Mokolodi Game Reserve

So one long holiday weekend, a group of about 15 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) met up at a local nature reserve near Gaborone. The holiday was to commemorate the birthday (or death day, I can’t remember) of Botswana’s first president. His son is Botswana’s current president, President Khama. Funny fact: President Khama and President Obama have the same racial makeup. Yet President Obama is considered America’s first black president and President Khama is considered Botswana’s first white president.

Anyway, a nature reserve is different than a game reserve in that the animals are not 100% free roaming; there are fences around the reserve. The group of us rented three chalets that are built on one of the reserve’s major watering holes. The current dry season forced the animals to our door stops. The first night I caught a glimpse of a herd of zebras.
The setup was top notch. You could go on day and twilight safari’s, horseback riding, and nighttime safaris. Or you could just hang out with friends at the chalets. The first morning a handful of us got up early to see if there were any animals at the watering hole. Apparently they were just as cold as us. Nothing showed up until the sun was up for a while. At about 9 am, a huge group of baboons came to bask in the sun across the lake from us.
Lucas and I weren’t gonna be there long enough to take advantage of any safari tours. However we did befriend a South African couple who was staying in a near-by chalet. They explained to us that they come to the reserve for some peace and quiet. They didn’t get that staying near 15 PCVs…Anyway, they were extremely kind. There was a P10 charge to have the lodge come and pick us up to take us anywhere (we were too far away from the center and we were not allowed to walk…lions). The South African couple offered to drive us around the reserve. So 7 of us piled into their SUV and go to see ostriches (they like to chase each other), impala, lots of warthogs (think Pumba from The Lion King), wildebeest, and some beautiful views. On returning we found a group of giraffes at the watering hole. Unfortunately our group was too excited and they did not hang around long.
Because there was so many of us, we decided early on that four volunteers would buy food for the weekend and we would make group meals. All food was kept in the central chalet and the snacks and booze in another chalet. Lucas was put in charge of the braii (basically an African version of grill). We ate around one long table like a family, sharing stories about how everyone was doing at their new sites. It was very relaxing to hear English and not have to constantly translate conversation in your head. As it sometimes happens, our group had a few cocktails and were a little toasty by the time dinner was served. Half way through dinner, we notice baboons had broken into the upper chalet where all the alcohol was. About five of us chase them off and assessed the damages: boxes of wine were ripped open, tuperware was opened, and chocolate was eaten. Later we found that the baboons had tried to break into the lower chalet, which it turned out was locked. The baboons got so frustrated trying to break in; they gave up but still left two steaming piles of poop on the porch before they left. Baboons are such bitches!
Every night all of us would hang out around a fire. There were probably some kumbaya moments but a lot of fun all the same. Some of us (including us) had to take off a day early. Later we learned that three PCVs had gone on a horseback safari. They saw elephants, rinos, and even cougars. So Mokolodi was a fun spot to hang out with friends and catch site of some African animals (I don’t think I had ever seen a giraffe before). It was a good time. Hope you enjoy the photos.