Botswana – First Impressions

2/12/06



As soon as we crossed the border into Botswana, we thought we were back in the States. There were significantly fewer potholes than Zambia. Road crews were repairing the roads, and even new highways were being constructed. We saw “Home Depot”-type stores, and even Builder Warehouses. The biggest surprise was the strip malls. They had escalators in them. We were so deprived of “development” in Zambia that we rode up and down them several times for fun! The best part of Botswana is that the U.S. dollar has not artificially dropped against the local currency like its 35% depreciation in Zambia. The wine here is affordable at $3 a bottle, and the food choices are like being in any metro area in the States and, better yet, you can even drink out of the tap. The best thing about this country is the fact that beef is affordable here, since this is cattle (and diamond) country. So I’ve been going steak crazy, now that our dollar buys more. Who needs veggies anyways? More on the African form of development in Botswana soon…after the last two days of “developed world” excitement subsides.