I'll Gladly Pay You A Pula Today...For A Rand Tomorrow

For those of you who may wonder where in the world one might find Botswana....I've provided this handy map with complementary flag (in case you wondered about that too). Carrie and I traveled to Southern Africa a few years ago...although it seems like it was just yesterday...for a University outreach project. In Botswana we worked with students from the University of Botswana, Gabarone to teach women and children entrepreneurial skills and basic business practices. Essentially our goal was to teach them to support themselves, as a large portion of their adult male population has died or cannot work due to HIV/AIDS.

We expected to find people lacking in education, business skills and understanding of entrepreneurial concepts. What we found were individuals steeped in entrepreneurial thought, having found ways to make a pula in the past just to keep surviving and feeding their families. I was thrilled to experience the excitement and pride that our students had in their ideas and plans for the future. It was truly an amazing opportunity for Carrie and I to understand that there are universal truths about mankind....we will overcome anything if we have to and with work and dedication there is no limit to creativity and opportunity.

This being a travel blog however brings me back to the second reason for traveling to Southern Africa....to travel and to drive on the other side of the road (which was challenging....but fun). Carrie and I went on Safari in South Africa (which in hindsight we should have done in the Chobe of Botswana) but didn't see a lion....so we cheated and visited the St. Claire Lion Park to see several up close. Honestly....it was frightening. Our little VW bus that I was driving was surrounded by young lions. We drove onward heading to the top of a hill to overlook the valley and found, as if posed by Disney, a HUGE lion with his mane blowing in the wind like Mufasa. He didn't appreciate our close proximity to him...but didn't crush us like he could have.

Aside from the lions...the food was great too. There is a spice there which I cannot find in stores in the US called Peri-Peri...although I've never looked too hard. The Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken will give you something to remember....which is where I made the mistake of asking for the Hot stuff. We also saw "fatcakes" for sale...but chose to avoid them. Maybe next time. We drank some Lion and Castle beer which is locally brewed, we did eat Oxtail, (which is very good...especially with Peri-Peri) and we regularly had Rooibos Tea between meals (a holdover tradition from British occupation). I was also able to eat with a small family and enjoyed the meal of various cooked beans, vegetables and stewed beef (at least I think that's what it was)....but the traditional Botswana Achar I could have done without. Also beware of Madila, or sour milk, which is consumed alone or with porridge. Not my kind of thing I guess.

I could go on and on about travel through Botswana, the sights (like cattle crossing the highways regularly), the sounds (like the local market bustling with trade of spices, bootleg CDs and Cassettes and clothing) and smells (good food, bad sewage...take your pick)...but I'll stop here and encourage anyone to take this trip for themselves. The people, the environment and the experience make the journey well worth the hours of being stuck in tourist class on an airplane. Just be sure to avoid babies, larger than usual travellers and those who have chosen to boycott deodorant. You're going to find many of those deodorant boycotters during your African travels.

Philly Has More To Offer Than Cream Cheese

Dimitri & Greg in Philly
Originally uploaded by gyatman.

Philadephia, the "City of Brotherly Love", derives it's name from the Greek translation for...you guessed it...brotherly love. No sick jokes please...there are Greeks reading this.

There is however much more than brotherly love going on in Philly these days...in fact some fairly notable things have been going on there since the 1700s (if you're behind on US History). Unfortunately due to terrorist scares and post-9/11 security issues, the symbols of liberty, justice and freedom are heavily guarded and besieged by tourists lining up for hours just to see the relics of history which link us to our United States heritage. Not one to back down at the sight of sunburned tourists, restless children and souvenier vendors, I pressed forward to visit a few crucial sites in Philly. By the way...be sure to ride the PHLASH to get around (it's only $1 a ride). Here's my "must see" list for a visit:

The Liberty Bell - Often heard is "it's much smaller in real life than I thought it would be." Reminder however is that it's not the size of the bell...well you get it.

Independence Hall - Get here early to pick up a "free" ticket for admission...seriously...these go fast in the summer and once they're gone you're stuck outside imagining how it might have been.

The National Constitution Center - Honestly I didn't go inside but walked around it...not because I didn't want to go inside, but because we all couldn't agree on where to go next and it was really, really hot. It's really big, bright and impressive (all good signs of a sight worthwhile)

Christ Church Burial Ground - Ben Franklin lies here...and rumor has it that if you toss a penny on his grave it's good luck. Obviously a very cheap groundskeeper started this one.

Philadelphia Museum of Art - Beautiful museum, designed to give a seamless tour through art genres and nationalities. Incredible works and atmosphere that still have me awestruck.

Mutter Museum - As gross as the Philadelphia Museum of Art is beautiful. Disease, mutation, disection and fetuses line the walls of this shocking monument to human illness and death. Eat before you visit....your appetite will definitely thank you later.

Duck Tour - I know that in Boston I hated the Duck Tour...quacking at us in our crappy tour trolley...but the Duck is redeemed in Philly. It's fun, informative, aquatic and most importantly you get a free duck quacker (you'll have to see it to understand).

We also dined at two restaurants in Philly that need to be addressed (please be aware that Philly has one very happening food scene which requires future culinary visits)...one good and one just so-so (in my humble opinion). These two are:

Jim's Steaks - Call me a rookie or simply an uninformed steak eater...but my cheesesteak from Jim's was dull, very little cheese (Cheez Wiz of course) and not worth the waiting in line. Sorry Jim...I'd rather eat a real NY hot pastrami sandwich from Katz Deli (of "When Harry Met Sally" simulated orgasm fame")

Positano Coast - This restaurant was perfect after a day of touring. Modern Italian cuisine, based on the idea of sharing plates and experiencing a wide variety of foods. Be sure to try the Tiramisu (one of the best I've ever had...even in Italy and I'm not even a fan of it!)

I've left out some small things...and fogotten to tell some funny stories..but I think a visit to Philly is truly worth the time and effort. The city history is rich, the city cuisine is impressive (they've even got Chef Morimoto from Iron Chef here!) and the sights are phenomenal. There is definitely more to Philly that Cream Cheese, Cheesesteaks and Tastykake.