Bush people dressed in their traditional outfits greet us this morning for walk near the camp. Jounxhoshe is the name of the tribe. They don’t have written language so this is the best guess at spelling it. The highest number they use is 5. After 5, it is many.
Their language is oral and not written down. However, when there is an attempt to write it down, the x is a click of the tongue. Most of the towns are bush names and have a click. They talk and listen at the same time which is unique to their communication. We witnessed this. (I do that sometimes but without success.)
The bushmen use a specific tree called African Poison Grape known as a coumifera that has a very soft light wood that they use for making fire as well as for gathering poison.
The flea beetles lay eggs on the leaves and the larvae drops down with the leaves. They dig in near the roots and make small cocoons. The bushmen dig them up and get the larvae and use it for poison on their hunting arrows. They also save the cocoons and cut a hole and put rocks in them and string them together to make rattling necklaces.
The bush people sang a song that they have been singing for thousands of years. They are not allowed to change it.
They have so much traditional knowledge which will most likely be forgotten in a few generations. The elders say that the old ways are cheaper than the new way. Living off the land is less expensive
Bush people called themselves the real people. All others are fake. They used to hunt big game to feed their families. The bigger the game, the more people they can feed.
After the presentation, the bush people change into other warmer clothing like long shirts and pants. One was even using a laptop.
Soak wild sage in the water to hide the smell of a man. We can thank the bush men for this information. Maybe a new cologne can be marketed to mask the smell of a man!!
Scorpions
If you are bitten by a scorpion, one is to put ice on it and use an antibiotic and then drink really strong coffee. The poison is slowing the heart but the caffeine makes the heart beat faster thus keeping you alive. (I guess that a Red Bull or two would work the same.)
Seasons
Autumn, which is March, April, and May, marks the end of the rains.
Spring is only for one month: September. It is the favorite. The president of Botswana asked people to pray every day in September for rain (Pula) and celebrate September 30 which is their Independence Day. Water is so important to their culture that even their currency is called Pula (blessing).
All of Botswana (humans and animals) are waiting for rain. Decades ago, it would come in September. Now it takes almost until November.
October is now the hottest month. But it is often windy!!
Rain begins at the end of October and lasts through April.
May through August is the dry season.
Rain vs. Rivers
Water for all the rivers in Botswana comes from Angola. Only three percent of this water comes to the Boteti River. The greater the rainfall in Angola, the greater the flow of Botswana’s rivers.
Rainfall in Botswana, even heavy rainfall, gets absorbed into the ground and does not supply the rivers.
In the 1990’s the Boteti River dried up for the first time. It hasn’t been dependable since then. The Boteti River temporarily was the widest in 2011. However, since 2022 the Boteti River has been completely dry.
Many years ago, the Okavango Delta used to flow into the Indian Ocean. Now only the Chobe River flows there. The tectonic plates shifted and stopped the flow and created salt pans in the desert.
Botswana is very flat. Every day there is seismic activity, but due to the sand, one can’t feel them.
Termites
There are two types of termites: fungus and harvesting. The fungus termites are responsible for building mounds.
Fungus termite mounds are built high due to a high water table. Termites work at night.
The termites dig lots of tunnels to aerate the mound. Even if there are no holes around, it is still active.
It is hard to tell how old a termite mound is. When it is about the size of a soccer ball, it is about 5 to 8 years old. However, with time, the mounds erode due to wind, rain, and elephants. Lions like to recline on them, especially under the shade. Lions use them to survey possible prey in the area. Baboons poop on them and the termites cover it over.
A termite mound can’t be built completely of sand as it would collapse like a sand castle. Abandoned mounds serve as building materials for humans as they can make excellent bricks out of the mound.
Ants are most active in the summer and termites in the winter. When it is too salty, the termite mound can’t support plant growth.
Random Fact: Ash from elephant poop controls termites … although our guide may be taking advantage of my naivete.
Termites, elephants and hippos are known as the architects of the Okovonga Delta.
Most every termite mound has a tree growing out of it. Some termite brought a seed down the tunnel. Probably many seeds but the tree competes with other seeds for water and nutrients. When the rains come, soil is deposited around them and will eventually become an island.
Hippos don’t swim but walk through the thick reeds and create highways and walkways to further make islands.
The elephants swim from island to island and deposit their dung which is full of seeds of all types. They also make elephant trails on the islands.
The Water Monitor lays eggs in the hole of a wet termite mound where the termites care for the eggs by providing heat.
Rock monitors were trying to have a private moment and mate but we were able to spot them and even used binoculars to catch some of the R-rated action.
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