Pula!

In one way we really adapted to our Botswana life: we love rain. Which is weird for Dutch people; we are supposed to complain about rain, hate cloudy days, especially the gray ones, be happy with every bit of sunshine. But here it’s dry, dry, dry most of the year; Kalahari, Kgalagadi, Dorsland (land of thirst). We do have a ‘rainy’ season, in summer, but the rainfall tends to be erratic, unpredictable and highly regional. Maybe that’s why we fanatically compare the contents of our rain gauge (never wanted that appliance in the Netherlands!) with friends living 10, 20, 30 k’s away.
Kalahari desert

This rainy season has been not much good so far... No early September rain(s), even October was dry, November also didn’t bring much, late December we had some, and January again didn’t fulfil it’s promises. But February started good; a 40 millimetres shower, and then a 1 and a 7.5. That's your real semi-arid climate...
semi-arid climate

Nadia (left) and Moira, checking out the yard after the rain. They love the cool, wet soil once the rain is gone, but they are not exactly fond of thunder and lightning – make that somewhere in between ‘not fond’ and ‘terrified’.

Our new ‘pula’ container. Pula is the name of both the Botswana currency and rain.

It’s hard to choose what is nicer; rain or ‘after the rain’... Afterwards everything smells so nice, birds start singing ever so enthusiastically, all my plants look so healthy and thriving, and the soil feels nice and rich instead of dry and powdery.

Botswana climate

Botswana seasons