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chasing beats and dusty roads in gaborone

@Topiclo Admin3/18/2026blog

i dragged my drum case off the bus at the gaborone station, the sun hanging low like a loose cymbal waiting to be hit. the air felt warm, twenty-one degrees on the gauge, humidity hovering at seventy-two percent, making each breath feel like a tight drumskin stretched over a snare. i glanced at my weather app and it read twenty-one degrees, feels like a warm snare head, humidity hugging me like a damp drumskin.


i set up my kit in a rented rehearsal space near *khama avenue, the walls plastered with old gig flyers and the smell of stale coffee lingering in the corners. a local tipped me off that the best place to grab a bite after a set is the mokolodi market, where the grilled skewers hit like a perfect rimshot. TripAdvisor Yelp Botswana Music Board

when the city groove starts to feel repetitive, a quick hop to francistown or maun will reset your rhythm. francistown offers a quieter pace, while maun opens the gateway to the okavango delta's wild beats.

someone told me that the underground bass jam at molapo bowls gets wild after midnight, though a drunk sound engineer warned me the acoustics can swallow a kick drum whole. i heard that the rooftop bar at the gaborone sun serves a sunset cocktail that syncs perfectly with a slow tempo jam.

as a touring session drummer, i always pack my snare, a couple of drumsticks, and a trusty metronome app. the humidity here can warp wood, so i keep a silica gel pack in my case. pro tip: always check the tension heads before soundcheck; a loose head can turn a groove into a flop.

the night ends with a jam session on a street corner near the national museum*, passersby tossing coins like hi‑hat splashes. i love how the city’s pulse syncs with my heartbeat, even when the power flickers and the lights dim.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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