After a week of volunteering and spending our third wedding anniversary sitting in our room eating instant noodles we thought we would treat ourselves to an overnight trip to Botswana to check out the Chobe River.

Getting to Botswana required about an hours drive to the border of Zambia to get our passports stamped then another short drive to the river that divides Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. Then we took a short trip via a tiny little dinghy to the other side of the river into Botswana. The dinghy took several attempts at getting it started. Through immigration on the other side and a walk through some disinfectant to help stop the spread of foot and mouth disease we were in Botswana.

The first day of the two day trip was fantastic. We went on the Chobe on a little jet boat and got nice and close to lots of hippos, elephants that were having a swim and loads of birds. We even got to see some buffalo and an assortment of different antelopes. One hippo even told us that he did not appreciate being disturbed and gave a half hearted chase.

We then went to the lodge for lunch and a bit of a nap before setting off on the afternoon drive through the Chobe National Park. The drive was awesome even though we didn't see any lions and still no cheetah. We were lucky enough to see leopards, big herds of elephants and buffalo which is a sight that can not be written down in words. The elephants and buffalo were crossing the river into Namibia in search for some greener grass. To see that many animals move at one time is something spectacular. (It has nothing on The Great Migration of the Masai Mara and seeing it on a small scale has made us want to visit Kenya at some stage).

Back at the lodge somewhat dusty from our drive it was time for dinner, on the menu was pasta with crocodile and eland (a sort of antelope) stew. Corrine was not even able to get through her entree of soup. The heat had been getting to her and she was not feeling the best. After Craig ate all of his meal including desert it was time to go to bed so we were nice and refreshed in the morning for another boat ride on the river... Unfortunately that did not happen. Corrine had taken a turn for the worse overnight and the thought of moving made her turn a deeper shade of green. The self diagnosed stomach bug was really making moving and the thought of breakfast unbearable. Craig enjoyed a romantic breakfast for one and was able to organise to get back to Zambia before the heat of the day really set in.

After getting to the Botswana check point it was on to a cargo ferry along with two trucks and a handful of other people wanting to get to the other side a short walk to the immigration office and that is where the fun began. Corrine still not feeling well started to feel really bad and fainted. All the workers were really good and helped and even got a taxi through to where taxis are not usually allowed to so we did not have to walk further than we had to. After the ride back in the taxi and getting ripped off by the driver of the cost of the fare, we settled back into our accommodation in Zambia only to find out the power had been out for the last few hours. We later find out there is a rolling stoppage every Tuesday and Sunday for an undefined period.

Back to school for Craig while Corrine spends some time recovering.

See you later

written by  craigandcorrine on November 13, 2011 from Kasane, Botswana
from the travel blog: Cape to Kruger and a Waterfall
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We learned so much this past week while volunteering at the school. We helped them with maths, science, social studies, English and of course more sport. We helped the kids write letters to students in Australian schools.

We were also able to put the money that everyone donated back at home to good use by going shopping with the principal of the school. We were able to buy much needed items such as teachers guides, work books, dusters for the black board, poster paper, reams of A4 paper, story books, cleaning supplies for the toilets, dictionaries, bags for all the balls that we took over and other bits and pieces. We were still unable to spend all the money so we gave the principal the rest to spend on more books and to go towards supplies for the new vegetable garden.

The money will even go towards one boy who doesn't have any shoes as his family are unable to afford to buy him any, that is if an old pair of Corrine's runners that she has given to the principal don't fit him. We are in two minds about the shoes that we have left. We hope that they fit him because they are still in good condition and at the same time we are hoping that they don't fit him because boys of that age should not have to wear second hand ladies shoes and will get a new pair from the money. Either way it will be an improvement on his current shoes that have been hand stitched back together.

We were able to see how some of the items we purchased make a direct impact on the school. The cleaning products for the toilets were put to immediate use as the toilets were in such a bad shape. After a but of hard work, and a few buckets of water along with the new disinfectant the toilets were now available for use by the students, the first time in months.

For our last day we gave the kids a special treat. We took in oranges, watermelon and fairy bread for them to enjoy but not before one of the kids (the one with out shoes) lead the rest of the class in a prayer to say thanks for us visiting the school and providing the food. It was amazing how much a couple of pieces of oranges and watermelon meant to the kids. Fruit such as oranges should not be seen as a treat for children, it should be something that any kid has the opportunity to enjoy. Some children even put the second piece of orange into their pockets for later on in the day but made sure it was out of sight from others so that they would be able to enjoy it on their own later on. This simple act of providing some fruit really highlighted to us the dire situation these kids face and some of the basics we accept as normal is not the norm for other places in the world. It was a huge reality check even after we thought we understood the situations the children faced.

We are absolutely amazed by the children and their ability to survive some heart wrenching conditions in their home environments and still turn up to class with a smile on their face and want to learn. We give a huge praise to Catherine, the head teacher at the school and the work she does, not only from an academic sense but also from a social welfare perspective. Although we have been out of the schooling system in Australia for a few years, the lengths that Catherine has had to go to to encourage the children to attend school and be involved, would surpass any community involvement that a principal would be required to complete in Australia.

The experience and time we spent with Linda Community School and the children is difficult to put into words, but one thing for sure is there will be a fund raiser held next year to raise funds for this school and to hopefully allow the teachers at the school to provide a more enriching learning environment for the children.

We now pack our bags for the last time on this journey, where we will then head to Johannesburg, a stop over for less than 24 hours, where we will catch up with some friends, before heading home.

See you at home!

written by  craigandcorrine on November 18, 2011 from Linda, Zambia
from the travel blog: Cape to Kruger and a Waterfall
tagged LindaCommunitySchool
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