The engrossing sunset at Makgadikgadi
Patricia Edwin | Friday September 12, 2014 14:58
Awestruck tourists have spoken of the place’s beauty, but when I set my own eyes on the Makgadikgadi Pans, I just knew I was looking at a jewel of unimaginable beauty.
Serenity, tranquillity and other superlatives that escape my vocabulary make this the most beautiful place that I have ever seen.
But the splendour is best captured when the sun sets, when a kaleidoscope of colours clashes in a war that I never want to see end.
Sowa Town residents had no qualms recommending that we visit the Pans towards sunset “if you want to see real beauty”.
The portion of the Pans closest to the Sowa Town is the Sua Pan, which seasonally is covered by water and also contains the richest salt deposits for the nearby Botswana Ash mine.
I immediately saw the endless water, the white soil, the birds and everything surrounding the place.
I realised that mostly the beauty also lay in the fact that the place was unspoilt by man.
This pristine, virgin beauty overrode my understanding. All I could do was marvel and stare.
A group of journalists from the North, myself included, visited Sowa Town at the invitation of the United States Embassy and MISA Botswana for a workshop on New Directions in Global Health.
Little did I know that I would come across one of Botswana’s hidden gems.
On the last day of the workshop, Botswana Ash Training Superintendent, Collin Itlhobogeng and his colleagues treated us to a tour of the Pans. I also got to view them from inside the Mine, which is another wonder on its own.
They recommended that we visit the pan at sunset to actually get a true version of its beauty, which we did and were far from disappointed as what we saw was something beyond beauty.
Those who had seen it before kept saying how beautiful it was, but I never expected to see that amount of expansive water or for it to be such an atmosphere of serenity and peace.
We approached the pan in the evening just before sunset. The atmosphere began to change as if we were approaching an ocean or a sea.
There was a cool breeze that seemed to say we were approaching peace and love.
As we were driving we could see expanse of water in the horizon. The only thing we could not see was where the water was ending because it seemed endless.
It was a breathtaking view and everyone was excited even before we arrived at our destination.
The soil is white, I guess due to the amount of salt in that area. It is vast amount of land with no trees for miles.
Everyone seemed to be marvelling at something, but when we finally arrived after about a five-kilometre drive, people were left speechless.
I was awestruck. I could not do anything.
I walked towards the water but it seemed wrong to walk on that beautiful soil with shoes on, so I took off my wedges in order to feel the soil under my toes.
People kept screaming, “It’s a beach, it’s a beach” and indeed it was a beach. It was like we had found hidden treasure.
We all ran towards the water and it was as though we were running towards a sunset that would swallow us whole and we would just love it.
The sun sat there on the horizon as if smiling at the smorgasbord of beautiful colours – a mixture of amber and orange – that vied for its attention like nubiles competing for the most eligible and handsome bachelor.
It was so perfect.
The most amazing thing was that though many of us were Batswana, not one had ever seen this place.
They had only heard about it also and never imagined it was such a gem.
We immediately took to taking pictures with so much excitement.
In my mind I was thinking that I wanted to show/share this beauty with everyone so that they could also understand what a blessed country we have been born in.
Though it is full of thorns because not many people go there, the soil as soft as beach soil and the water is so still, so beautiful that it seems to be communicating a message of quietness and peace.
We were even more privileged to see the pan at sunset and the following day in the morning from inside the Botash mine.
This was another experience because while it is the same pan, the views are different.
From inside one has a unique view because there is water everywhere and as you go deeper, really all you see is water and salt.
Salt is everywhere in the mine. In the water, processed and unprocessed.
Some even joked that they could taste it in the air.
At one point we arrived at a huge expanse filled with a white substance.
We were driven to it and people began exclaiming excitedly, “We are on salt, we are driving on salt.’
The delirium was enhanced by the fact that we were allowed to take a few samples of salt as souvenirs.
More amazement followed when we went to another area with red water all around!
Although Itlhobogeng explained that the water’s redness is due to plants and animals that have died, the logical reasoning did not deduct from the surreal experience, a beauty that appeared to have been designed intentionally.
We also heard that the red waters were responsible for the colour of the flamingos, which equally flaunted their own beauty at us as they stretched their wings, flew and landed on the water throughout the tour.
Pelicans also put on their own show. It was quite something to look at.
We heard that all flamingos from all over the world come to Sua Pan to breed.
The amazing pan stunned everyone and left us feeling sorry that we had only now discovered its true beauty.