Day 13

July 7
Today was a really fun day! Quite possibly one of my favorites to this point. The group met up early today, at 7. We watched the sun rise as we walked. It actually got visibly higher as we watched it. Within seconds, there was a visible position change. When the sun was low, it was a deep red color, and we could still see the moon sinking on the other side of the sky. It was beautiful.

The sunrise this morning. Amazing.

Today, as a group, we climbed Mount Otse, the tallest mountain in Botswana. Yes, you read that correctly. The tallest mountain. In Botswana. Up to the highest peak. All 4,892 feet.

The amazing, awe-inspiring, intimidating Mount Otse

We reached the peak before 11. We were back at Louie's house before 3. The tallest mountain in Botswana, and the round trip was only 7 hours, including time getting to and from the mountain. Don't let the time deceive you, as that mountain was no walk in the park. The acacia trees, which are known for their long, sharp thorns, grow plentiful on the mountain side. The rocks which make up the mountain are not too happy to be there, and they frequently sought to release themselves. Now, separately, these two things would not be so bad, but together, it can be a nightmare. When a rock slips from under your feet, you'd best be careful not too reach out to grab the nearest tree branch, because you will send a 4-inch spike through your hand. But if you pay too much attention to the ground to keep your footing sure, there is no question that you will walk right into an acacia branch, and that isn't too fun either. With all of those thorns, and all of my lack of coordination, I was poked a lot, and I scratched up my arm. That isn't too bad, seeing as Ian impaled his ear.

Check out the thorns on this guy!

Taking a breather

Ian's impaled ear (sorry for the visual, but it was needed)

Despite all the danger, it was so much fun. Actually, thanks to the danger, it was even more fun! There is nothing funnier than hearing the silent shuffle of feet followed by the sound of shifting rocks and a short shriek followed by a mumbled "Watch the loose rocks over here." I think that a majority of us spent both the ascent and descent on something not quite two feet. We took as many pictures as humanly possible going up, going down, and at the top. We passed an abandoned mine on the way up, we assume it was a salt mine, and we took pictures there as well. I always have fun when I'm with my group. Always.

About half-way up

Yay, salt mine!!

The view from the top

Me at the top!

Going down...

After staying at Louie's house for an hour, I went home and took a much needed nap. I ate dinner when I woke up, planned tomorrow's breakfast (I'm making pancakes!), and called it a night. The pancakes will be interesting. I have to improvise a lot. We'll see how it works out! :)