Day 6 Photos

Day 7 – Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

The forest on the border of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans looks like it’s ready to burn itself. 

The trees are bare and brittle and starved of water. Smaller twigs stick out of the ground at the base of the trees, and tangled in the twigs are piles of dry leaves that seem as though they were swept in place. 

The entire combination looks like a fire kit for camping amateurs, prepared by the locals, matches not included. But this is not human intervention; it is nature at its most efficient. 

When the rain falls, and it will, the entangled leaves will break down further and enrich the soil for the trees next growing season. Humans can take no credit for this process, though in Botswana and around the world there are examples of ways we continue to try to control nature. In Botswana, there is perhaps no greater example of that than the efforts to preserve the cattle industry. The animals are one of the countries greatest consumers of water. 

Today we explore cattle through the eyes of those who attempt to control it.

Day 6

Our feet have been shown little relief in the 6 days of our expedition. They’ve been wrapped in socks and stuffed in tight shoes, designed with various blister proof features, that don’t always work. 

Evenings at camp are spent tending to swollen toes and broken toenails, and our feet are often travel in flip flops, where they welcome fresh air but are left susceptible to brambles, biting insects and of course the warm dry sand. 

It’s been an inhospitable surface for our feet and yet, today, we run on to something with a far more daunting reputation.

The Makgadikgadi Pans are a layer of hard packed salt, the remnants of an ancient ocean seabed. The surface quite literally sucks the moisture out of the air, which means our team will have much more to worry about than a sore toe.

Expedition Botswana - Phase II

The sunrise each morning sends long shadows across our campsite. 

Tightly zipped bags rest in front of tents where inside our Youth Ambassadors are beginning to rumble. 

This process usually gets underway around six o'clock, but today it’s closer to five. We're eager to get going because today is a traveling day, a chance to reset and reflect. 

So far we’ve learned about how plants survive with little water, and how much extra water the body needs when exercising in the desert. We've also discussed water filter techniques and yesterday, the highlight so far, we got to meet the indigenous Bushmen at their traditional village inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (check back very soon for our story from that visit). 

The sun has now crested the horizon, and the little dew on our camp is drying up. Tents must be packed away, and when the sun rises again tomorrow we’ll begin phase two of our educational journey! 

Join us at Impossible 2 Possible and www.i2PBotswana.com!

Day 4 Photos

Day 3 - 43.3KM

An amazing end to Day 3 and a great look around Team i2P Camp!

Day 2 Photos

Day 2 - 45.3 KM

Youth Expedition Africa Day 1 Photos

i2P Day 1 - Education Team

Day 1 - Education Team from GOi2P on Vimeo.