A Plethora of Photos

For a viewing of most of the photos I have taken while studying in Africa, visit the following website.

Africa Photos 2009

I am currently updating the site. All photos from Madagascar have been added. Botswana still to come.

<3

erin elizabeth

retrospect

"Our critique began as all critiques begin, with doubt; doubt became our narrative. Ours was a quest for a new story, our own. And we grasped towards this new history driven by the suspicion that ordinary language couldn't tell it. Our past appeared frozen in the distance, and our every gesture and accent signified the negation of the old world and the reach for a new one. The way we lived created a new situation, one of exuberance and friendship, that of a subversive micro-society in the heart of a society which ignored it. Art was not the goal but the occasion and the method for locating our specific rhythm and varied possibilities of our time. The discovery of a true communication was what it was about. Or at least the quest for such a communication. The adventure of finding it and losing it. We, the unappeased, the unaccepting, continued looking, filling in the silences with our own wishes, fears, and fantasies. Driven forward by the fact that no matter how empty the world seemed, no matter how degraded and used up the world appeared to us, we knew that anything was still possible, and given the right circumstances a new world was just as likely as an old one."

A transition yet again...

One last update from Africa--lectures have been heard, research been carried out, papers been written, and presentations been given...and the time has finally come to update my blog one last time in Botswana.

I have spent a lot of time the past couple of days thinking about my return home to the states. As I have to constantly remind myself, life has continued back home. Friends and family members have been living their own lives as well, and I am expecting to be welcomed home by many changes. I have a new house at the lake. My best friend is in nursing school. My little brother is now able to articulate his thoughts in a quite impressive manner, and if he is anything like his father then you all understand what that means :). As my world completely changed four months ago when I left the states for African adventures unknown, life is again going to recommence in completely different manner. It has taken time for me to adjust to the African lifestyle--once when arriving in Madagascar and again throughout my transition from island to continent. Now, as I pack my bags for the final adventure, I will experience another transition of my own. No more young children yelling at me on the dirt paths along Madagascar's blue beaches. No more standing out on the mongoose chase in Botswana. I will once again blend in completely, and I am looking forward to that more than anything else. 

The past week has been devoted to my independent study project--long hours writing up reports and preparing for presentations. The process was begun two Sundays ago while I was still in Kasane. Back in January, on my final night in the States, I decided not to bring along my computer. And, of course, this week I was wishing that I had my lovely little laptop at my side. Because I did not have access to a computer (that I didn't have to pay for) I spent four straight days writing out my entire 35 page report by hand, in a little notebook that I purchased in Madagascar (little did I know at the time that the thing would one day hold an ISP report on a project performed in a whole other country). I don't think I have written out an entire paper on actual paper since middle or high school, let alone 35 pages of mongoose research; yet, oddly enough, the process was again a refreshing experience. Had I been writing a 35 page report in the states during finals at UNC, I feel as though the process would have resulted in the long and painful demise of my soul and sanity. The process was at times stressful during the analysis process and in the many hours spent typing up my report in an internet cafe, but, overall, I was quite pleased with the week.

There is so much more that I could say, but I will be home in a couple of days, and I will then be able to tell you all my stories in person (well, most of you). I have lots of loose ends to tie up in my last day--things to buy, emails to send, cheetahs to pet, and goodbyes to be said. I will return to the states on the 14th of May and be home on the 15th. And though my time in Africa is about over, my adventures have only yet begun. It has been fun telling you all my stories throughout this trip, and I hope you have found some enjoyment amongst my silly ramblings. 

cheers from Botswana (one final time),

erin elizabeth

big ole warthogs

Today is my last full day in the lovely little town of Kasane. And as usual, the time has literally flown by. Who would have known that following mongooses for three whole weeks would seem to dash away in a flash...

The last days spent out with the troop were quite interesting. The day before my last day, my troop decided to venture into the home range of another troop that dens (and pretty much spends every hour) at a large lodge called Mowana Safari Lodge. (Interesting fact: "mowana" means baobab in Setswana). Therefore, the last two days with the troop were pretty epic in the mongoose world. The Chobe Safari Lodge troop (my troop), for the first time since being observed by any researcher, left their own home range and overtook the lodge of the Mowana troop (and consequently displacing the Mowana troop to den elsewhere). Leave it to my little mongooses to make things interesting right before I leave...

Side note: Theoretically, I have been staying at Chobe Safari Lodge because that is where my troop mainly dens; yet, the week or two before I came to Kasane, the troop decided to leave their normal den sight and travel up and down the Chobe River (only denning in one place for a night or two). Mowana Safari Lodge, where I left the troop on my last day, is 5km from my lodge. ie. lots of walking for Erin. Go figure.

My last day in the field was most enjoyable. After a morning of chasing the mongooses around Mowana lodge, the little guys decided to stop and rest for the afternoon--conveniently at the home of a young couple that I have recently become acquainted with. Therefore, my afternoon was spent lounging in the cool grass, under the shade of lovely African trees, reading and lounging and taking mongoose observations every hour or so. At some point in the afternoon and elephant walked by. I am going to miss those lazy African afternoons...

Yesterday and today have been devoted to data entry and analysis. Bluh. So, basically, I spent all of my Saturday in front of a computer (from 8am to 6pm) entering in my observation data. Today was spent learning even more. Pete and I began the analysis of the data and decided the manner in which the data will be organized for presentation. Let's just say I'm glad I had a statistics refresher course last semester. The next few days will be filled with correlation coefficients, statistical significance, Mantel's test for spatial correlation, Kernel's home range estimations, response and predictive variable associations, and any other extremely 'mind blowing' statistical terms you would like to insert here. I have a lot of work ahead of me, that's for sure.

So tomorrow I begin my 10-12 hour journey, by tiny bus, to Gaborone. Hopefully I will find the right buses this go around. It is the 'last leg' of my journey, or as my dear father would put it, I am "gettin' in the short rows now." The days are about to become crazy and hectic and filled with long lengths of time spent in front of a computer, giving presentations, or celebrating the last few nights/days with my lovely African friends. I can already tell that this last week and a half is going to be the quickest of them all.

until Gaborone,

erin elizabeth

*****
An extra note for your general amusement--something I forgot to mention in a previous post:

One day I was performing troop observations at Garden Lodge. It happened to be just another usual morning, when out of nowhere, I hear a strangely familiar voice...

"Those are some big ole warthogs aren't they?!"

I gasp for air. I haven't heard that twangy dialect in over four months. I feel oddly at home.

"Y'all must see them things all the time around here, don't chya?"

Again, my heart is happy. It is funny the little things that you miss when you leave home. I never thought I would miss the awkward southern accent, but I must say that this man's voice struck a nostalgic chord in my heart. With a big grin on my face, I ask the man where he is from: Louisiana.

eyes open, arms out, mind at ease

I look down. Two large, navy blue towels are tightly wrapped around my ankles. My breathing is remarkably calm and relaxed. Just another day in Africa...

I stand up and try to walk, but end up waddling across the cold metal surface under my feet. In a matter of seconds, I have stopped walking. I can see for what seems like miles, and I can hear the constant snapping of metal. A cool breeze rushes by beneath my bare toes. Everything and nothing is on my mind. And above the deafening roar of the water below me, I hear a muffled voice...

"I count from five, and you just push out as far as possible...much more fun that way."

"Ok, so do I...?"

"Five, four, three, two..."

A nudge. An extremely soft push from behind, but with enough force to send me off of the bridge and out into a great nothingness. Wind rushes past my face. My arms are stretched out. I am falling quickly, yet time seems to be stopped, completely. For the first couple of seconds I am excited; the next few extremely freaked out (the whole time screaming :). Finally, I reach a state of awe, entranced by the exasperating beauty that surrounds me; yet, I am again shaken when the cord above me jerks and I am pulled up in a completely opposite direction. The beautiful blue African sky, dotted with small cumulus clouds, is at my feet, while the cold gray waters from the majestic falls rush above my head. I am surrounded by huge rock walls on either side. The pressure in my head builds with every ebb and flow of the bungee cord. I have just willingly jumped off of a bridge on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. I have just successfully completed my first bungee jump!

About an hour before, I jumped off of the bridge for the first time...but the jump was not face first towards the water. My first jump was called the "bridge swing" and was a much different sensation than the invigorating, exhilarating dive of the bungee jump. Now, don't get me wrong, any jump from a bridge that high towards a raging river is always going to be exhilarating, but it was a different feeling. For some odd reason, I felt much more in control when jumping face first. I'm not really sure why.

The past couple of days have been quite lovely. Although I started going a little crazy after a week alone in Kasane, my lovely Matt and Laura came to visit!! I was so happy to finally indulge in conversation with someone when I didn't have to ask their name, nationality, travel plans, etc. Their visit was like a breath of fresh air. After chasing mongooses for the day, I met the two at the lodge, where we shared a couple of hard ciders (quite delicious after a long day on my feet) and some much needed conversation

A couple of days ago I took the afternoon to go on a "boat cruise," or rather, a safari by boat, on the Chobe River. I got to see many hippos and crocodiles (and of course the normal elephants, impala, baboons, kudu, etc) and the beautiful sun set on the horizon of the Chobe River... a truly breathtaking, beautiful view.

Otherwise, my days mainly consist of mongoose chasing (6:30am-5:30pm every day). Friday will be my last day of field work, leaving Saturday and Sunday for data entry and analysis. On Monday I will travel back to Gaborone where I will begin to write my 20-40 page report on my mongoose research. It will be may last time travelling in the country before I go home.

I cannot believe that in a couple of weeks I will no longer be in Africa. Though it will be exciting to return home to see family and friends, it will indeed be a difficult process. I have been told numerous times that the transition back home is, actually, the hardest part of the trip. And I do not doubt it one bit...it may be scary, but I'm sure I will pursue it the same way as the lovely bridge at Victoria Falls--calm, cool, relaxed, and most of all, extremely excited to feel, again, a completely new sensation.

erin elizabeth

a little bit of kindness

Just a short blog post today, but one that I think is important.

Over the past two days, I have been overwhelmed with acts of kindness from virtual strangers. I was a little apprehensive of being here in Kasane alone for the week, but just over the past 48 hours, I have been shown otherwise. I am not alone here in Kasane. I may not know anyone very well, but this small town is filled with many incredibly kind individuals...just hidden among all of the crazy ones :). These few people have done nothing incredibly outrageous for me, but their actions were greatly appreciated.

The first act of kindness involved a manager at the lodge just doing her job. She quickly helped me find the cheapest alternate lodging situation (whether is was at her lodge, or another). The smile on her face lowered my stress level significantly.

Second act of kindness: My troop has recently been frequenting a lodge on the north end of town, far from Safari Lodge where I am currently residing. The "Garden Lodge" is a quaint little bed and breakfast type of place, with a couple of dogs lounging around the terrace that overlooks the Chobe river. A middle-aged German woman, Gaby, runs the place with her husband. This morning, she saw me walking down the road and offered me a ride to the mongooses (who all happened to be denning at a house just next to her lodge). Directly following my observations, she insisted that I come in and have a cup of tea (free of charge) while I waited for my next scheduled observation time. We sat and chatted for a while, and I learned that she is from a town about 80km from my own family in Germany. She had only met me a little over a day before, and she was so kind, so hospitable, so welcoming.

Third act of kindness: After sitting for a while in the dirt near the river, a man walked up to me, introduced himself, and offered me a bottle of cold water. He noticed that I was looking for the mongooses, and he thought I might be a bit thirsty.

All of the people mentioned above knew nothing of me, or had just met me the day before. These experiences seems small and insignificant, I know, but I can't explain the impact they have had on me. Therefore, I challenge you all to think about the little things that you do throughout the day, whether they involve close friends or mere strangers. Because, little do you know, a small act of kindness can make the day of another person.

erin elizabeth

A One Armed Monkey and My Jar of Jam

For the past week, I have been following a troop of mongooses through the bush of Kasane, Botswana. I have, throughout this one week, decided that researchers are not given enough credit for the work that they do. I know it all sounds pretty simple...find the troop, sit and observe them, count them, take GPS coordinates, record the surrounding habitat characteristics, count disturbed food plots, watch mongooses run off into the bush, and start the process all over again. Well I, Erin Elizabeth Hester, am here to tell you that this is not easy work. Not easy work at all.

Every morning, I wake up around 5:45 or 6:00am to prepare for the day. I leave the lodge around 6:30am, so that I can have ample time to determine the den of the troop before the crazy little animals wake up (around 7ish) and scurry off into the bush. The troop that I am following usually camps out around Chobe Safari Lodge, the lodge I am currently calling home. But, for the past week or two, the troop has decided to den and forage on the opposite end of town. I walk about 2 or 3km to my destination and follow the guys around until 5pm.

Usually, it isn't too hard to find the troop; however, I have to constantly be aware of my surroundings. I am working right beside the Chobe River, and it is not uncommon to see a crocodile, poisonous snake, or warthog (There are warthogs running around everywhere. I would compare them to deer at home...I have seen them get hit by cars in the road.). For the past couple of days, my troop has been frequenting a golf course at the other end of town, and unfortunately, so have about 5 or 6 elephants. I have not come upon any yet, and I hope I do not come across any during my observations--elephants do not like humans very much, and can be rather dangerous.

And on the subject of the wildlife...

While lying in my tent at night, it is not uncommon to be serenaded to sleep by the trumpeting of an elephant or the deep gargling sounds of the hippos that live in the river quite close to my tent. In the morning, I am usually awakened by the screeching of baby monkeys. These guys are everywhere! I think there are about 20 that live around the lodge and steal food from the restaurant area. Just the other day, while enjoying a lovely Sunday brunch at my lodge, a couple of the grey monkeys kept stealing little jars of jam from my table. One of the thieves only had one arm. Actually a couple of the little guys only have one arm...and I'm not sure why.

And then there is the wildlife that is not so cute...yes the ant infestation has continued. I was completely sure that these tiny creatures were biting holes in my tent. But, unfortunately, this became the least of my problems. I finally got completely fed up with sleeping on and around a million ants, and a friend offered to let me use one of the beds in his room for the night. Upon return to my campsite in the morning, expecting to get ready to frolic with my little mongoose troop, I discovered two large holes in my tent. During the night, some sort of animal had chewed its way through my amazing tent. After gnawing another hole in a package of my crackers, the creature decided to leave me a couple of surprises (of course on my newly cleaned clothes...) and chew ANOTHER hole in my tent as its route of departure. Stupid thing couldn't even exit my tent through the first hole it managed to create.

Well, of course, today was the day that my advisor, Pete, began his trip to Gaborone. He left this morning around 5am and will be gone until Sunday. Therefore, I was on my own to figure things out. Fortunately, I was able to talk to the day manager, and she gave me a pretty decent rate on one of the tents at the lodge. I am paying much more than I was before, but I figure I can splurge a little bit. And my new tent is just wonderful! I don't know if I would even refer to it as a tent...it has wooden floors, electricity, a desk, and two twin beds. Outside, I have my own covered porch area with a table and chairs--I have definitely moved up in the camping world, and I am already loving it. For the first time in 3 months, I am actually living in my OWN room. For the first time in 3 months, I have been able to take everything out of my backpack. I still do not have my own bathroom. I still have to hand-wash my clothes. I still don't have a kitchen to cook in. I still have to deal with bugs. And I am completely in heaven.

Also, now since Pete is gone for the week, I am now really doing research on my own. There is no one else here to help me if I have a problem, and that fact, at times, can seem a little overwhelming. But, in actuality, it is a pretty sweet situation. My name is Erin Hester. I am living on my own in Kasane, Botswana. And I am on my own, tromping around in the African bush with the crocodiles, warthogs, and elephants, researching my own troop of mongooses. The experience is quite exciting and liberating.

Last week, something even more exciting happened to me. It was just another day. I had just completed a days work on the mongoose hunt, and I was sitting outside Pete's house, waiting for him to get home so we could discuss the day. To pass the time, I was flipping through an old National Geographic, issued March 2009. And on the next to last page, I see a little heading in red on the right hand side which read "Botswana." Of course, since I am currently living in the country, I was intrigued by the title...so I read on further. Come to find out, the little blurb stated that research is currently being conducted in Botswana on mongooses with TB, etc. I would have to say that that moment was one of the coolest moments I have experienced in my life. To be researching in Botswana is one thing. To discover that the research you are preforming in not only legitimate, but also referenced by National Geographic, is another.

And so, it is a new week, and I am off on more mongoose adventures.

until next time,

erin elizabeth