Before our meeting with the mayor, Doug decided to go shopping for a new tie because he didn't want to wear the same one he wore yesterday. We found a good one for 100 pula ($15). The prices here are a little higher than South Africa, but things still seem cheaper than America.
Our first event of the day was our meeting with the mayor of Gaborone, Victoria Lesole. Besides the two of us, we were accompanied by Tommie and the headmaster of the school, as well as a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and 3 reporters from local newspapers and radio stations. We explained the nature of our Sister City relationship because the mayor is still relatively new to her office. We also spoke about our future plans to have student exchanges involving community service in Botswana and Burbank. She was very supportive of our ideas and also shares our desire to expand our cities' relationship. She requested that we send her more information about the Burbank Sister City Committee with hopes that they can begin a similar committee. We also had Bush Tea with the mayor, which is very traditional any time you have a business meeting in Botswana.
We changed clothes and then visited the part of town where the "Number One Ladies Detective" TV series was shot. This is an HBO series based off the book series. It all takes place in Gaborone, Botswana. When Dena first started working with Tommie and Gaborone, she read these books and watched the series. It was how she began to learn some of the customs and language and got her excited to travel here "one day." Seeing this in front of her was a very exciting, "full-circle" moment. Unfortunately the area was fenced off and locked up, but we were able to take some pictures and video. It was odd to be so far from Burbank and to visit a TV set in another country.
For lunch, Tommie took us to a Chinese restaurant, which was very delicious. Then we met back with the headmaster at GSS to go to the Gaborone Game Reserve. They told us that we would see some good animals here, but that our visit to Mokolodi Game Reserve tomorrow would be even better. The headmaster drove us through the reserve in his truck, and he was able to spot every animal from far away and through the thick trees and bush. We saw impalas, monkeys, warthogs, wildebeasts, eland, kudu, and zebras. It was so amazing to see these animals in a natural setting and to get as close as we did. There were no fences between us and the animals, and we could safely get out of the car and approach them.
That night we were picked up by Tommie's friend and co-worker, Peter, who is from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. Peter is close to 60 years old, but he parties like he's 21. First he took us to an Irish Pub called O'Hagan's, where we had some bar food and drinks. Peter and Doug each had a Windhoek Draft, a beer from Namibia, and Dena had a cocktail called Psycho Jack, with Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, and fruit juices. There was a DJ and a few people dancing, and as the night went on, more people came and the dance floor was full. We left after a few drinks and went to another bar called Linga Longa. Peter and Doug had another Windhoek, and Dena had the Linga Longa Special, which was similar to the Psycho Jack. There was a little live music out on the patio, and they were singing "We Are The World" when we came in.
Our third and final stop was The Tavern, one of the trashier bars in Gaborone. We wanted to see the good, the bad and the ugly of Gaborone, and The Tavern was definitely the Ugly. We felt perfectly safe with Peter, but we would have never gone there on our own. Our three beers cost a total of 4 pula (50 cents!). We went on the dance floor and listened to the band play. Doug actually danced, and was hit on by an Indian man. There was also a woman trying to dance with us, and she clearly was intoxicated by more than just alcohol, and she probably wanted us to pay her for her "services." Peter shooed her away and we chugged our drinks. We left at 11:50 because by presidential orders, police close down all bars at midnight. What a great experience and a great night!
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