In talking about Meerkats, I mentioned the Magadikgadi Pan, the 12000 square km mineral area that is the fossil of a huge lake formed when tectonic shifts dammed up three rivers flowing across central Botswana.
The pans are pretty much featureless and dead flat. To illustrate several things, our guide blindfolded us and had us try to walk to a point a mere 50 steps away. Brenda did a great job, only missing the target by a few steps. I didn't do so well, missing a target only 50 steps away by... 31 steps!! Amazing.
Brenda describes the pans as a "moonscape". She said if she were faking
a moon landing, you'd be hard pressed to find a better surrogate
location than the salt pans. I agree.
The baobabs are apparently used as landmarks in this area. None grow on the pans, only a few small patches of parched grass, but they do line the protopans- the fringe around the pans. Being featureless, these must serve as beacons for those crossing the pans on foot.
The pans weren't as exciting as seeing a leopard, a lion or a hippo, but they were something to behold, and we are very glad to get to see them.
But we were reminded that even the most barren places harbor life. The guide told us that submerging a piece of the crust of the pan would yield living brine shrimp. We saw more than that:
We marvel at G^d creation. Surely He can do anything, including handling my little problems.
The pans are pretty much featureless and dead flat. To illustrate several things, our guide blindfolded us and had us try to walk to a point a mere 50 steps away. Brenda did a great job, only missing the target by a few steps. I didn't do so well, missing a target only 50 steps away by... 31 steps!! Amazing.
The baobabs are apparently used as landmarks in this area. None grow on the pans, only a few small patches of parched grass, but they do line the protopans- the fringe around the pans. Being featureless, these must serve as beacons for those crossing the pans on foot.
The pans weren't as exciting as seeing a leopard, a lion or a hippo, but they were something to behold, and we are very glad to get to see them.
But we were reminded that even the most barren places harbor life. The guide told us that submerging a piece of the crust of the pan would yield living brine shrimp. We saw more than that:
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