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, I reflected on this aspect of my time abroad because my overall experience in Botswana was far beyond what words can describe. The people of the Okavango Delta radiate warmth and care for their environment and all people they encounter, so if you’re considering this Round River program or visiting Botswana, I would encourage you to try and understand the people, wildlife, culture, and words that shape this beautiful country as it will give your experience even greater value.
Instead of asking how are you, our escort guides would ask, where are you? Are you here? Le teng? And in the bush, re teng. We are here. I think that phrase encapsulates our time at Mopane Camp. We are here, present in the moment, just us in the bush.
Our goal (team 4) for the day was to survey the Los Coigues trail and the remainder of the Los Carpinteros trail. We hiked along quickly, taking many data points, and only stopping to eat lunch at a lakeside beach, finishing the 12k day at 2:30pm. As we drove back to basecamp to return to the other 3 teams, I was left feeling grateful that I was able to spend the past days in beautiful Tamango, surrounded by wildflowers and songbirds, doing research I enjoyed.
The stories told by these pans, I realized, would soon include our story; the 9 sets of sandal-tracks or bare footprints running through the open pan, stopping occasionally for photos or to look at an interesting animal track, reveling in the beauty of being surrounded by so little. We spent our time on the pan, reflecting, before loading into our trusty land cruisers and heading off to our next adventure.
by Isabel Masi of Montana State University WINTER Waking up to torrential rain and soggy tents, we crawled out of our safe sleeping bags and prepared for our departure. The day was October 27th, and we were not stoked. We…
By James Lane of Colby College One chilly spring afternoon, all of the Round River Patagonia students, as well as our instructors, crowded into the warmth and coziness of Jose and Claudia´s house. We were there to learn some embroidery…
by Grace Budd of the University of Vermont My arms stretch up to the sky, the blue blanket reaching the horizon in every direction. Breathing in the dry air and releasing it back out, I bring my arms to my…
By Teddy Charlton of Westminster College Last week, our Round River cohort spent a total of seven nights and eight days in Valle Chacabuco which is part of Patagonia National Park (PNP). The landscape is incredibly beautiful and unlike anything…
by Kira Corasanti of the University of Vermont On Monday, September 26, we woke up to a rainy cold morning, more excited at the prospect of staying in our quincho and drinking mate than going out for our first backpacking…
By Christian Soychak of the University of Vermont My journey to Botswana started early at four in the morning on September 20th. Having always wanted to visit Africa, I was worried that I wouldn’t get enough sleep due to excitement,…
By Josh Nelson of the College os Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University One of the main attractions for safari tourist in Botswana are the carnivores. Lions, hyenas, wild dogs, and leopards are species we all get excited about. The…
by Adriane Mason of the University of Vermont Many interconnected parts make up an ecosystem. Since I arrived in Botswana, my group has been fully immersed into all aspects of the Okavango Delta as we have entered and explored many…
by Sophia Merriweather of Colby College The huemul (Hippocamelus bisculus) is a deer endemic to southern Chile and Argentina that holds great cultural significance to the Chilean people. It is featured on the Chilean coat of arms along with the…
by Caroline Killian of Trinity College Check out Caroline’s video blog on the group’s time in the Chacabuco Valley!
2/7/22 – 2/14/22 by Jack Grabinski of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Nestled along the border between Chile and Argentina, La Ruta de los Pioneros is a historic horse trail that was used by pioneers…
by Kyle Weber, of Truman State University It’s only been a few days since the last blog entry, but in that time, it seems that so many lasts have happened. On Thursday we drove out to Consolation Creek to go on…
by Katherine Meyr, of Weber State University photos by Adam Spencer, Round River Instructor Over the course of our 6 weeks in B.C. we’ve been working on GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments). GLORIA is an internationally recognized methodology…