Two weeks in Gabarone.

To fly from Windhoek to Gabarone is to fly over Gabarone.

The plane flew east back to Johannesburg, the familiar airport lounges, the same Airlink terminal to connect with a flight headed back west. When we passed Gabarone I thought about requesting a parachute so I could launch myself out of the plane, save myself some hours.

At the airport I collect my luggage from the carousel and some Pula from an ATM and head out to the parking lot to find a cab.

I’ve booked an apartment on the 16th floor of the tallest building in Gabarone (and thus Botswana). It’s a new building and it dominates the central business district; there’s nothing around it that comes close to its height. The view from the apartment is magnificent. I can see all the way to Kgale Hill in the distance and the Gaborone Dam, which supplies water to the city.

The snacks from the airport lounge aren’t enough to tide me over to the morning. Checking Google Maps I see a Chinese restaurant nearby. I take the elevator to the ground floor and ask at the front desk about it. They tell me it’s in the building on the first floor. Once I step outside I can take the stairs to the right and it’s right there. I thank them and head over. I order kung pao chicken and sautéed string beans to go and proceed to eat in my apartment so I can gaze out over the city.

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The apartment is conveniently located near two malls. One of my Yango drivers tells me that I’m between two of the nicest malls and grocery stores. One serves the rich, the other serves the very rich.

The next day I walk to The Fields mall for lunch and to do my grocery shopping. It’s a very nice mall with an outdoor playground. I eat outside at Doppio Zero, an Italian Restaurant recommended by my hosts and watch children at play.

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One morning, I decide to visit another mall and to lunch at the Sanitas Tea Garden. I hope to see the dam while I’m at it. The cafe is located in a plant nursery, a beautiful area boasting flowers and plants galore. Unfortunately, it’s set a little bit in from the dam and I miss out on seeing it.

I sit in the shade of a tree near two Chinese women having tea and order lunch. A large playground occupies one side of the courtyard and I imagine that it’s a popular place for families on the weekend.

After lunch an older Indian couple asks if I need a ride. I thank them and tell them I have a taxi coming to take me to the nearby mall. The mall proves to be a disappointment when compared with the Fields (the name, Riverwalk, is what enticed me, but there is no river to walk alongside).

I chat with the taxi driver on the way back to the apartment. He’s an engineering student, just about to graduate. He asks me how I like Gabarone and I tell him truthfully that I’m enjoying my time there. It’s seems larger and a bit more developed than Windhoek, where I’ve been, and it’s been interesting seeing the change from one country to the next. He tells me it’s still a small place; he hopes to find employment in Spain. He said he couldn’t believe how much more advanced and larger cities in South Africa are when he first visited and wonders if Botswana might one day be able to compete.

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My apartment also sits near The Three Dikgosi Monument, a bronze sculpture that depicts three tribal chiefs who played an important role in Botswana’s independence—Khama III, Sebele I, and Bathoen I, . In 1895 they traveled to England Great Britain to ask that the Bechuanaland Protectorate be separated from Cecil Rhodes's British South Africa Company and Southern Rhodesia. Permission was granted, which placed Botswana under British rule until its independence.

I take advantage of the proximity, visiting the day after I arrive. A security guard asks if I want a tour and I tell him I’m only there to have a look. He waves me forward and I have the spot to myself. I return a few days later to take photographs, the Botswana High Court and my apartment tower in the background.

One morning I decide to walk to the National Museum. Cutting across the train tracks it’s about a twenty minute walk away past a government enclave and diplomatic area. In front of the main mall, I’m cautioned against visiting a small park; it’s off limits.

The museum is housed in a beautiful building near the end of the main mall. There’s no one at the entrance and so I walk in and up the ramp to the exhibition halls, which are mostly empty or hold paintings by local artists. The renovation is still not complete.

Schoolchildren gather in the courtyard, their teachers organizing them into groups by thatched huts that replicate traditional homes. They’re dressed in uniform and I wonder what lessons they’ll learn.

Outside, an old railway car bears the emblem of Rhodesia. There’s no information provided and I move on.

I walk to a nearby cafe for lunch to find it packed. I’m afraid it might be booked up, but I’m lead to a corner table on the patio overlooking the street. A steady stream of people come and go and after a tasty lunch I make a reservation to come back for lunch next week.

Ultimately, I don’t end up doing much while in Gabarone. I’ve injured my foot (though I don’t know how) and so getting around is slow and somewhat uncomfortable. It’s also difficult to keep enough small money around to pay for taxis.

I content myself with shopping at the local malls and grocery stores and relaxing at home. I love the apartment and am happy to spend time there. And after the active month in Namibia, it’s nice to settle into a routine and not feel like I am constantly on the go.

In the evenings I stand out on the balcony to take in the sunsets, which set the city aglow. Looking out over to the hill and the Hindu temple below I contemplate climbing and visiting, but never get around to it. I consider visiting the Gabarone Yacht Club for its views over the dam, but plans never seem to materialize.

When in Windhoek I researched things to do in Gabarone. One of the few tours that came up was the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Literary Tour. Unfamiliar with the series I look it up. Surprised to see that the books were adapated into a series co-written and directed by Anthony Minghella (of The English Patient fame) I stream a few episodes on YouTube. It’s fun to see the city on film.

I also realized that the Madikwe private game reserve is nearby. Seeing the few activities listed in Gabarone I book a last minute safari for the weekend I’ll be in town. After losing my wallet and license I’m slightly confounded as to how to get there, but reach out to the booking agent who arranges a car and driver for me at a price less than what it would have been to rent a car. It proves to be a fun safari filled with lion sightings. More on that to come. 🇧🇼