Botswana, the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country located
in Southern Africa. The country is flat
and 70% of its area is the Kalahari Desert.
It used to be one of the poorest countries in the world when it gained
its independence from the British in 1966, but now has one of the fastest
growing economies in the world.
It is a country that
is rich with tradition which is called Setswana. The music of the nation is called Tswana and
is primarily based around vocals without drums.
It might feature string instruments.
The traditional folk music of the area has been highly inspired by the
guitar in the last few decades. The northern villages of Etsha and Gumare are
known for the baskets that the women of the villages make. There are three
types of baskets usually made and they are used for storage or carrying items
on the head and plates that they use to inspect the local grain. The artistry
of these baskets is beautiful with rich colors, and has become quite popular in
commercial use. There are also traditional art galleries that can be found in
the more populated areas of the country that often show the beautiful
landscapes of the native land.
A great place to stay for an adventure is Jack’s Camp. It was recently refurbished in 2003 and is in
the traditional West African 1940’s safari style. There are 10 roomy quite stylish tents that
do have en-suite bathrooms and provide indoor as well as outdoor showering
facilities. The outdoor ones are of the customary
style set in a palm grove in the stark, yet beautiful environment. The tents
are furbished quite luxuriously with Persian rugs and crisp cotton sheets, and
quite go against the rugged wilderness of the landscape that surrounds you. The
wilderness is full of lush grass and herds of zebra and wildebeest. During the wet season you will see flocks of
flamingo and other migratory birds.
The guides at Jack’s Camp are usually graduate students that
combine their research with guiding.
They team up with a small group og Bushmen to guide the guests on
morning walks and game drives. You can also go out on 4 wheel quads and explore
the area. Here you will see
archeological sites possibly of now extinct animals. You can ride for miles and miles, and there
is absolutely nothing, it is a vista of nothing but the absolute wilderness at
its best and you are the front row viewer.
