Botswana, Xai-Xai

XAI-XAIccc I named by Liberian folk tales "Deep in the Bush, Where People Rarely Ever Go" but on this trip through Botswana, I realized that the title wasn't really accurate.ccThere were usually people nearby whenever and wherever I stopped along the roads of Liberia -- especially if I did something really embarrassing.ccThe destination of the safari was Xai-Xai (pronounced Ki-Ki, rhyming with Die-Die).ccIt really was where people rarely ever go. The first hour of the trip was on paved roads with light traffic.ccThen, on some unmarked turnoff that I certainly didn't notice, we headed into the bush on sand paths and no more traffic.cc

Most of the journey was not marked and it was clearly evident to me that it would have been completely impossible to find Xai-Xai without my trusty guide.ccThis trip was the first time I could recall being concerned that a breakdown could become a life-threatening situation.ccThere was nobody and no help hour after hour.ccFor most of the ten hours the scenery never changed with brush, scattered trees, and very few animals.ccOnce I spotted a herd (gaggle?) of ostriches.cc

By the way, I later was assured that even a breakdown wasn't threatening.ccWe were on a schedule.ccIf we didn't show up where we belonged, help would have come looking.ccOf course, I didn't hear this until after the trip was over.

As we drove on to Xai-Xai, I was sure the guide Brigade, as in "Charge of the Light", drove as carefully as he could, but it was a long, difficult trip in an open-aired vehicle.ccI used my legs as braces, but was still thrown about, sandblasted, and scraped by tree limbs.ccIt took all day to get to the San camp, but I knew it was worth it all as soon as I saw the San people.

Copyright 2001 by Phillip Martin All rights reserved.	World	Botswana	E-mail

the Kalahari Desert a San woman Xai-Xai Camp		XAI-XAIccc I named by Liberian folk tales "Deep in the Bush, Where People Rarely Ever Go" but on this trip through Botswana, I realized that the title wasn't really accurate.ccThere were usually people nearby whenever and wherever I stopped along the roads of Liberia -- especially if I did something really embarrassing.ccThe destination of the safari was Xai-Xai (pronounced Ki-Ki, rhyming with Die-Die).ccIt really was where people rarely ever go. The first hour of the trip was on paved roads with light traffic.ccThen, on some unmarked turnoff that I certainly didn't notice, we headed into the bush on sand paths and no more traffic.cc Most of the journey was not marked and it was clearly evident to me that it would have been completely impossible to find Xai-Xai without my trusty guide.ccThis trip was the first time I could recall being concerned that a breakdown could become a life-threatening situation.ccThere was nobody and no help hour after hour.ccFor most of the ten hours the scenery never changed with brush, scattered trees, and very few animals.ccOnce I spotted a herd (gaggle?) of ostriches.cc By the way, I later was assured that even a breakdown wasn't threatening.ccWe were on a schedule.ccIf we didn't show up where we belonged, help would have come looking.ccOf course, I didn't hear this until after the trip was over. As we drove on to Xai-Xai, I was sure the guide Brigade, as in "Charge of the Light", drove as carefully as he could, but it was a long, difficult trip in an open-aired vehicle.ccI used my legs as braces, but was still thrown about, sandblasted, and scraped by tree limbs.ccIt took all day to get to the San camp, but I knew it was worth it all as soon as I saw the San people.