Got a little internet time so I figured I'd update. Can't log in to facebook for some reason.
Anyway, I'm in Shoshong this week "shadowing" a current Peace corps Volunteer. The guy is a Community Capacity Builder, mainly working with the local PMTCT (Preventing Mother To Child Transmission) clinic. He has a nice house with electricity AND hot and cold running water! Gloriosky! The lap of luxury.
In my first post I neglected to mention that my host family lacks these modern conveniences. My host mom gets up around 5AM each day to start a fire outside to heat my daily bucket of water. I drag a huge galvanized vat into my room and set up for the morning prep. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream (goes into the bucket to warm it up. I maintain SOME standards!), razor, soap, shampoo. I'm able to do the needfull each morning with less than a full bucket of warm water. ONE bucket. That includes rinsing everything off.
Usually I have an inch or two of clean water left to water the melon we have growing out front. I then empty the soapy water from the vat back into the bucket for disposal in what they call the pit latrine, but we commonly call the out house. It is, in fact, build like a brick privy. More adobe actually.
It amazes me to consider the relative efficiency of all this. Time-wise it's not much more than when I was in the States. On average Americans flush 25 GALLONS of water down their toilets every day. Add showers, shaving and teethbrushing alone and you can see how much we waste.
To say the least I'm quite satisfied with myself.
But it was nice this morning to have running water.
Botswana is heading into Winter now. The Batswana (what the Bots people are called collectively) think it's getting very cold. Personally it's still T-shirt weather. The skies are clear almost every day and I would guess the high temps to be in the 80s. Nights maybe upper 50s. It's not humid, so even running during the day is comfortable. A guy could get used to this.
A couple of us have found a little running route near our homes that takes us out into the Bush. Running the high veldt. It feels like we have left civilization out there. From one hill top you can see for maybe 30 miles. I really feel like I'm in Africa out there.
I'll post pix when I can, but right now it looks like it may be almost two months before I'm able.
Meanwhile my Setswana is coming S L O W L Y! I'm rated Novice Low. Go gona mathata! (No problem!)
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4 comments:
Hi Mike! Glad to hear you are adjusting to your new digs. All is well here. Jeter says HI!
Dena and Vince
I think you picked that up from Lion King.
Glad that you have found some time to get online! I'm actually in the process of making the first new post to my blog in quite some time. Check it out when you get a chance.
A bucket of water a day? Respect.
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