Botswana-Africa's gem

 I have only visited Botswana once, ( Joan, my views: Search results for botswana (joan-myviews.blogspot.com), but the burning desire to return and explore more, increases daily. 

Yes, you guessed right! It was the animals that got me there of course, for, it has Africa's highest concentration of elephants and all the other wonderful animals you would want to see.

Since that initial visit, I have made it my business to learn more about the paradise I got a taste of, which has a population about the same size as my homeland Jamacia, and got its independence in 1966, just four years after we did, but importantly, remains Africa's most stable democracy and its safest country.

 As a proud descendent of the Mandingo Tribe from the Ivory Coast  (my grandmother told me and DNA confirmed it) , since I 'discovered' Africa,  I have wanted to tour the continent widely, but the Ivory Coast is not on my bucket list for that very reason, Safety.

Yes, the former colonial masters so divided the tribes of Africa  and planted such hatred among them, that many countries have been torn by civil war and the modern power-hungry leaders so evil, that they are unwilling to help their population ‘get over it' and move one.

But thank heavens, Rwanda did and is today a very stable and progressive country and one I would love to visit.

Oh boy, how I would also love to visit Mali which had one of history’s greatest and most intellectually-developed empires, but their constant infighting makes it impossible. 

And while I am at it, I shall complain about my great disappointment when I was going to Kenya in 2018, (Joan, my views: KENYA: THE MOST AMAZING OUTDOORS (joan-myviews.blogspot.com), at not being able to visit Ethiopia. For I actually bought an air ticket and obtained a visa to visit that next door country, but guess what, they started a civil war there😡. 

So not only did I lose my air fare (which was non-refundable) but also my visa fee, (US $50), as it is one of the few African countries which does not allow Jamaicans visa-free entry!

It all comes back to security when I travel these days, so my ancestral homeland Ivory Coast, has to sit on the back burner for a while!

 For in 2010, they had another civil war which killed thousands and left over half million people displaced and they have not been able to get their act together yet.

And talking about  wars, I consider a large segment of the Jewish population to be extremely evil because of their support for what the Netanyahu government is doing to the Palestinians, especially the women and children. 

However, what is happening in Gaza is nothing in comparison to what is happening in Somalia, where power hungry blacks have murdered an estimated million of their fellow Africans and today some four million people are said to be on the verge of famine.

What is especially disheartening too is how most of the world, especially the black world, is ignoring what is happening there.😨

But now, I want to return to Botswana, my model country.

Yes, that country is rich in diamonds, but what is outstandings and unusual,  is how  the government has always used its resources to develop its people.

So, it not only has low debt and Africa’s highest credit rating, but also, although 70% of the country is dessert, it gives its citizens free land, free healthcare and free education! In addition, university students receive $154 in allowances monthly.

Incidentally, it is the desert there which has created Botswana’s most important UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Okavango Delta located in the Kalahari Desert. This is a vast inland delta formed with the Okavango River. 

Yup, Botswana is so far up my bucket list, that its bursting.

 

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The old and the new

 I love historic Athens, but new Athens, no, not so much.

 This will probably shock Greeks and Europeans in general, but when it comes to the sea and sun, it's almost impossible to impress a Caribbean person!

You see we are accustomed to a warn beautiful sea and powdery white sands, but that doesn't exist anywhere on the Mediterranean or Aegean coasts, where the water is damn cold year round, and the sand, gravely.

However, It's places like this that the late Aristotle Onassis and Jackie O,  (Jackie was John F. Kennedy 's widow and she married the Greek billionaire Onassis) and other billionaires, millionaires and pretenders have frolicked for decades, regarding it as heaven on earth, I guess!

So, at the exclusive seaside area on the Aegean called the Athens Riviera, around 20 kms away, there are at least 23 major hotels numerous  lavish holiday homes, luxury cars etc.

We only visited this 'haven', as it's included in the Hop on Hop off system though.

You know, my life has really ironic, for when it was necessary to learn history (to get ahead in school), I hated it😡. 

I think it was only when I got to my thirties, that it became an obsession with me, so former great civilizations such as in Peru, Guatemala, Mali, Greece etc, flew to the top of my bucket list!

So, excuse me if modern cities and coastal beauty just don't excite me.

Unfortunately though, since I am having difficulty winning the lottery, most great historic areas will have to remain unvisited until I reincarnate!😥

But that's an aside.

After visiting the 'Riviera,' it was wonderful to return to old Athens with its amazing architecture and living history told through fantastic marble statues and ruins, and learning about their significance centuries ago.

 Incidentally, Athens has so many ruins, that when they were excavating for their subway system, they ran into numerous previously undiscovered treasures, so they had to change plans often. (See 2 of the accidentally discovered sites above).

This old parliament building is now used to host small conferences.

The Archeological Museum

It was great to return to the old city and especially to disembark at Hadrian's marble arch, constructed 131- 132AD. (Below).

Hadrian was considered the 'benefactor emperor' and his arch is part of the wall that was built around Athens.

Yesterday, they had a taxi strike, but they were back at work today and that is when we experienced Athenian gridlock, for many older streets are very narrow.

Now I understand why these tiny cars and  scooters are so popular here!

Despite how narrow and winding they are, I love their character and none more than the cobblestone pedestrian street below  Syntagma Square. 

Don't ask me its name though, as it's Greek to me 😊.

However here, you can get a taste of everything from roasted corn, street musicians and hustlers to high end brand name products, at the luxury shops on this street.

Man roasting his corn right there.

A musician, no doubt hoping to be discovered, performs.

And of course, internationally famous Greek dishes are available at every turn as there is no shortage of restaurants and sidewalk cafes in this beautiful old city.

Yup, this is my scene!😊