Khanxhae's curse

At New Xade the old men with weather beaten faces are attempting to water their cattle. Dust billows. Voices echo and occasionally, laughter pierces the sky. Boys with sticks, old men with wide brimmed hats and caps squint and give out occasional commands.

The near mid-day sun, which is usually harsh anywhere in the central parts of this semi-arid country, is intolerable in these western edges of the Kalahari Desert. Even by Botswana standards this has been a dry season but here at the edges of the Kalahari Desert the sun-baked sands cook your feet and every water droplet disappears soon as it reaches the loose sand. Its dry land, and it is the driest part of the dry season.