A visit to Amos' cattle post

After we left Sua and were on our way back toward Francistown we stopped by Amos' families cattle post. I was excited to actually go to a cattle post. Cattle is very important to the Batswana, it is the 3rd in money for the country behind travel/tourism and diamonds. When people get married they pay a lobola(bride price) to the womans family in cattle. The better the wife, the more cattle the family gets. They talk about cattle in all the books too especially the No. 1 dectective agency books. I don't know how they found this place, it was out in the middle of nowhere driving through a small track through bushes and trees. I would have never found it if someone was giving directions.

The family that stays at the cattle post and takes care of the cattle are from the Kalahari. They live in traditional mud houses. There is no electricity or plumbing. They cook over a fire and they have a little solar panel so they can get a radio signal. There were a bunch of chickens, a large cat and many dogs that were so thin it sickened me with a few small puppies. The dogs all looked the same. I think they live off the cow droppings and left over food from the people. The get a little water thrown in a cut up container. It is so sad but I know to them and most of the people of Botswana, dogs are dogs. They live outside and they don't pay them much attention. I don't think anyone ever pets them. So different from the way I am with my dogs. Miya did try fresh cow milk. I would have tried it if it had come right from the cow but the bucket was just sitting there for I don't know how long. There is now way I wanted to get sick. She didn't though. She was braver than I.

I know I say this all the time but seeing the way people live here with nothing changes you. You think of things in a different way and appreciate what you have. People complain about not having any money or not being able to afford some things but these people live with nothing. I guess I shouldn't complain about sleeping in a tent and having a bathroom full of bugs and spiders and no hot water while in the Kalahari.