a run through the dump ?

Braai-in' it up!!

lots of dirt

Drive to Molepolole, this is rest stop for goats and cars

A nice weekend here in Gaborone, although I must admit, it is still very difficult to relax with no friends around and 5 screaming kids that have been stuck in a walled off house for 4 weeks. Yet, we're getting used tothe luxury of Michelle having every weekend off. Saturday we had our new friends over Arthur and Frances Caplan and their 2 children Ella and Sutton. They are from the states as well (Utah). Arthur is here on a Fulbright scholarship as well as sabbatical from his teaching position at Utah State. They have a great blogsite as well. http://www.caplansmobotswana.blogspot.com/ .
I met Arthur on our first morning here in Botswana. I was walking Jacob and Kate to Northside school for their assessment tests, he was driving his children to school and pulled over and gave us a lift. He knew upon seeing us on the side of the road that we were Americans and looked like we needed some help.

Sunday we woke up early and I was invited to go for a run with the local "Hash Harrier(sp?) Club." From my knowledge, this is a club basically made up of ex-pats that get together every weekend and run the local trails, streets, etc. It begins sort of like a game where initially the whole group ventures out in search of the starting point. There are markings on the ground that may or may not lead you to the trail head. It is your responsibility to find the proper trail. Once you find the trail head, you have the option of going the long route(3-6k) or the short route(?).

I went with a group of Docs from the Baylor clinic.. Well, this was the most surreal experience I have yet to have as a runner. The trail led us around the local garbage dump, which holds all of the city's garbage, 1 rotting cow, 1 rotting antelope, 1 rotting something, a group of runaway Zimbabweans camping in the woods and acres of waste, garbage and well organized piles of tires and lots and lots of cow poo. I ate at least 25 flies and almost threw up due to the lack of fresh air and the stench of dead ...... somethings.

The best quote on the trail I heard was after passing a group of men sitting around a tin can of something in the middle of the trail was.... "this is where all the criminals in Gabs live."

It was AWESOME!!!

But after the run, we met back to the parking lot of the local mall where they had coolers full of beer and sang songs and told jokes. That made running through a landscape of poo worthwhile.
I'll be back, or I'll have Michelle go in my place. Apparently the motto of the group is "A group of drinkers with a running problem."

It's now Monday morning. Babies are sleeping, Maura stayed home from school(running a fever) and is now playing with Kate on the floor beside me. They are playing "Flood". Basically setting up animals to board Noah's Ark. Jacob is in the dining room playing, no, throwing LEGOS on the floor.
Don't worry, they haven't been engaged in activity all morning, there was a scooby-doo marathon on the TV that I forced them to turn off after a few hours of viewing . Those Scrappy Doo episodes were horrible and I refuse to let them watch it.
I saw the Cards lost to the Cats on Saturdy, thank God I wasn't home to see it. The Bungals lost to the Browns and the Reds are hopelessly in some place in the standings that doesn't matter.

I ran on Saturday morning as well and was almost bitten by a dog. Highlight of that run was finding a fast pitch softball game going on near the National Stadium. There were umps and uniforms and everything you wanted. Except the men were not throwing overhand. I might try to join a team..

Alright, all for now, I'll have photos of the run up later. They're beautiful.