17. Into the Thirstland (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park)
  • 6 years ago
The Zebra bus ventures into the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park during the rainy season, when animals and people celebrate the much-needed rains. Four local Kalahari girls are on a mission to not only explore the many wonders of the park, but also become acquainted with the San people who live in the area.

As the roads become narrower and finally only two tracks remain, the Zebra Bus gets stuck in the red sands of a big dune. The team walks to where a small group of San people has a camp. They learn some San words and an elderly lady takes them into the dunes to discover the secrets of which plants you can survive on for food and water, and which ones you can use for curing all sorts of ailments. Besides the flora, they also learn the ways of the millipede, gemsbok, hyena, cheetah and other inhabitants of the Kgalagadi.

The girls feel privileged to be so close to nature and invite the youth of South Africa to come and see what their part of the world has to offer. As the day draws to a close, the kids join in a traditional Khoisan dance around the campfire, dreaming of what they might find in the new day.