Campfires, starry skies, and the white world of Botswana.

Until I arrived in Botswana, I thought I understood Africa.

Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.
Well-maintained roads. Tree-lined streets. Properly managed parks.
There are skyscrapers and shopping centers, too.
And above all, I could walk around.
In Johannesburg, I couldn't go outside.

I entered a shopping center.
It was huge. Spacious. High ceilings and bright.
Stores were lined up in a row.
Clothes, shoes, electronics, cafes, restaurants.

While drinking coffee at a cafe, I gazed blankly at the people.
Families, young people, the elderly. Everyone was spending their time peacefully.
Looking only at this, it was no different from a developed country.

The next day, I headed north.
A two-day, one-night tour to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.

The car kept driving for hours.
The scenery gradually changed.
Brown earth. Dry soil.
And then, suddenly, the view opened up.

White. Everything was white.
All the way to the horizon, it was white.
The sky was blue, too.
A clear, transparent blue without a single cloud.

White and blue.

The guide explained it to me.

"This is one of the world's largest salt pans. Thousands of years ago, this was a lake. It dried up and became this salt plain."

The wind blew with a gust.
There was nothing to block it. The wind blew straight through.

"In the rainy season, a little water collects. Then, the animals gather."

Looking into the distance, something was moving.
It was zebras.
Many of them, in a herd, walking slowly.
Black and white zebras were walking on the white salt.

"Look at that."
The guide pointed.
A small animal was scurrying about.
A meerkat.

It stood up and looked around nervously.
It must be on guard. It must be protecting its companions.
That sight was adorable.

Further in the distance, there was a pink group.

"Those are flamingos."

Hundreds of flamingos were gathered at the water's edge.
They were spread out like a pink carpet.

"There are elephants, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs here too. Many animals live around this salt pan."

Under my feet, it was white. Above my head, it was blue.
I could see the horizon all the way around.
Does a place like this really exist?

I had traveled through West Africa.
Deserts, dust, heat, mosquitoes, power outages. They were harsh days.
In Johannesburg, I trembled with fear.

Here, there is magnificent nature.
An endless white earth. A blue sky.
And the animals that live there.

It has been a long time since I was moved by something like this.
I'm glad I went on this trip.
No matter how harsh, no matter how tired, no matter how much emptiness I felt.

I was able to encounter this scenery, this emotion.
That alone is enough.

At dusk, the salt pan was dyed orange.
The white plain was shining in gold.

The silhouette of the zebras stood out against the sunset.

Night fell.

The guide set up tents for us.
Tents were lined up, one by one, on the edge of the salt pan.

We ate dinner around a campfire.
The sound of firewood crackling. Smoke rose softly.
It was a simple meal. Grilled meat and vegetable soup.
But the meal eaten by the campfire was special.

After eating, I stared blankly at the flames in front of the campfire.
The flames were flickering.

And then, I suddenly looked up at the sky.

I gasped.
Stars were packed, filling the sky.
Are there really this many stars in the universe?

The Milky Way was clearly visible.
A white band was crossing the sky.
A shooting star streaked across.

No streetlights. No buildings.
There was nothing to block the view.
There were only stars.

I lay down on my back.
Right there on the salt pan.

Above my head, the universe was spreading out.
The stars said nothing.
They were just shining quietly.

The wind blew.
The campfire flames flickered.
From far away, the cries of animals could be heard faintly.

Words were unnecessary.
How long had I been like that?
My sense of time disappeared.
I was just watching the stars.

Eventually, I went into the tent.
I crawled into my sleeping bag.
Even when I closed my eyes, the stars floated behind my eyelids.

The next morning, when I woke up, it was still dim outside.
When I stepped out of the tent, the sky was beginning to be dyed orange.

The salt pan was quiet.
The cold morning air touched my cheeks.

I waited for the sunrise.
The sun slowly rose from the horizon.
The white salt pan shone in gold and orange.

A new day was beginning.
Travel exists for this very moment.

That's what I thought.

—Ah, once again, a soliloquy in a strange foreign land.