Part 7: Falling Off the Edge of the Earth

What a whirlwind of a weekend. Alex and I along with the other interns headed up north to visit Chobe coupled with a quick trip to Victoria Falls! It was incredible to say the least, but let me start from the beginning.

We were able to take a plane (a very expensive one I might add) to fly in to Kasane, which is right outside the Chobe National Park. After being picked up from the tiny airport by our hotel guides, we reached the Water Lily Lodge and were amazed by what we saw. Greeted with an "all you can eat" buffet, we ate quickly and ran out to look at the view beyond the lodge.

It was so incredibly green! Much different than the array of browns of the bush we see in and around Gabs. Following some time spent relaxing by the pool, we hopped into a boat and were on our way to enjoying a 3 hour sunset cruise. With an unbelievable view in front of us, we took TONS of pictures. Sadly for me, my camera stopped working midway through the trip so I was stuck using my iPhone. It just doesn't do the sights justice, but here are a few things we saw!

The tour ended with a herd of elephants crossing the river during the sunset. What a day. It only got better from there. Once we docked, we headed to the bush lodge we were staying in for the next couple of nights. Although the drive there in the open air vehicle was freezing, where we arrived was totally worth it. Alex and I got our own hut on the edge of the lodge, with a porch that was perfect for stargazing. After enjoying a delicious homemade meal of vegetable stew and chicken, we hit the hay early in anticipation for the next day.

Waking up at our usual 5:45am time seemed much easier knowing what lay ahead of us. A full day filled with some of the most beautiful sights of Africa (not to mention one of the seven natural wonders of the world!) Despite the brief chilly open air vehicle ride to our van, I couldn't wait to get to Zimbabwe! We were told it would be about an hour trip to the falls, but that most of the delay would stem from crossing the border from Botswana to Zim. Once we had left the country painlessly, we headed to the Zim immigrations office. One of the other interns is actually originally from Singapore and didn't have to pay the mandatory $30 if you are from the US. I joked with the officer that I too was from Singapore and therefore should be exempt from the fee. His eyes seemed to glaze as the joke went over his head. "You are obviously from America, as you have an American passport." Right-o sir, nevvvverrrminddd. Clearly my dad's cheesy humor that strangers rarely understand is rubbing off :)

After making it across both borders, we were on our way to the falls, specifically the famous bridge where we would be able to enjoy the morning's activities filled with zip-lining, and for the more adventurous folks, bungee jumping and swinging. Once on the bridge, I actually got to straddle the "no man's land" and put one foot in Zim and one foot in Zambia. Three countries in one day must certainly be some kind of record!

Because I went skydiving with Robb last summer, I felt it was only fair to wait to bungee jump with him too. As a result, I merely zip lined over the gorge! This was the view:

I couldn't wait to head over to the falls and before I knew it, it was time. The view was unbelievable and breathtaking. Something I definitely must see again in my lifetime. Here are just a few angles, as it is too massive to capture in just one shot.

Amazing, right? I was so sad to leave, but I have vowed to return, especially since we missed out on swimming in the Devil's pool right next to the falls. The water is too high this time of year which just gives me an even better reason to go back. Once we arrived back at the lodge, we gorged ourselves on another delicious home cooked meal. For desert we had bananas swimming in a delicious amarula (which is slightly alcoholic and amazing) cream. And to top it all off, our night ended with a herd of elephants coming to drink at the water hole located right outside of our lodge. We watched them for what seemed like hours until they wandered off into the darkness and we could no longer see them. I continued to sit outside, wrapped in the warmest blanket ever, and stared at the stars. It's amazing how many you can see without the city lights drowning them out. The next morning, we headed out for our final game drive. I didn't want this trip to ever end, but alas all good things do. We saw a multitude of animals, including some elephants and giraffe feet from the vehicle! These were taken with no zoom from my measly iPhone, so you know its close!

Overall, this weekend must be dubbed the most amazing experience of this trip. I've been telling Alex all along that I wish experiences like this could be remembered moment for moment, but I guess that's why we have pictures to remind us. The only thing I would change about this trip to Bots, would be to have my family (and Robb) here to enjoy it too. I miss you guys! Stay tuned for my last few blogs coming up this week. Can't believe we leave here on Saturday; time really does fly when you're having fun!

Part 6: Ghanzi from Behind

This past week, Alex and I traveled to Ghanzi (pronounced with a throaty cough at the beginning) with the wildlife vet, Erik (or Fred as we now prefer to call him). On the way there, we were embarking on a 7 hour drive. Erik decided we should stop at a gas station in Kang where he knew the owner and we could chat and get some dinner, which happened to be a cheeseburger larger than my head. On the way out, he suggested we get some snacks, and his definition of snacking is buying every type of junk food in the store. We had jelly tots (my personal fave) and caramel covered popcorn, and "enerjelly babies," and that is just the beginning of the list. It was a pretty awesome week filled with tiring amounts of junk food!
We would arrive at the farm later than we had originally intended, which meant we would be driving at night, something Erik hates to do. It's actually pretty dangerous because herds of cattle/donkey/goats are all wandering around due to the drought and they often cross the road without warning. Nevertheless, we trudged through. It ended up being an awesome drive because Erik was pointing out a ton of wildlife for us, and by the end I was telling him which was a Duiker and which was a Sternbok (this is no easy task, let me tell you). He even turned the car completely around because I thought I had caught a glimpse of a porcupine and he wanted us to get a good look. These creatures are seriously huge! I would not want to battle with one that is for sure. Apparently they are a lion delicacy however.
We finally arrived at the farmhouse of Kworbus and his wife, Arletta and their three adorable children. The next morning, we were up at sunrise...literally because the roosters were crowing right outside our window. Rusks awaited us on the kitchen table (which are a bit like biscotti and very tasty dipped in morning coffee). Then we were off, ready to get very and I mean very dirty. Check out what we looked like by the end...oye

                                                        .....and this is my clean side!

Pregnancy Diagnoses are by no means easy.  In fact, it is easily one of the most difficult skills I have attempted to yet master in vet med. It is done entirely by feel...which means your entire arm is deeply plunged into the rear end of the cow. It's pretty tight in there and I am desperately feeling around for the cervix, uterus, and most of all a fetus. I was seriously terrible at it the first day (and the second day for that matter) calling several cows "empty" meaning I thought they had no pregnancy and Erik would rush through saying "yepp, this one is 6 months" a fetus I should have easily felt. Oh well. Day one over, and we came home to an awesome bath, backyard fire, and delicious dinner. This was also one of the nights of the supermoon, which was really awesome to see.

Day 2 my skills were getting slightly better, but still not great. It was another day full of mud (see below us completely covered along with Erik). Again we came home to an awesome dinner and fire. It was a lot of fun listening to Erik tell stories of when he was in vet school. It made me reflect on the fact that I am a very tame student compared to him. In fact, his stories reminded me a lot of my dad's college stories, so I enjoyed them a lot. 

Day 3 we finally started to get the hang of things....and when I say that I mean I think my accuracy may have improved from maybe 30% to maybe 55%? I would call that slight improvement! Erik informed us that we had finished early and would heading home the next day (meaning he had felt 1500 cows, and we had probably felt max 300). I was actually really sad. This brief view of farm life had left me with the sense that this is something I have been missing. I really felt like I could have spent forever there, with that family and all those cows. I had such an awesome time and it felt like home to me. On the way back from the day's work, Erik said we had some time, and since we were so close to the Namibian border, we should just "go check it out." So we did! Ha here we are pointing to the next country over and we are filthy!

We headed home the very next day and I was really sad to watch the farm disappear from view as we left. At least the ride was eventful as Erik and I discussed the politics of my country, his country (South Africa) and Botswana. I have learned so much about the political system here and how things work. Talking to Erik is like talking to an encyclopaedia of knowledge, he knows so much! Hopefully I will be off traveling again with him next week, I can't wait!

Part 5: Kalahari Safari

This past weekend was spent in the Kalahari. A true desert if I ever saw one. But its not the immense sand dunes you would expect. In fact, it is heavily treed and has many bushes but every one of them is adapted to live in one of the harshest environments in the world. We had a four hour drive in this amazing open-air vehicle. It was SO cold, but really neat! I also caught a cold, I think because of the intense temperature change from Thailand to Africa. I never imagined Africa to be this cold! Especially in a desert!

We headed to the Khutse Reserve but not before stopping off in a research camp right outside. The researcher there told us about how she tracks the lions and leopards within the reserve by collaring them. It was really interesting to learn about. We then headed to camp.

Once we reached our destination, we ate some lunch. It was the first time I had pilchared fish aka sardines in a can. It tasted a bit like tuna fish and I think I could grow to like it if I eat it more. Then we set up our tents. We made some new friends as we worked: the hook bill bird, which is Zazu from the Lion King!

We then went on a game drive where we saw an African Wild Cat, a Jackal, a mongoose, and some Fembock. All were really cool and our guides, Chris and Kenny were great, pointing things out left and right. We got back to camp just as the sun was setting, so we built a fire and waited for our dinner of beef stew and rice to be ready.

After the delicious meal, we sat around the fire and listened to our guides discuss histories of Botswana and South Africa but also other great countries of the world. It was extremely interesting and they were very knowledgeable. We drank hot chocolate as the temperature dropped and soon it was time for bed. When we awoke the next morning, we watched the sunrise and drank hot chocolate again around a small fire. We ate breakfast and broke down our camp. After packing everything away, we began to drive off, looking for game as we rode out. We managed to see some Springbok and ground squirrels. Then we were on our way home. We stopped halfway to eat some lunch (pilchard fish) and then arrived home at about 4:30pm. It was an incredible experience, one of my favorites thus far on the trip. I can't wait to go camping back in the States, its a lot of fun!

Part 4: Diamond in the Ruff (Jwaneng)

As soon as I got back from Thailand I was off again. Erik, the wildlife vet who works for the clinic, was called out to do some wildlife management work in Jwaneng. Jwaneng is the town where Debswana's diamond mine is located. And if you find a loose diamond on the ground, you can get up to 30,000 Pula for it! ($3750!) Needless to say we were looking ;-P They are having a serious baboon problem however, and asked Erik to step in and help.

Right before we left, we had to stop at Erik's house. The house had a few surprises in store:

Erik and his wife Marlize (who is also a vet at the clinic) keep this lion as well as a leopard in their back yard. Talk about cool! They were orphaned and the president allowed them to keep and care for them. They actually play with them, so crazy! In this picture, the lion is only about half the size he will be when he's all grown up! And then, when Erik said he had to "check on the little ones" we were not sure what to expect...and then.....

 

So cute!!! Alex and I each got to hold them and take pictures. Next thing I knew we were off to Jwaneng. Regrettably I didn't get any pictures of the baboons, they run off when you get close to them. The problem is that they are harassing the ladies that make lunches for the workers and digging in trash bins etc. The people are becoming scared of them as they are getting more aggressive. Erik's solution was keeping kitchens closed and also locking up the waste containers in a way that is baboon proof. Finally, we had to scare them off to let them know they are not allowed in the mine area. This included shooting at the baboons with a rifle. What a sight to see Erik running around after the baboons firing off warning shots every few seconds. We counted about 47 baboons in total all over the mine area. We first scared them off in the "Green Area" where any lay person is allowed to go. But then we had to also scare them away from the "Blue Area" which is a more tightly secure place. To enter, you must first go through "Induction." This is a 3-hour long course that involves all of the safety hazards of the mine. Erik and Alex had already gone through it the week before while I was in Thailand so I was on my own. Half of it being in Setswana and the other half full of repetitive questions, I was not seriously impressed. But after it was over I was then able to get into the "Blue Area." We began scaring them off again. At night we slept in a game reserve caravan that was right next to the mining area. We got to see some Zebras within the reserve as well as track the baboon spoor (footprints). After two days of excitement and sleeping in a caravan, we headed home, hopeful that our work would be continued and the baboon problem would lessen in Jwaneng.

Part 3: To Thailand and Back

Warning to readers: this will be long as I will attempt to sum up my whole trip to the land of Thai in one post. TL;DR- Thailand was great!

While on the 6 planes it took to get there and back from Gabs, I only had one flight delay on the last flight on my way home... I was seriously impressed. I took Etihad airways because it was the cheapest flight I could get back in March and it was awesome! I know this is virtually irrelevant to my travels, but check out the actual menu we got on the flight!

On our first full day in Bangkok, we ventured to the MBK mall, which was a sight I was unprepared for. It had 6 floors with no rhyme or reason to any of the escalators so it was quite an adventure just getting around. We then headed to Khaosan Road which is a "backpacker's dream" of sorts.

The following day we headed as a group to our first clinic day! It was so much fun. I performed my first Thai-cat neuter and got a lot of experience being in charge of anesthesia for some animals and assisting the "surgeons" aka other vet students on others. We also got this great photo in front of the Vet4 clinic. This hospital is huge and maintains 15 doctors which is insane.

The next day, Vet4 sponsored us to go to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. It was an interesting experience. Actually it was quite sad. I didn't take many pictures because the way the animals were maintained under very poor welfare conditions and I was unimpressed by this place. Most of the tigers were open mouth breathing from the heat, none of the cages had any grass or natural flooring besides concrete. Far too many tigers were crammed into each enclosure. Baby pigs dressed as tigers were being fed by mother tigers and sows were nursing baby tigers. None of the young ones looked particularly well. Also, as a patron of the zoo, you could purchase a bottle of milk to feed the young tigers in the cage. People were passing the bottles from one tiger to the next without any thought to what kinds of diseases were being passed as well. Finally, the most disturbing portion of all was the bottle feeding fish attraction. Millions of fish were flopping around attempting to suck on this bottle of unknown liquid. So incredibly weird. The next portion of the day consisted of heading to a 3-D art museum where lots of Thai were captivated with taking picture alongside wall paintings. Example shown below. Following the museum, we headed to the Pattaya beach for a while we figured out where to have dinner. I got to put my feet in the Indian Ocean :) Dinner and sunset and finally home to Bangkok.

Then we headed to Mae Sot. This is where the majority of our clinic days took place. It was really awesome and the staff we worked with was wonderful and so helpful! I successfully completed both my first cat and dog spay while there. The clinic days were great and each was followed by a fabulous dinner. We had two free days once the clinic days were through, during which we hiked an incredible but taxing 5 hour journey to a beautiful waterfall. We also saw the crazy bug shown below that eats bamboo! And the next day we visited a very pretty rose garden where roses are specially preserved for people to purchase.

Then we were back to Bangkok again. That night we went up to the roof top bar of our hotel. It is slightly difficult to see but the view was gorgeous. Saturday before I left was supposed to be the last clinic day. Unfortunately, it also happened to be the day I got a terrible bout of stomach irritation. After taking a boatload of medications, as we were sent with a pharmacy from student health, I still was not feeling any better. I decided to sit out on the last clinic day :( Despite being very upset I was missing out, I was greatful for the sleep. But about an hour and a half after the rest of the group had left, I was awoken by a phone call that said "Alert! Calmly evacuate your room! Fire!" So of course I grabbed my hotel key and phone and high tailed it out of there in yoga pants and a short t-shirt. Looking ridiculous, I was under the sure impression that there was a fire. I headed down the fire escape stairs as the elevators weren't working (which made obvious sense to me because of the fire), and reached the bottom after 10 flights. I thought it was odd that no one else seemed to be coming... I got outside and realized immediately that this was a drill. And lucky for me, all of the other guests had warnings placed in their rooms to alert them that they did not have to participate....except our room. Several hotel employees escorted me around and thanked me profusely for participating. I prayed that my stomach would hold out and allow me to get to the bathroom, as it was unhappy after the 10 flight walk. I think because I looked so displeased and sick, they let me go back to my room. Oye. The very next day was my last in Bangkok! Flight at 3am! But we were sure to make the most of it and visited the Grand Palace, which was really cool but it was SO HOT!

All in all the trip was fantastic and, as I am taking over the organizing for the trip next year, I can't wait to go back!

Part 2: Gaborone Fever

First week is complete and I cannot believe the amount of information I have learned in just a short 120 hours. Never a dull day at the Vet and Agric Consultants clinic (see below).

Not only are the people incredibly welcoming and friendly, but they are so willing to teach. After walking into the clinic on day ONE and getting a quick tour, we were handed a cat ready for castration and told "go ahead!" We have been immersed in veterinary medicine all week and I feel as though I have learned more this week than my whole first year of vet school. Since our castration on Monday, I have placed catheters, given numerous injections, and intubated animals. Every day I come home feeling exhausted but amazed at how much I love getting up for work at 5:40am. I have never been so content. Here is a picture of some of our wonderful vets and techs!

Our days begin at the clinic at 7:30am. Surgeries begin promptly at 8:30am on Tuesdays-Fridays, with each doctor having a different day. Tuesdays are for Mbatshi, who has been a key character in the steep learning curve we have experienced. He has a wealth of knowledge and is always willing to teach us something new! Wednesdays are for Mike Sento, he is the owner of the practice and the livesaver that drives us half way to work everyday. Thursdays are for Marlize, who is always filling us in on the latest happenings/drama around the world. Fridays are for Lawrence, who is always willing to let US take over! Can't forget all of the techs as well, Ompi, Alpha, OK, who are constantly giving us more experience. I have scrubbed in on a foreign body surgery as well as a flail chest repair. Both of which were incredible and things I had never even seen let alone been able to help with before! Here is a picture of me and Alex suturing up a dog after a spay.

Another great part about working with the clinic is that they see all animals. We have been on farm calls to see horses, have plans to go out and see cattle, and perhaps even get a chance to observe/manage some baboons in the near future. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for us at the clinic.

Meanwhile, outside of clinic hours, Alex and I travel to and from work via the Kombi, which is what I think is similar to a taxi van in the US, except it holds about 25 people instead of maybe 6. It is the same size, mind you, just a lot more squeezing is done in Africa. The kombis operate on a schedule and routes, however there are no maps or directions ANYWHERE. When asking the Batswana (the people of Botswana) how they know where the kombis go, their answer is always "we just know." Needless to say this is not at all helpful for our cause. We have worked out a deal so that in the mornings we take a short kombi ride to a nearby school where Dr. Sento drops off his children in the morning. He then proceeds to take us the rest of the way to work. In the evenings, however, we spend about an hour on the kombis and must transfer at the main "station" which is actually a mall. We have had our fair share of getting lost or things going wrong such as the kombi breaking down, but we are slowly getting the hang of it.

The learning curve is steep here in everything that we do, but we are loving it and taking it in stride. Tuesday I leave for Thailand and I actually sad to leave this place, even if only for a few weeks. I'm sure that I will have great experiences there as well however and I am excited to see classmates from school. I can only hope it is as exciting as it is here in Gaborone. I seem to have caught some Gaborone fever :) 

Part 1: The travel

            Post first year of veterinary school activities have been an adventure so far. Alex (another veterinary student) and I head to Gaborone, Botswana to do an internship with an animal clinic. Don't have any idea what to expect yet and we can't wait to get started!
            The trip to Gaborone certainly started off with a bang. I forgot my purse in my fiancee’s car and almost headed to New York City without my passport, credit cards or any sort of identification. Luckily, Robb noticed not too long after he dropped me off at Alex’s house, that I had done so. Thank goodness for him. It’s also a good thing I am traveling with Alex because she is the most organized person I know, and has had everything done for months. Meanwhile, I am registering with the US embassy the day we are leaving….
            Alex’s parents drove us to NYC to spend the night in order to be ready for the long flight the next day. We stayed in a beautiful apartment overlooking the city. What a view. Next thing I know its morning and we are getting in a taxi to head to JFK. 3 minutes in I realized I had forgotten my phone back at the apartment… had to turn around. Then, once again we were off. Made it through airport security alright, got onto the plane and spent the next 15 hours with sore butts and swollen feet. But we made it in one piece and in good spirits!

                                                     View of NYC from the apartment

             Once we landed in Johannesburg, it was a bit of a maze to figure out where we had to go. We made it to the security checkpoint, where the surgical instruments I use to practice suturing for my trip to Thailand were scouted out. Although they had let me pass with them at JFK, these South African TSA-like authorities were not having it. They wanted to confiscate my tools! No way I was going to let that happen so I pleaded with them and they finally agreed that if I showed them some sort of documentation that I was actually going to spay/neuter animals I could take them with me. Thank you Thailand group for the detailed spay explanation that got my tools back!! Luckily I had stashed it in my backpack. The airport had some fantastic stores! My favorite, called "Out of Africa" had these cool giraffes!

           
              We finally arrived in Gaborone (see above view from the plane!) and were met by some of our internship leaders to take us to the University of Botswana where we would be staying. We received a whirlwind tour of Gaborone on the way. Once we arrived we dropped off our things and headed back out to retrieve phones and groceries. Now we are all settled in, unpacked and ready to explore tomorrow!