Maun: Here is why we keep coming back

Thalefang Charles | Friday January 8, 2016 12:24

 

The thing is, you should not visit Maun to ‘see’ the place. You must ‘experience’ it. It is in the way it makes us feel when we are there. There are few things to ‘see’ in Maun, so do not pack your camera hoping to catch incredible sights in pictures. No, there are no elephants roaming on Tawana Road or at New Mall and you will not hear lions roaring at Sedie.

My love for Maun is well documented. I have awesome and deep memories in that place and no one should dare argue when I state that Maun is a very special place – not just a gateway to a special place.

Some of Botswana’s friendliest people are found in this place. A friend of mine once said: “These people are like they are from another country”. I think that country must be the Republic of Happy Heart.

Maun people love visitors so much that they will make you feel special by just greeting you. A simple greeting, ‘Hello Mister’, especially coming from a heavily accented dark and tall Maun girl is enough an experience to introduce one to the fun they are about to experience.

I still start my Maun experience at a local bar - any bar, the smaller the better – as long as it has more locals. That is where you will meet the most social people this side of the Okavango.

Listen to your hosts speak. They have a unique lingua and a beautiful accent. They do not shy away from telling you how they feel about you. I have heard, “Ah o rokoro mister!” (You rock mister) in Maun. But they can also be rather too honest in their observation like, “Munyana wa moshimane yo, ona le feeling waitse” (This guy’s girlfriend feels herself).

So sometimes after staying the whole year in Gaborone, tired of dishonest city love, it is good to be with people that will tell you the truth like, “Heela Mister, ke go reile kare kego dumitse, lesa go mphoraphora, ke toga ke changer nna” (I told you that I’m yours, stop caressing me before I change my mind). You can only hear that in Maun.

Even Maun police have all along known that they are servicing special people and tourists and thus are kind to them.

December 2015 was, however, different as apparently the new Police commander was yet to understand the Maun culture and was thus rather heavy-handed on people. I am positive that he will soon get with the programme and let people have fun like they are in Maun.

Maun people will take you to the best spot to chill out. They call it ‘go stager’ (to stage) and that is why we still flock to this place - ‘go stager’.

Maun is surrounded by five perennial rivers; Thamalakane, Boro, Nhabe, Kunyere and Boteti. Along these rivers there are places called ‘beaches’ where you can do plenty of activities.

The thrill of swimming in Thamalakane River with crocodiles and hippos lurking in the quiet flowing water, is better than a dip into a chlorine-filled, choking five-star resort swimming pool.

We still love the peacefulness of gliding through these rivers with a mokoro and the way your poler makes beautiful neckpiece for your lady with water reeds while at it. It is the feeling we get when leaving the precarious mokoro at the riverbank after a short ride that still brings us back to these rivers.

It is the crispy fresh wind blowing while cruising on small boats to Boro, sipping on a cold drink to cool our bodies of the scorching heat.

We are the children of the Kgalagadi and green grass fascinates us.  So it is the volleyball we play on the green grass or just idling, walking, sitting or lying on our back to feel the dampness of the green on our clothes and looking out at the crispy blue sky with beautiful clouds that bring us here.

Maybe it is the fresh green aroma of the river or the cool shade of mophane trees. You should see us chilling in the afternoon at The Big Tree along the river waiting for the sun to set and paint the western skies with some spectacular bright colours. Or the sundowners at the deck of The Boma at Maun Lodge with their cold beverages that go down so well.

They might have closed Trekkers Night Club, but there is still Fresh Exclusive Lounge if we want to shake it off on the dance floor.

If in the morning we feel like we need an escape because city people have invaded Maun, we can hop onto the 4X4 and drive into Moremi Game Reserve for game viewing and camping. We can board a small aircraft (they call it ‘Fly’ in Maun) and go for a scenic view of the Okavango Delta.

And that is why we still come back to Maun - to experience it.