, but this blog wouldn’t be complete without me echoing what Jena said. The women are amazing, loving, beautiful, caring etc. etc. And the children are so unreal, especially when you consider their circumstances. Handing out stickers and animal cookies was so much fun and they had such wonderful and happy looks on their faces. They were so cute and so grateful for everything we shared with them.

On a quick side-note, before I get too involved in the details of the trip, I want to say that the handshakes in Botswana are amazing… These greetings are different from area-to-area and all just unique and wonderful.

Early in the trip, we got to meet Bokena and Bofelo, two very special orphans from Tija’s first NGO in “Kums”. I love these children and they love Tija. Tija has talked about them in previous blog posts, but seeing them for myself, hugging them, and spending time with them was certainly one of the highlights of my trip.

I think one of the things that touched my heart so much was that the people seem to come from a place of grace and gratitude for who they are and what they have. It is so different than in America, where too many people focus on what they don’t have and what they’re unhappy about. After losing my husband, I had a shift in how I see the world and my personal gratefulness. After being in Botswana, I know I had another shift in how I perceive the/my world. I am different now. I can’t stand pettiness even more than before. I see that it’s a waste of time and energy and that it drains our souls.  

This blog post would not be complete with my sharing about the safari. I hadn’t wanted to do such a long one, I did complain about it before we went, but, in the end, I don’t think I would have traded even one minute of it. It was perfect. Our guide, Anthony, was the perfect guide for us. “My” lions (as they came to be called) were incredible. They were so beautiful and more than I could have hoped to see. Watching them sleep only five feet away from us was more than a dream come true. My only regret was that I didn’t sprinkle any of Max’s ashes with those two lions because he would have loved them and would have loved being there in the open grasslands. I swear, he even looked like them. To this day, I feel a little sad about that.

By the end of our safari, we saw the “Big 5”, plus so many more amazing animals and birds. It was unreal and unbelievable and, when I run it all back through my mind, I still can’t believe it all. Who sees three leopards? And multiple prides of lions? And baby elephants, hippos, zebras and the birds…. Amazing. Oh yes, and a herd of elephants walking through your campsite?! That was a funny story that I’ll let Patti talk about!!!

One of the other notable facts about Botswana is that there are no guns. And there is no poaching. The animals feel safe, which is why we were able to get so close to them. You still need to honor them but they don’t run from you. For example, Anthony would point out things like, “don’t cross in front of the female lions”. Anthony told us that we were 75% safe throughout the safari, but that, if we listened to him and if we comply with what he told us, the safety percentage went up.  For the most part, we listened. Although, I have to say that it’s really hard not to squeal when you see all the amazing wildlife that we saw!

And, finally, I was thrilled to have met Tija’s boyfriend Tuan. I know, I’m not allowed to fall in love with a boyfriend but this one is special and you can truly feel how much they love each other. One of my favorite moments was when we were coming back from our safari and Tuan met us at the airport. When he saw Tija walking on the tarmac from the plane, his face lit up and he started taking pictures of her. It was so sweet. 

On the subject of meeting people, it was wonderful to meet Tija’s friends - PCVs and others. Some came long distances just to meet us and I will always be grateful. She has amazing friends and a strong support group around her, which makes me so happy. I know that she is in a safe place and that I don’t have to continually worry about her. She is well taken care of. 

My Africa fund is still open and I am saving my pennies to head back there if Tija decides to extend her service for a third year. In the meanwhile, thank goodness for Internet so we can keep in touch.

Tija, thank you for showing us the most amazing time and for arranging all that we did. I love you so much. 

Love, hugs and kisses,

Mom"

Guest Blogger: Jena Danzig (Sister)

Jena in front of our safari vehicle

What follows is a "guest blog" by my sister, Jena. She discusses her trip to Botswana and her insights into the good, the different, and the happy. On a personal note, I would like to thank her for the incredibly kind words and for truly making the most of her visit. It was beyond compare.





"When I think about my time in Botswana, it's really hard to focus on one thing at a time. My mind runs through all the things we did, all the things we saw, and all of those crazy once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I had during those two amazing weeks. I guess that's why it took so long for me to write about my trip. There's just so much I could talk about.

When people asked me about my trip when I first got back, all I could really say was it was insane and such a crazy and awesome experience and, of course, it was amazing finally getting to see Tija again. I also had my two go-to stories that I told. One was about a Baboon Spider that happened to crawl into our tent while Tija and I were taking a nap. For all those people scared of spiders in the States, you haven't seen ANYTHING until you've seen a Baboon Spider under your sleeping bag! Needless to say, that freaked me out to the max. My other go-to story was about the bravest Eagle Owl mom ever. She literally fought off a Martial Eagle from her nest of baby owls right in front of us and came out victorious. That was really quite the sight to see and I think it's safe to say that I have the same chance of seeing that again as I would have of getting struck by lightening twice. Although those are fun stories to tell my friends, they don't really encompass what it is to be in Botswana and they definitely don't explain what my sister, or the other Peace Corps Volunteers, are doing.

One thing that really stuck out to me were the people of Tija's NGO. If you think you know the nicest and most caring people ever, sorry to say it, but you're wrong. (Unless, of course, you know these women.) When I walked into the NGO, I saw a sea of smiling faces on some of the most beautiful kids I have ever seen. Then Tija says to us, "All of these kids are orphans, whose parents or guardians have passed away, mostly from AIDS." I felt my heart drop to the ground and break into a million pieces. All I wanted to do was take all 42 of those kids home with me but then, looking at the women of the NGO, I knew they were in good hands right where they were. They all got up and sang us songs and were insanely happy when we gave them stickers. They immediately began trading their stickers and putting them all over their faces. My mom had also brought a bunch of supplies for the women of the NGO and, at that moment, they were the happiest and most grateful people on earth. These women have dedicated their lives to helping these kids, teaching them, feeding them, and just making them happy.

Thinking about the time we spent at the NGO, I can't even imagine seeing all those faces every day, knowing what those kids have been through. This is what my sister does every day, among many other things. She gets up, goes into the NGO, and puts a smile on every one of those kids' faces. I can't think of anything more heartbreaking to do on a daily basis, but I also can't think of anything more rewarding. She doesn't only bring happiness to those kids though; she's also built a family at the NGO with everyone that works there. From the women who run the NGO, all of the Volunteers, and to every single cook, she has established amazing relationships with everyone. Seeing that made me extremely happy because that meant when I left she still had people there that love her and treat her as their own family. I don't know how to put it into words but the feeling of knowing my sister has such a great group of people surrounding her made me feel MUCH better about her being half a world away.

On a much lighter note, I definitely want to mention the shower situation over in Botswana because that was a source of struggle for me. First of all, Tija has a geyser at her house that she has to turn on for two hours (during the winter) to warm enough water for a bath. This geyser works well enough to heat up about five inches deep of water in her tub. This means that to bathe, you have to basically lay down in the tub and pretty much splash water on yourself. The first day there, I was the second person to bathe. We let the geyser re-heat after the first bath for about 45 minutes. Lets just say it was less than awesome... it was cold, shallow, and NOT what I was used to at home at all.

Then there's showering in the bush while on safari. This was done with a bucket of "hippo water" that was warmed up over a fire. At first I thought it was amazing because I was actually standing up and the water was warm. Unfortunately, after my shower, I smelled like hippo water.

Then there are the outdoor showers at the backpackers hostels. Those are not freezing but I wouldn't call them warm either. At least they're stand-up showers though, which I found out are not very common over there.

Then there's Tija's friend Jeremy. Jeremy walks to a water spicket in the middle of his village, fills up a bucket of water, and walks it back to his larger bucket at home and bathes in that. That's when I found out that Tija's five inches of warm water in a real tub were actually pretty amazing.

Finally, after six days in the bush, we arrived at a really cute chalet. They had stand-up showers with... HOT WATER! That was literally the best shower of my life and I don't think any shower will ever come close to beating that.

Going to Botswana was really the most amazing, crazy, eye-opening, and just all-around outrageous trip that I have ever and will ever go on. I commend Tija, and all the other Peace Corps Volunteers that are over there, for what they are doing. They are in a world completely different from what they have grown accustomed to and have turned Botswana into their homes, have grown to love their lives there no matter how little they have, and are helping change and better the lives of the Batswana that have become their neighbors, friends, and family.

Looking back, I really can't believe all that I saw and experiences and the genuine goodness of the people in Botswana. I loved every second of this trip (minus the day with the Baboon Spider in my tent) and am so happy knowing that Tija has made a real life over there. I truly believe what she's doing is actually making a difference in the lives of many people. I still can't wait for her to come home but at least now I have seen her world and that makes me feel like I'm not so far away anymore."