Wow! It's been a while and we have a lot to update you on so this may get a bit long. =D
Back In The Dar-Es-Salaam (to the tune of 'back in the ussr')
Epic bus rides have become something of a staple for us in Africa so far. Leaving Livingston headed for Lusaka on the 8th, we hopped onto the 'best' bus company's bus bright and early at 6am. Now it's become custom for some bus companies in Zambia to get a pastor to come onto the bus before the trip and give a prayer. You must understand that the current flavour of pastor is quite soulful and enthusiastic (many surely inspired by the most rousing speeches of Jesse Jackson, et al.). So after about 15 minutes of 'damning the devil back to the pit of hell for the sanctity of the bus and all it's precious souls - IN JESUS' MIGHTY NAME!!!!!" we set off feeling much more confident and the bus PROMPTLY proceeded to break down. Probably our fault for not making a tithe. We got to Lusaka (approximately 300km) at 4pm. Best ride yet!
After a whirlwind stay in the now-very-familiar Lusaka, we set off on our flight back to Dar. Now just to update you, we had planned on taking the train and were quite excited about it but as it turns out, if a man and woman want to share a compartment they must buy all four beds - the compartment only locks from the inside and it's common to return to your compartment to find new 'occupants' that you'll need the conductor to evict. SO... given the cost would have been comparable to a flight - we opted to fly and give ourselves an extra day to go on a more adventurous excursion to an Island in Tanzania.
When we arrived in Dar (after a few customary headaches from Air Zambezi), we found ourselves in the middle of yet another festivity - our first visit fell on the Islamic New year, this time it was Independence Day. We're convinced that Dar just likes it when we visit and decides to throw a party every time we're here. Dar is also becoming quite familiar and we had a great dinner at our 'favourite' restaurant before our next epic adventure.
There and Back Again
Since we're now seasoned African travellers (NOT tourists), or so we think, we decided we could handle a bit more of a challenge than the beaten tourist path to Zanzibar. We had heard of a smaller Island, Mafia, to the South of Zanzibar that had not been discovered yet by tourism... plus it had EPIC diving for really, really cheap, so we decided to go for it! Some helpful travellers (and our guidebook) gave us good instructions for getting there, so off we went.
We took 2 dalla-dallas (minibuses) for approximately 3 hours to a tiny coastal town called Nyamisati, where running water is nonexistent, toilets consist of a hole in the ground, and speakers of English are a seriously endangered species. Dalla-dallas are an adventure in and of themselves since all of the seats being filled has nothing to do with the bus being full. Our first bus had 14 seats and 24 passengers, and 2 children who were treated more like luggage. That is not including chickens, copious amounts of fruit, and pretty much any other goods you can imagine. Upon our arrival in Nyamisati, we purchased tickets for the 4-hour boat ride to Mafia Island, and then proceeded to spend the next hour trying to locate someone who could tell us what time the boat was leaving. We’ve noticed that people here are quite unfamiliar with the concept of waiting in line, and are always in a huge hurry to get on or off any form of transportation, even if they have nothing in particular to do afterwards. So we waited out the stampede for the dhow (boat) and finally got underway. The ride was beautiful, but the tide was low when we got to our destination, Kilindoni, so we waited for maybe 2 hours for some smaller gondolas to come and ferry us, the other passengers, and their enormous amounts of goods to shore. Again, all the seats being occupied has nothing to do with the boat being full.
Island Adventure
We had booked ourselves in at a guest house in town for that night – allegedly the best one in Kilindoni (the largest town on the island). It had no running water (although buckets of water had been generously provided for our bathing needs), and the toilet again consisted of a hole in the ground (nice porcelain frame, though). We were soon to discover that only the really expensive lodges had toilets upon which one can sit, or running water. We found a total of 2 such lodges on the island.
It’s always difficult when you arrive in a town after dark because it’s hard to get an idea of the town’s flavour or personality, or what is available there. So at this point we were a bit discouraged with Kilindoni, but our luck was soon to change. We were lucky enough to meet three gentlemen that evening who had been travelling and working in East Africa for many months, one of whom spoke very good Swahili, and they invited us to join them on a whale shark viewing excursion a few days later. Sweet!! One of them was also planning to go diving the next day, as were we, so we quickly made some friends on Mafia.
Mafia Island is incredible – an entirely new face of Africa for us. White sand beaches, gigantic, looming palm trees and a generally jungle-esque feel all over. There are 40,000 inhabitants on Mafia scattered among the villages that only the bravest Bajaji can get to. There are only really two towns – Kilindoni and Utende (which is really a village) inside a marine park where the ‘lodges’ are located. The island is in the Indian ocean and boasts some of the most incredible sunsets and some of the best diving on this coast. We were thrilled the moment we woke up and saw our surroundings.
The next morning, we hired a Bajaji (sp?) to take us across the island to Chole Bay, (the marine park) home to Big Blu, a dive operator run by three Italians (Italians on Mafia Island... how perfect!). A Bajaji is a vehicle with three wheels that isn’t quite sure whether it’s more like a car or a Vespa. After a 20 minute ride with three of us crammed into the space of about 2.5 square feet, we arrived at our destination.
Big Blu was awesome! The staff, Mario, Nicola and Matthia were welcoming and fascinating to talk to. Our first day we did two dives with our companion Jos (a Don Quixote-esque traveller from the Netherlands). We set out in a small Dhow (diving from a dhow is a novelty unto itself) and enjoyed two excellent reefs on our first day. After the dives we looked in the ‘town’ of Utende for something to eat. There were about six buildings – all multi-purpose house/shop/tour guide/bar/guesthouse/cafes. Of those six we found ONE that would serve us a meal. The house/cafe/tour guide/guesthouse/”resta-urant” served us a plate of rice or Ugali (nshima) and a small boiled fish with a bit of sauce and beans. The ‘house’ consisted of three rooms in a space of about 16 square feet. It had a dirt floor, mud walls and a single table in the main room around which the three of us found enough space to hunch over our plates. We began to realize that we were experiencing a truly remote Africa and though the island had ‘resorts’ we got a true re-definition of ‘untouched by tourists’. Fish and rice (of varying quality and expense) was pretty much what we ate for the duration of our stay on Mafia. That afternoon we discovered the upscale lodge – which was quite nice and had about 5 guests and a great view. At the lodge we discovered a true rarity – ice cream!!! We had to indulge. It was VERY GOOD! We stayed at Big Blu that night (which was also quite nice with a real toilet, shower, running water, and a view on the beach to die for) and enjoyed a nice dinner of calamari and octopus straight out of the ocean! Fresh mango made a great desert and we tucked in for the night after some great conversations with our hosts.
The next day we set off on two dives outside the bay. We were joined by three Italian men in speedos visiting from another lodge. They were very nice. We did a wall dive and an incredible reef dive at which we saw our first ever sharks – two white-tip reef sharks and a variety of coral that we can’t even begin to describe. Despite the fact that we discovered it is possible to become sea-sick WHILE diving under water, these dives were two of the best we’ve ever had and it was an incredible day. Then it was back to Kilindoni after meeting some friendly Masai and waiting for our Bijaji.
We joined our friends on the whale-shark viewing expedition but the ‘mango rains’ had kept the sharks out of view for the past 4 days and we had no luck either. But we’ve been so lucky this trip we figured we were due for at least one no-show.
We spent out last night on a beautiful camp on a cliff overlooking the Indian ocean and saw a remarkable sunset while lounging on some cots under some palms.
The next morning we repeated our adventurous trip back to Dar which brings us to now. Our last night in Africa. We set out tomorrow on a day-long plane trip back across the Atlantic. We’re sure to be in shock as we go from 34 degrees to -10 but we’re excited to see friends and family. We’ll be in touch again to let you know how the journey ends.
Until then, much love,
-- Jenny and Jimi
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Livingstone and Victoria Falls
After an unnecessarily long nine-hour bus ride back to Lusaka from Chipata, we enjoyed a few of the pleasantries of the city – we treated ourselves to a movie (New Moon – we’d be ashamed if we weren’t simply lucky to see a movie at all) and a dinner out and made arrangements for our bus to Livingstone. The next morning we set out on an equally unnecessarily long seven-hour bus ride from Lusaka to Livingstone.
We arrived in Livingstone and found our way to the “Jollyboys” hostel – which had come highly recommended from Gavin, our main-man from the Safari. We checked in and found ourselves in hostel-heaven. The place is really lively and beautiful with eclectic people from around the world, networks with all the Vic Falls attractions, a small pool, bar, limited restaurant and a ton of pillowed areas under thatched roofs for lounging. Jenny was thrilled to be living the ‘hostel-life’ in true form, especially since we’d be there for a few days and might actually have a chance to meet a few fellow travelers. Jollyboys has turned out to be the best starting point we could imagine for our Vic Falls adventures, and beyond – the staff here are so knowledgeable and helpful with any travel you want to do around southern Africa.
Livingstone is known to be the adventure capital of southern Africa, and we’ve definitely taken advantage! Our first afternoon here was pretty relaxed, with a visit to one of the best markets we’ve seen since we got to Africa, and generally organizing the rest of our stay in this town. The next day, we set off on our first excursion: A trip by boat to Livingstone Island, which is right in the middle and on the edge of Vic Falls. This was our first view of the Falls, and it was like nothing you can imagine. It’s low-water season right now, so the Falls is really a series of pretty impressive waterfalls, but at its height, it’s a 1.7-kilometre-wide unbroken fall of water. Just imagine that for a second. While some people might say we came here in the wrong season, we definitely think we lucked out. We would never have been able to experience the Falls from the edge otherwise, and… get ready for this… we had the opportunity to take a SWIM right on the edge!! There is a spot called the Devil’s Pool where a submerged rock wall rises just before the water spills over, so you can jump in, look right over the edge, and not worry about falling over. It is like nothing else we’ll ever experience in our lives. After our swim on the edge of the world’s largest waterfall, we had a lovely breakfast on Livingstone Island (where Livingstone first viewed the falls – the first non-African ever to be taken there). That afternoon, we decided to take advantage of being close to the falls and did a walk around the Vic Falls Park. While walking from our drop-off point (from the island) to the park entrance, we encountered three giraffe which we were able to approach within 30 feet – it was incredible. After yet another breathtaking moment we continued on the path until we found ourselves surrounded by frolicking baby monkeys who were very curious about us and a small herd of Zebra – again which we were able to get exceptionally close to. It was fantastic. From there we toured the park around the falls. The views were incredible and the walk was invigorating, if hot. We saw someone bungee from the legendary bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe and saw the falls from a number of wider angles – many photos followed =). Later in the afternoon we decided we needed another swim, so we began an ambiguous and ambitious quest across the top of Vic falls to find a place called ‘the angel’s armchair’ – another location on the edge of the falls that you can swim in. We tried to avoid the local people unofficially acting as guides (for a tip), but were lost without them. Our quiet and somewhat grumpy guide Collins lead us across rocks and streams and fast-moving currents of the rushing river until, finally, we reached a breathtaking pool of water. Unlike the devil’s pool, this one still had rock visible between it and the edge and water wasn’t quickly flowing through, but it was a much bigger pool and we had an incredible swim – taking some breaks to gaze over the edge of the vast canyons beyond us. By the time we got back to shore our feet were raw from the two hours of journeying barefoot across rocks and through currents. We decided to wrap up our epic first day and tucked in at ‘Jollys’ for the night.
Next adventure: White-water rafting on the Zambezi River, known to be one of the best in the world… and did it ever live up to its reputation! The trip began just below the falls and continued on through several Class V rapids – the toughest that can be navigated in a raft. We had a fantastic international crew in our boat as well as Sven, our intrepid guide! While 3 of the 5 boats on the trip flipped in the first rapid (great start to the day!), our crew successfully navigated through the first several major challenges… that is, until Jenny, who was in the front of the boat, went for an unintentional swim in the first Class V rapid! After a moment of panic for Jimi, the crew rallied and quickly rescued Jenny and the other man overboard, and we continued on, undaunted. As Sven learned that we were up for some excitement, he began providing more of it. He would give us several options for routes and tell us the likelihood of our boat flipping in each one – knowing full well, we’re sure, that we would always choose the option likeliest to acquaint us more intimately with the river, and greatly enjoying that. Sure enough, we flipped our boat in the next big rapid, and most of us rode through it on the bottom of the boat! So we definitely got a full taste of everything the Zambezi has to offer! Another fun highlight was the opportunity to swim through a smaller rapid, and we got spun around in a number of small whirlpools… awesome! The half-day trip ended with an epic hike straight up the gorge wall in the noon heat… nobody told us that if we did the full day, we could have taken a cable car to the top!! It was Jimi’s first rafting experience and he smiled throughout (except maybe the moment the wave took Jenny away). All in all a blast was had and Jimi is extremely excited for the next opportunity he’ll have to do rafting.
We got a really great deal on the rafting plus a sunset cruise later that evening, and it was the perfect way to relax after such an action-packed day. The Zambezi river above the Falls winds slowly through a small national park, so we spotted plenty of wildlife as we drifted lazily along. Great company, a nice dinner, and a beautiful sunset. We returned to Jollyboys around 7 PM and promptly (and unintentionally!) passed out for the night!
All of that adventure brings us to today, which has been a pretty relaxing day. We’re working on our next travel arrangements, which, if all goes according to plan, should take us to Mafia Island, Tanzania, in a few days. But, as we’ve seen before, when does everything ever go according to plan? We’ve hit a few roadblocks in our arrangements so far. We were really excited for the Tazara Train – a train running from Lusaka, Zambia to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania – but the more we learn about it the more it seems like it won’t be suitable for our itinerary (or pocketbooks or maybe even safety). So we’re adjusting and we’re confident we can work everything out and do some fantastic scuba diving (and see some whale sharks!!!) before we head home in about 9 days! While we’ll be sad to leave Africa, we’re also so excited to get home and see all of you, and especially to share the holidays with both of our families together!!
Much love,
- Jimi and Jenny
We arrived in Livingstone and found our way to the “Jollyboys” hostel – which had come highly recommended from Gavin, our main-man from the Safari. We checked in and found ourselves in hostel-heaven. The place is really lively and beautiful with eclectic people from around the world, networks with all the Vic Falls attractions, a small pool, bar, limited restaurant and a ton of pillowed areas under thatched roofs for lounging. Jenny was thrilled to be living the ‘hostel-life’ in true form, especially since we’d be there for a few days and might actually have a chance to meet a few fellow travelers. Jollyboys has turned out to be the best starting point we could imagine for our Vic Falls adventures, and beyond – the staff here are so knowledgeable and helpful with any travel you want to do around southern Africa.
Livingstone is known to be the adventure capital of southern Africa, and we’ve definitely taken advantage! Our first afternoon here was pretty relaxed, with a visit to one of the best markets we’ve seen since we got to Africa, and generally organizing the rest of our stay in this town. The next day, we set off on our first excursion: A trip by boat to Livingstone Island, which is right in the middle and on the edge of Vic Falls. This was our first view of the Falls, and it was like nothing you can imagine. It’s low-water season right now, so the Falls is really a series of pretty impressive waterfalls, but at its height, it’s a 1.7-kilometre-wide unbroken fall of water. Just imagine that for a second. While some people might say we came here in the wrong season, we definitely think we lucked out. We would never have been able to experience the Falls from the edge otherwise, and… get ready for this… we had the opportunity to take a SWIM right on the edge!! There is a spot called the Devil’s Pool where a submerged rock wall rises just before the water spills over, so you can jump in, look right over the edge, and not worry about falling over. It is like nothing else we’ll ever experience in our lives. After our swim on the edge of the world’s largest waterfall, we had a lovely breakfast on Livingstone Island (where Livingstone first viewed the falls – the first non-African ever to be taken there). That afternoon, we decided to take advantage of being close to the falls and did a walk around the Vic Falls Park. While walking from our drop-off point (from the island) to the park entrance, we encountered three giraffe which we were able to approach within 30 feet – it was incredible. After yet another breathtaking moment we continued on the path until we found ourselves surrounded by frolicking baby monkeys who were very curious about us and a small herd of Zebra – again which we were able to get exceptionally close to. It was fantastic. From there we toured the park around the falls. The views were incredible and the walk was invigorating, if hot. We saw someone bungee from the legendary bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe and saw the falls from a number of wider angles – many photos followed =). Later in the afternoon we decided we needed another swim, so we began an ambiguous and ambitious quest across the top of Vic falls to find a place called ‘the angel’s armchair’ – another location on the edge of the falls that you can swim in. We tried to avoid the local people unofficially acting as guides (for a tip), but were lost without them. Our quiet and somewhat grumpy guide Collins lead us across rocks and streams and fast-moving currents of the rushing river until, finally, we reached a breathtaking pool of water. Unlike the devil’s pool, this one still had rock visible between it and the edge and water wasn’t quickly flowing through, but it was a much bigger pool and we had an incredible swim – taking some breaks to gaze over the edge of the vast canyons beyond us. By the time we got back to shore our feet were raw from the two hours of journeying barefoot across rocks and through currents. We decided to wrap up our epic first day and tucked in at ‘Jollys’ for the night.
Next adventure: White-water rafting on the Zambezi River, known to be one of the best in the world… and did it ever live up to its reputation! The trip began just below the falls and continued on through several Class V rapids – the toughest that can be navigated in a raft. We had a fantastic international crew in our boat as well as Sven, our intrepid guide! While 3 of the 5 boats on the trip flipped in the first rapid (great start to the day!), our crew successfully navigated through the first several major challenges… that is, until Jenny, who was in the front of the boat, went for an unintentional swim in the first Class V rapid! After a moment of panic for Jimi, the crew rallied and quickly rescued Jenny and the other man overboard, and we continued on, undaunted. As Sven learned that we were up for some excitement, he began providing more of it. He would give us several options for routes and tell us the likelihood of our boat flipping in each one – knowing full well, we’re sure, that we would always choose the option likeliest to acquaint us more intimately with the river, and greatly enjoying that. Sure enough, we flipped our boat in the next big rapid, and most of us rode through it on the bottom of the boat! So we definitely got a full taste of everything the Zambezi has to offer! Another fun highlight was the opportunity to swim through a smaller rapid, and we got spun around in a number of small whirlpools… awesome! The half-day trip ended with an epic hike straight up the gorge wall in the noon heat… nobody told us that if we did the full day, we could have taken a cable car to the top!! It was Jimi’s first rafting experience and he smiled throughout (except maybe the moment the wave took Jenny away). All in all a blast was had and Jimi is extremely excited for the next opportunity he’ll have to do rafting.
We got a really great deal on the rafting plus a sunset cruise later that evening, and it was the perfect way to relax after such an action-packed day. The Zambezi river above the Falls winds slowly through a small national park, so we spotted plenty of wildlife as we drifted lazily along. Great company, a nice dinner, and a beautiful sunset. We returned to Jollyboys around 7 PM and promptly (and unintentionally!) passed out for the night!
All of that adventure brings us to today, which has been a pretty relaxing day. We’re working on our next travel arrangements, which, if all goes according to plan, should take us to Mafia Island, Tanzania, in a few days. But, as we’ve seen before, when does everything ever go according to plan? We’ve hit a few roadblocks in our arrangements so far. We were really excited for the Tazara Train – a train running from Lusaka, Zambia to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania – but the more we learn about it the more it seems like it won’t be suitable for our itinerary (or pocketbooks or maybe even safety). So we’re adjusting and we’re confident we can work everything out and do some fantastic scuba diving (and see some whale sharks!!!) before we head home in about 9 days! While we’ll be sad to leave Africa, we’re also so excited to get home and see all of you, and especially to share the holidays with both of our families together!!
Much love,
- Jimi and Jenny
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
On Safari
(This is our second post in an hour, so make sure you didn’t miss the last one!)
We thought long and hard about our next adventure after leaving Chishawasha, and after extensive research, we determined that the absolute best place to go on safari in Zambia was South Luangwa National Park, which we heard is among the best parks in Africa… cool! We were very lucky to find one company, Jackalberry Safaris, that does all-inclusive budget safaris in South Luangwa, and picks clients up from the nearest city, Chipata. Since the rainy season had started and would likely affect the safari itinerary, Gavin, the man in charge, gave us a big discount on an already great deal for a five-day safari. So, from Chipata, we set off on probably the roughest four-hour drive of our lives with two fun-loving drivers, Chris and Aaron, to South Luangwa National Park. Take it from us, Gravol is a wonderful thing! Nevertheless, we arrived unscathed at Wildlife Camp on the outskirts of the park having gained some great knowledge about traditional medicines along the way from a really interesting gentleman named Thomas.
We met Gavin there, and got along really well with him right away. He’s a South African expat who’s been working in Zambia for many years, and Jackalberry is his latest project. We had many great conversations with him throughout our time there, and he contributed a lot to our education about all things southern African. He showed us around Wildlife Camp, which is a beautiful spot on the Luangwa River with a swimming pool and a bar, and the sturdiest tents we’ve ever seen with real beds inside! After getting to know the local pod of hippos, we set off on our first evening and night game drive with our awesome guide, IB, who is considered one of the best guides in the park – lucky us!
It took us about 10 minutes to realize that this would be the greatest safari EVER. As soon as we left the camp and before we even got into the park, we met a big family of elephants with several babies… unreal!! And it only got better from there. By sunset, we had encountered several giraffes, puku, impala, bushbuck, waterbuck, zebras, many more elephants, hippos, crocodiles, a huge water monitor lizard, and a whole host of fascinating birds, just to name a few. We had also had an encyclopedia’s worth of knowledge imparted to us from IB, whose capacity for information about the natural world is astounding. After a stop for sundowner drinks at a beautiful spot, we set off on our first night drive – a whole different kind of experience. During night drives, a spotter shines a bright light around looking for nocturnal animals, and you spot them by their shining eyes. Sightings of gannets, civets, and other denizens of the night quickly took a backseat when we came upon a pride of lions on the hunt… or rather, when they came upon us, and passed so close to our truck that we could have reached our hands out and touched them. IB promised us that if we didn’t stand up, the lions would think we were just part of the vehicle, and we can tell you that we remained firmly planted on our seats… especially when the alpha female turned around suddenly and stared us down hungrily. We were able to follow them for a while and saw them chase (but not catch) an impala and get rid of some hyenas who were following them, hoping for their leftovers. What an exhilarating first day!
Since the early morning and late afternoon and evening are the best times to spot animals, life on safari involves very early mornings (6:00 AM game drives or walks), lazy afternoons by the pool when the sun is strongest, and evening/night drives or walks, followed by a late dinner and early bedtime. We were unbelievably fortunate with the weather, which was beautiful almost without exception. Since it’s the rainy season, by all rights we should have had plenty of rain, which would have seriously curtailed some of the activities we could do. As it was, we were able to do and see everything almost exactly as planned, and it was far beyond anything we could have hoped for.
Aside from many game drives, the major highlights were two bushwalks, which are so amazing in that they put you within and among the natural landscape in a completely different way than a drive ever could. You notice so many small things that you would miss otherwise, and the walking guides have amazing knowledge to share along the way. During a walk, you really begin to understand how an animal must feel when it sees a storm coming, or when the savannah is deserted and you have the feeling that a predator could be following you from any direction. It’s eerie, exhilarating, humbling, and a completely unique experience. We got up close and personal with zebras, elephants, impala, an owl that we surprised from its rest, and an impressive array of birds and insects, as well as a pretty epic storm that we just managed to outrun.
We also had the opportunity for an all-day drive from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM – Jackalberry is the only company that runs all-day drives, so we were very lucky! Since we had such an enormous amount of time, we were able to explore more of the park than we ever could have otherwise, and it is exceptionally beautiful, especially now that the rains have begun. An all-day drive is yet another kind of immersion into this world as you tend to forget about taking pictures and just soak everything in. Just sitting among a mixed herd of impala, zebra, and elephants and watching them go about their daily lives all around you is such an incredible thing. Throughout the day, we spent many hours watching giraffe, warthogs, and other animals, stumbled upon two tortoises (which we’re told means we’ll have a lucky journey), spotted more lions, and even came across a lone wildebeest who should never have been in that area of the park (we’re chalking that one up to the tortoises’ luck). That evening was capped off by another real highlight: an amazing sighting of a huge leopard, who we followed for a while as he marked his territory. They are indescribably beautiful animals, and you really have trouble deciding whom to root for: the adorable baby impalas or the leopard!
There were so many moments and experiences that made this safari memorable, such as the fact that there were babies of almost every species of animal we saw, and IB’s propensity to discuss everything in wildlife terms (he told us about all of the different “species” of beer at the local bar), and the opportunity to visit the village and meet the families of the safari guides, that we can never cover everything here. We’ll have plenty to tell you when we get home… and you won’t believe our pictures!!!
We’re back in Lusaka now after an epically lengthy bus ride back from Chipata, and tomorrow we head for Livingstone, the adventure capital of Africa! We have grand plans for whitewater rafting and viewing of Victoria Falls, and then it’s off to Tanzania for some scuba diving before we head home… stay tuned!
Much love,
-Jenny and Jimi
We thought long and hard about our next adventure after leaving Chishawasha, and after extensive research, we determined that the absolute best place to go on safari in Zambia was South Luangwa National Park, which we heard is among the best parks in Africa… cool! We were very lucky to find one company, Jackalberry Safaris, that does all-inclusive budget safaris in South Luangwa, and picks clients up from the nearest city, Chipata. Since the rainy season had started and would likely affect the safari itinerary, Gavin, the man in charge, gave us a big discount on an already great deal for a five-day safari. So, from Chipata, we set off on probably the roughest four-hour drive of our lives with two fun-loving drivers, Chris and Aaron, to South Luangwa National Park. Take it from us, Gravol is a wonderful thing! Nevertheless, we arrived unscathed at Wildlife Camp on the outskirts of the park having gained some great knowledge about traditional medicines along the way from a really interesting gentleman named Thomas.
We met Gavin there, and got along really well with him right away. He’s a South African expat who’s been working in Zambia for many years, and Jackalberry is his latest project. We had many great conversations with him throughout our time there, and he contributed a lot to our education about all things southern African. He showed us around Wildlife Camp, which is a beautiful spot on the Luangwa River with a swimming pool and a bar, and the sturdiest tents we’ve ever seen with real beds inside! After getting to know the local pod of hippos, we set off on our first evening and night game drive with our awesome guide, IB, who is considered one of the best guides in the park – lucky us!
It took us about 10 minutes to realize that this would be the greatest safari EVER. As soon as we left the camp and before we even got into the park, we met a big family of elephants with several babies… unreal!! And it only got better from there. By sunset, we had encountered several giraffes, puku, impala, bushbuck, waterbuck, zebras, many more elephants, hippos, crocodiles, a huge water monitor lizard, and a whole host of fascinating birds, just to name a few. We had also had an encyclopedia’s worth of knowledge imparted to us from IB, whose capacity for information about the natural world is astounding. After a stop for sundowner drinks at a beautiful spot, we set off on our first night drive – a whole different kind of experience. During night drives, a spotter shines a bright light around looking for nocturnal animals, and you spot them by their shining eyes. Sightings of gannets, civets, and other denizens of the night quickly took a backseat when we came upon a pride of lions on the hunt… or rather, when they came upon us, and passed so close to our truck that we could have reached our hands out and touched them. IB promised us that if we didn’t stand up, the lions would think we were just part of the vehicle, and we can tell you that we remained firmly planted on our seats… especially when the alpha female turned around suddenly and stared us down hungrily. We were able to follow them for a while and saw them chase (but not catch) an impala and get rid of some hyenas who were following them, hoping for their leftovers. What an exhilarating first day!
Since the early morning and late afternoon and evening are the best times to spot animals, life on safari involves very early mornings (6:00 AM game drives or walks), lazy afternoons by the pool when the sun is strongest, and evening/night drives or walks, followed by a late dinner and early bedtime. We were unbelievably fortunate with the weather, which was beautiful almost without exception. Since it’s the rainy season, by all rights we should have had plenty of rain, which would have seriously curtailed some of the activities we could do. As it was, we were able to do and see everything almost exactly as planned, and it was far beyond anything we could have hoped for.
Aside from many game drives, the major highlights were two bushwalks, which are so amazing in that they put you within and among the natural landscape in a completely different way than a drive ever could. You notice so many small things that you would miss otherwise, and the walking guides have amazing knowledge to share along the way. During a walk, you really begin to understand how an animal must feel when it sees a storm coming, or when the savannah is deserted and you have the feeling that a predator could be following you from any direction. It’s eerie, exhilarating, humbling, and a completely unique experience. We got up close and personal with zebras, elephants, impala, an owl that we surprised from its rest, and an impressive array of birds and insects, as well as a pretty epic storm that we just managed to outrun.
We also had the opportunity for an all-day drive from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM – Jackalberry is the only company that runs all-day drives, so we were very lucky! Since we had such an enormous amount of time, we were able to explore more of the park than we ever could have otherwise, and it is exceptionally beautiful, especially now that the rains have begun. An all-day drive is yet another kind of immersion into this world as you tend to forget about taking pictures and just soak everything in. Just sitting among a mixed herd of impala, zebra, and elephants and watching them go about their daily lives all around you is such an incredible thing. Throughout the day, we spent many hours watching giraffe, warthogs, and other animals, stumbled upon two tortoises (which we’re told means we’ll have a lucky journey), spotted more lions, and even came across a lone wildebeest who should never have been in that area of the park (we’re chalking that one up to the tortoises’ luck). That evening was capped off by another real highlight: an amazing sighting of a huge leopard, who we followed for a while as he marked his territory. They are indescribably beautiful animals, and you really have trouble deciding whom to root for: the adorable baby impalas or the leopard!
There were so many moments and experiences that made this safari memorable, such as the fact that there were babies of almost every species of animal we saw, and IB’s propensity to discuss everything in wildlife terms (he told us about all of the different “species” of beer at the local bar), and the opportunity to visit the village and meet the families of the safari guides, that we can never cover everything here. We’ll have plenty to tell you when we get home… and you won’t believe our pictures!!!
We’re back in Lusaka now after an epically lengthy bus ride back from Chipata, and tomorrow we head for Livingstone, the adventure capital of Africa! We have grand plans for whitewater rafting and viewing of Victoria Falls, and then it’s off to Tanzania for some scuba diving before we head home… stay tuned!
Much love,
-Jenny and Jimi
Wrapping up and Moving on
Our last day at Chishawasha was sad but amazing. We had our last workshop with the Chishawasha staff, which went incredibly well. We facilitated some work on organizational and team communication and strategic planning, and in the end they said that ‘chishawasha will never be the same’ after the time we shared. And while this is the best compliment we could ask for, the reason it won’t be the same is because of the incredible resources within the staff team that have become unlocked during our time there. The ideas and communication and goals that came out of that session were nothing short of inspiring. We are so excited to see where they will go next and how they will continue to build on the work we did together.
Later that night we had our last dinner – we’re really going to miss nshima. Near the end of dinner we noticed a lot of activity. Shortly, mummy Maureen informed us that everyone was waiting for us in House One. We went over and found all the mothers and children seated in the large living area. We took our seats and were treated to the most amazing display of singing, dancing, and poetry. The children were so talented and rehearsed. The show lasted about an hour and a half and ended with a procession of thank you cards and handshakes and hugs from the entire 92 person family of Chishawasha. We were so moved. Jenny had to speak because Jimi couldn’t get a word out (which was funny because men aren’t usually supposed to show emotion that way in Zambian culture… but I think they overlooked the happy tears for the white guy). He’s almost tearing up now just thinking of it… jeeze man, pull it together!
The next day we got organized and said our final goodbyes. The staff at chishawasha gave us a beautiful gift – a traditional Zambian outfit for each of us (yes, we match). We were really not expecting it but were so grateful. We had a nice dinner out with Philip and Mary and then took a nap at a hostel until our 3am departure to Chipata.
Leaving Chishawasha was SO difficult. We’ve been so blessed by this opportunity and while we leave reluctantly, we leave feeling excellent about the work we did and knowing that we will always be welcome back. As Philip has said a number of times we ‘have no choice but to come back’. And we can’t thank the children, mothers, teachers, staff and Philip enough for all they have given us.
Safari Stories next,
Much Love – Jimi and Jenny
Later that night we had our last dinner – we’re really going to miss nshima. Near the end of dinner we noticed a lot of activity. Shortly, mummy Maureen informed us that everyone was waiting for us in House One. We went over and found all the mothers and children seated in the large living area. We took our seats and were treated to the most amazing display of singing, dancing, and poetry. The children were so talented and rehearsed. The show lasted about an hour and a half and ended with a procession of thank you cards and handshakes and hugs from the entire 92 person family of Chishawasha. We were so moved. Jenny had to speak because Jimi couldn’t get a word out (which was funny because men aren’t usually supposed to show emotion that way in Zambian culture… but I think they overlooked the happy tears for the white guy). He’s almost tearing up now just thinking of it… jeeze man, pull it together!
The next day we got organized and said our final goodbyes. The staff at chishawasha gave us a beautiful gift – a traditional Zambian outfit for each of us (yes, we match). We were really not expecting it but were so grateful. We had a nice dinner out with Philip and Mary and then took a nap at a hostel until our 3am departure to Chipata.
Leaving Chishawasha was SO difficult. We’ve been so blessed by this opportunity and while we leave reluctantly, we leave feeling excellent about the work we did and knowing that we will always be welcome back. As Philip has said a number of times we ‘have no choice but to come back’. And we can’t thank the children, mothers, teachers, staff and Philip enough for all they have given us.
Safari Stories next,
Much Love – Jimi and Jenny
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Observations about Privilege
Naturally, our adventures have been wrought with educational moments and realizations about privilege – ours and otherwise. Some big, some small, some expected, some genuine educational moments. We thought it would be important to share some of these moments with you from our time at Chishawasha.
Picky Eating
We knew we’d be in for an education when it came to food. Every night we eat with the families and they have a rotation of set meals each night. Each dinner includes nshima and usually lunch does too. If asked what their favourite food is, most of the children will reply nshima. Nshima, as we’ve experienced it, is usually served with some vegetable (cabbage for the most part given it’s the end of the dry season – sometimes pumpkin leaves or sweet potato leaves or cassava leaves), a form of protein (beef, dried fish, beans, or chicken), all topped with some form of gravy or relish. It’s been delicious and very filling. We’re told that if you serve a meal without nshima, your guests will come home saying they haven’t eaten – because a meal without nshima is not a meal, and a home without nshima is not a home. This lesson was courtesy of Miriam the teacher =). But when people (usually shocked that we had never previously eaten nshima) ask us ‘What is your staple food in Canada?’ we have no real answer. Some families may stick to meat and potatoes, others various cultural foods, but we have come to appreciate the diversity of our food and the choice. Choice is such an incredible thing – and we often take it very much for granted. One day we were cooking a pasta lunch on a weekend. We had bought it because it was one of the cheapest things for us to make. We realized then that what is one of the most ‘affordable’ meals at home is still expensive by standards here. Why buy pasta and a can of sauce when you can get a bag of mealie-meal (corn powder used for making nshima) that’ll last a month when combined with leaves from the vegetables in the garden and some simple additions like tomato bits or ground nuts? And just so you know, the children here eat very well. We’re told some of the children from the communities around that also come to school here, may or may not have eaten since they were last served lunch (which is provided to the students and staff at the school each day – usually with nshima). So you can imagine that even the regular rotation of meals at Chishawasha may seem like a diversity of food compared to the regular diets in some of the subsistence farms or villages nearby.
Oh, and one other small moment about food. We bought some 2% milk - which was hard to find (they usually use pure milk or long life milk). We were all excited for our Maize Flakes (a local no-name cornflakes) and we discovered our milk was bad before its expiry date. We were sad and had a moment of silence as we poured the milk down the drain. When we told Philip about it, he explained their use of milk and then got excited as he asked what we did with it. Right then we knew we were in trouble. We abashedly told him we poured it out and his eyes widened in horror. Note: Never throw out food – however bad or gross you may deem it without consulting a local first! Apparently one of the tribes (of which a number of the children and a few staff belong to) love to have curdled milk chunks with their nshima. We felt so wasteful – we really should have thought to ask first. Philip got a good laugh out of it though =).
Movie
On Friday night (two Fridays ago, actually), we had the opportunity for a special treat: Philip’s and some of the kids’ church was holding a movie premiere fundraiser for youth development camps (an important experience for the teenagers here), and we attended it along with several of the oldest children from Chishawasha. It became clear how rare and precious an opportunity the outing was for them when we saw how carefully they chose their outfits and groomed. Later, they all told us that it was their first time ever seeing a movie in a theatre – how cool for them, and what a revelation for us, who see movies whenever we feel like it. The movie was “Surrogates”, which is about people using robots essentially to replace them in all of their daily tasks for safety purposes. No one ever left their homes. It’s a disturbing concept, and we could tell that the kids had been pretty affected by it when they asked us if we had robots like that in Canada. We assured them that no such thing existed, and we hoped that it never would! They were very relieved.
Gadgets
One evening in the second week of our stay, a group of children came to visit us, and we had a great time playing music and games with them – as we often do on the weekends here. They really enjoyed trying out our guitar and drum, and when we pulled out our cameras, they got even more excited. They absolutely loved taking pictures – of each other, of the landscape, of anything, really – and we think it’s pretty awesome that some of our pictures will show how the kids see their world. At the same time, it’s yet another illustration of how something we take so much for granted, like taking pictures, is such a novelty for these children. The point was driven home even more strongly when a few of them followed us into our room when we went to put our instruments away. Until this point, none of the children had been in our room - we weren’t thinking. Our belongings were strewn about all over. One girl first noticed the velvet bag that our engagement ring came in, and she asked if she could have it. Although we certainly wouldn’t mind parting with the bag, we realized that we couldn’t give it to her because it would be unfair to the other children and would very likely create conflict. Unfortunately, the situation escalated from there. The children were examining our belongings – before we realized what was among our mess, they were looking at or playing with our iPods, cameras, Game Boy, and other simple things like decks of cards and our travel-cribbage board. Taking the first girl’s cue (which was innocent enough), they began to ask if we’d be leaving some of our toys with them when we depart – which soon turned into half-joking comments like ‘I’ll take this’ or ‘you can leave this with me’. We had done such a good job of being sensitive – culturally, economically, etc. And here we were having to tell them ‘no, that’ll be going with us’. We couldn’t help but wonder what this must look like to the children. This incident really threw us for a loop. We’d been very careful until that time so we hadn’t had too many ‘foot in mouth’ or ‘ignorant tourist’ moments. Our collection of things must have looked like extravagance in their eyes, and we are realizing that, in fact, it really is. It was an uncomfortable realization for several reasons: first, how superfluous a lot of our possessions are, and second, what kind of impact this moment could have with the children. Now, certainly they recognize that some people have things that others don’t – one child has managed to work enough doing side jobs here and there to save enough money for a PSP and a number of the older children have cell phones. Still – this moment definitely betrayed our ‘low profile’ and certainly could have changed the way some of the children saw us. Our biggest worry was that we may have alienated ourselves or, worse, that the children might want some things that they just couldn’t have. Fortunately, in the end, our actions speak louder than our possessions and we’re pretty confident that it was a fleeting moment. Needless to say, we’ve been a lot more careful about our room and our belongings since =).
Education
We all ‘know’ that education is a privilege, but our time here has shown us just what that means, in a number of ways. Every single child here recognizes that education is one of the most incredible things that they have here at Chishawasha. When we ask what their favourite thing about living here is, many of the children reply immediately ‘education’. And many more anticipate the end of holidays so they can get back to school the way the kids in Canada anticipate summer break. To see students appreciate their education this way is humbling. For these children, education is more than a means to an end. Most of these children recognize that education is not only about a better future but also about safety and citizenship. It appears that the education Chishawasha is offering is very good. There are a number of stories of students here going to other schools and being placed in higher grades. There are also a number of high-school students who are succeeding very well academically and have gotten themselves into excellent private schools and some, like Thokodzile, John, and Wisdom are even prefects.
The impact of education here is deeper than we could have anticipated. Even in Zambia, where public education is largely ‘free’, something as simple as paying for a school uniform can be prohibitive for many families. And for teens the pressure is especially complex. A number of the teenagers have expressed the difficulties that many of their peers have. They talk about an ‘old mindset’ that people have – the idea that wealth is shown by how many children they have – and so many people will have more children than they can support (we heard similar things in Zimbabwe). The students explain that some people think that if they have enough children, the children will take care of them and they won’t have to work. True or not, the pressure for a teenager to bring home an income is very real. At very least, many report that if you are a boy and are a teenager then you are expected to provide for yourself if not for the family. Where does that leave a 16 year old boy who wants to go to school if he can’t afford his own uniform? School or subsistence? They have night schools for older young adults or adults who wish to catch up with school, but even that is only semi-functional. If you are working to bring home dinner and then have to go to school, how much can you really concentrate and learn? What if you have children – which it seems many older teens and twenty-somethings have? And with the significant scarcity of jobs in Zambia, how many teens sell things on the street or have to turn to crime? Maybe this seems dramatic but hearing it from the children and seeing it on our occasional trips through compound areas to town have made it all too real. And so education is more than about getting a good job. It’s about learning a new way of thinking, an alternative way of life. It’s about learning life skills. And so Chishawasha is so much more than an orphanage with a school. It’s a family, a community, a sanctuary and a privilege that these children both understand and cherish. It is truly moving.
Much Love,
-Jimi and Jenny
Picky Eating
We knew we’d be in for an education when it came to food. Every night we eat with the families and they have a rotation of set meals each night. Each dinner includes nshima and usually lunch does too. If asked what their favourite food is, most of the children will reply nshima. Nshima, as we’ve experienced it, is usually served with some vegetable (cabbage for the most part given it’s the end of the dry season – sometimes pumpkin leaves or sweet potato leaves or cassava leaves), a form of protein (beef, dried fish, beans, or chicken), all topped with some form of gravy or relish. It’s been delicious and very filling. We’re told that if you serve a meal without nshima, your guests will come home saying they haven’t eaten – because a meal without nshima is not a meal, and a home without nshima is not a home. This lesson was courtesy of Miriam the teacher =). But when people (usually shocked that we had never previously eaten nshima) ask us ‘What is your staple food in Canada?’ we have no real answer. Some families may stick to meat and potatoes, others various cultural foods, but we have come to appreciate the diversity of our food and the choice. Choice is such an incredible thing – and we often take it very much for granted. One day we were cooking a pasta lunch on a weekend. We had bought it because it was one of the cheapest things for us to make. We realized then that what is one of the most ‘affordable’ meals at home is still expensive by standards here. Why buy pasta and a can of sauce when you can get a bag of mealie-meal (corn powder used for making nshima) that’ll last a month when combined with leaves from the vegetables in the garden and some simple additions like tomato bits or ground nuts? And just so you know, the children here eat very well. We’re told some of the children from the communities around that also come to school here, may or may not have eaten since they were last served lunch (which is provided to the students and staff at the school each day – usually with nshima). So you can imagine that even the regular rotation of meals at Chishawasha may seem like a diversity of food compared to the regular diets in some of the subsistence farms or villages nearby.
Oh, and one other small moment about food. We bought some 2% milk - which was hard to find (they usually use pure milk or long life milk). We were all excited for our Maize Flakes (a local no-name cornflakes) and we discovered our milk was bad before its expiry date. We were sad and had a moment of silence as we poured the milk down the drain. When we told Philip about it, he explained their use of milk and then got excited as he asked what we did with it. Right then we knew we were in trouble. We abashedly told him we poured it out and his eyes widened in horror. Note: Never throw out food – however bad or gross you may deem it without consulting a local first! Apparently one of the tribes (of which a number of the children and a few staff belong to) love to have curdled milk chunks with their nshima. We felt so wasteful – we really should have thought to ask first. Philip got a good laugh out of it though =).
Movie
On Friday night (two Fridays ago, actually), we had the opportunity for a special treat: Philip’s and some of the kids’ church was holding a movie premiere fundraiser for youth development camps (an important experience for the teenagers here), and we attended it along with several of the oldest children from Chishawasha. It became clear how rare and precious an opportunity the outing was for them when we saw how carefully they chose their outfits and groomed. Later, they all told us that it was their first time ever seeing a movie in a theatre – how cool for them, and what a revelation for us, who see movies whenever we feel like it. The movie was “Surrogates”, which is about people using robots essentially to replace them in all of their daily tasks for safety purposes. No one ever left their homes. It’s a disturbing concept, and we could tell that the kids had been pretty affected by it when they asked us if we had robots like that in Canada. We assured them that no such thing existed, and we hoped that it never would! They were very relieved.
Gadgets
One evening in the second week of our stay, a group of children came to visit us, and we had a great time playing music and games with them – as we often do on the weekends here. They really enjoyed trying out our guitar and drum, and when we pulled out our cameras, they got even more excited. They absolutely loved taking pictures – of each other, of the landscape, of anything, really – and we think it’s pretty awesome that some of our pictures will show how the kids see their world. At the same time, it’s yet another illustration of how something we take so much for granted, like taking pictures, is such a novelty for these children. The point was driven home even more strongly when a few of them followed us into our room when we went to put our instruments away. Until this point, none of the children had been in our room - we weren’t thinking. Our belongings were strewn about all over. One girl first noticed the velvet bag that our engagement ring came in, and she asked if she could have it. Although we certainly wouldn’t mind parting with the bag, we realized that we couldn’t give it to her because it would be unfair to the other children and would very likely create conflict. Unfortunately, the situation escalated from there. The children were examining our belongings – before we realized what was among our mess, they were looking at or playing with our iPods, cameras, Game Boy, and other simple things like decks of cards and our travel-cribbage board. Taking the first girl’s cue (which was innocent enough), they began to ask if we’d be leaving some of our toys with them when we depart – which soon turned into half-joking comments like ‘I’ll take this’ or ‘you can leave this with me’. We had done such a good job of being sensitive – culturally, economically, etc. And here we were having to tell them ‘no, that’ll be going with us’. We couldn’t help but wonder what this must look like to the children. This incident really threw us for a loop. We’d been very careful until that time so we hadn’t had too many ‘foot in mouth’ or ‘ignorant tourist’ moments. Our collection of things must have looked like extravagance in their eyes, and we are realizing that, in fact, it really is. It was an uncomfortable realization for several reasons: first, how superfluous a lot of our possessions are, and second, what kind of impact this moment could have with the children. Now, certainly they recognize that some people have things that others don’t – one child has managed to work enough doing side jobs here and there to save enough money for a PSP and a number of the older children have cell phones. Still – this moment definitely betrayed our ‘low profile’ and certainly could have changed the way some of the children saw us. Our biggest worry was that we may have alienated ourselves or, worse, that the children might want some things that they just couldn’t have. Fortunately, in the end, our actions speak louder than our possessions and we’re pretty confident that it was a fleeting moment. Needless to say, we’ve been a lot more careful about our room and our belongings since =).
Education
We all ‘know’ that education is a privilege, but our time here has shown us just what that means, in a number of ways. Every single child here recognizes that education is one of the most incredible things that they have here at Chishawasha. When we ask what their favourite thing about living here is, many of the children reply immediately ‘education’. And many more anticipate the end of holidays so they can get back to school the way the kids in Canada anticipate summer break. To see students appreciate their education this way is humbling. For these children, education is more than a means to an end. Most of these children recognize that education is not only about a better future but also about safety and citizenship. It appears that the education Chishawasha is offering is very good. There are a number of stories of students here going to other schools and being placed in higher grades. There are also a number of high-school students who are succeeding very well academically and have gotten themselves into excellent private schools and some, like Thokodzile, John, and Wisdom are even prefects.
The impact of education here is deeper than we could have anticipated. Even in Zambia, where public education is largely ‘free’, something as simple as paying for a school uniform can be prohibitive for many families. And for teens the pressure is especially complex. A number of the teenagers have expressed the difficulties that many of their peers have. They talk about an ‘old mindset’ that people have – the idea that wealth is shown by how many children they have – and so many people will have more children than they can support (we heard similar things in Zimbabwe). The students explain that some people think that if they have enough children, the children will take care of them and they won’t have to work. True or not, the pressure for a teenager to bring home an income is very real. At very least, many report that if you are a boy and are a teenager then you are expected to provide for yourself if not for the family. Where does that leave a 16 year old boy who wants to go to school if he can’t afford his own uniform? School or subsistence? They have night schools for older young adults or adults who wish to catch up with school, but even that is only semi-functional. If you are working to bring home dinner and then have to go to school, how much can you really concentrate and learn? What if you have children – which it seems many older teens and twenty-somethings have? And with the significant scarcity of jobs in Zambia, how many teens sell things on the street or have to turn to crime? Maybe this seems dramatic but hearing it from the children and seeing it on our occasional trips through compound areas to town have made it all too real. And so education is more than about getting a good job. It’s about learning a new way of thinking, an alternative way of life. It’s about learning life skills. And so Chishawasha is so much more than an orphanage with a school. It’s a family, a community, a sanctuary and a privilege that these children both understand and cherish. It is truly moving.
Much Love,
-Jimi and Jenny
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Moments In Between, Part 2
The Gardens
One day last week we needed a break from workshop prep and the sun was shining for the first time since the rains had started full-swing. We decided to go for a walk around and check out the gardens behind the houses. The gardens are beautiful, and as the rains have picked up, they have gone from dusty and dull-green to lush and flourishing shades of deep greens in only a few days. Cabbage heads and tomatoes dominate the gardens with a helping of maize and a smattering of other veggies like peppers, cassava plants, and a few others. Some fruit trees line the areas and are just waiting for enough rain to inflate their respective mangoes, peaches, guava, and bananas. It was a beautiful walk and between the mummies, gardener, some of the children who were off school, and uncle Philip, we were able to identify most of the plants. We spent some time marveling at how banana trees work and observing the bunches in mid-bloom. But what really took up our time was when Jimi spotted a chameleon perched on one of the tomatoes. We were told they were very friendly so we had him in hand in moments. He was beautiful – about six inches long head-to-tail and he instantly changed colour when he climbed onto Jimi’s arm. We marveled at him for a while as we watched his two eyes move in different directions. Before long, one of the mummies pointed out another that had coloured itself like a snake and had scared her. We went to investigate and found a second beautiful chameleon. We spent at least half an hour with our two chameleons – the second being very adventurous and fearless – snapping her tongue at a fly from the palm of Jimi’s hand and climbing all over Jenny until she needed a quick rescue from Jenny’s hunched-over back before she ended up in Jenny’s pants! It was such a cool break from our planning! Before long we put them back and watched them disappear into the long grass and tomato plants, shifting colours as they moved like leaves blowing in the wind.
Rain-Rain-Rain
Whenever we seem to think we’ve seen the true ‘rain’ of the ‘rainy season’ we’re quickly shown otherwise. This week it has rained for nearly three straight days – stopping only briefly enough to give you the false sense that you might actually be able to get some laundry done. Needless to say, we’re running out of underwear fast and have resigned to hanging it to dry inside tomorrow! Sometimes the rains are beautifully refreshing and warm. The other day during one of our sessions we noticed that it was lightly raining on one side of the school but not the other – we could see rain out the windows to the left and yet it was dry to the right. After five minutes of this we stuck our hands out the windows to make sure we weren’t imagining it – we weren’t. It stayed that way for about 20 minutes before gradually drifting on. Often the storms come quickly, without notice, and with much ferocity. After our first ‘flood’ we’ve gotten better at keeping the water outside, but some nights the rain comes in droves, intensifying and relaxing and intensifying again, to the point that we can’t get to sleep or wake out of paranoia that we need to double-check our water-proofing. The nicest nights, however, are those that come with rain falling gently on the tin-roof all night long, drumming you softly to sleep. We hope for these each night. And every morning the greening world around us is deeper, taller, thicker, and more and more alive. The transformation is remarkable.
Night Times in the Houses
As our dinner traditions continue, we’ve expanded our repertoire of helping with reading, homework, dance lessons and card games to include a few new treats. We started bringing our guitar and drum to dinners for some after-meal jamming. Some nights this has us playing songs for them and singing ‘Amazing Grace’ together, while others are a trade – song for song with the children. It is such a thrill to hear their beautiful voices in chorus. Other times it turns into a raucous jam session. The other night a few songs turned into a virtual ‘stomp’ show in the dining room, and Jenny began arming the family with found objects from the kitchen and we showed them how interesting sounds could be produced from anything. By the end, every person of every age was playing something – drums, guitar, spoons, tables, chairs, water-jugs, scrub-brushes, bottle-caps, glasses, even a box of kapenta (tiny dried fish). It was a blast and the rhythms were incredible. It’s like every child here is born with the ability to keep a beat. What a highlight!
We had also decided that we needed to bring some Robert Munsch and other Canadian stories with us and have had a wonderful time reading to the children. Everyone, little or big, gathers around as we share some of the favourites form our childhoods. “Thomas’s Snowsuit”, “I Have To Go”, “Mortimer”, and “Jonathan cleaned up – then heard a sound” being some of the bigger hits. We also had a great moment the other night when we read “The Hockey Sweater” by Roch Carrier. At first we weren’t sure how well they would relate to it, but as soon as we opened the pages we realized it was a great fit. While once upon a time (and still in some places) Canadian life was all about the school, the church, and the hockey rink, much of Zambian life (Chishawasha in particular) is spent in three places: The school, the church, and the soccer pitch. I think this story was particularly enchanting to the older boys who seemed to have a deep appreciation for the trappings of the story and for Roch’s plight. It was an excellent feeling that immediately connected our seemingly alien worlds in some very basic and true ways. Maybe the world isn’t so big after all.
Much love,
Jenny and Jimi
One day last week we needed a break from workshop prep and the sun was shining for the first time since the rains had started full-swing. We decided to go for a walk around and check out the gardens behind the houses. The gardens are beautiful, and as the rains have picked up, they have gone from dusty and dull-green to lush and flourishing shades of deep greens in only a few days. Cabbage heads and tomatoes dominate the gardens with a helping of maize and a smattering of other veggies like peppers, cassava plants, and a few others. Some fruit trees line the areas and are just waiting for enough rain to inflate their respective mangoes, peaches, guava, and bananas. It was a beautiful walk and between the mummies, gardener, some of the children who were off school, and uncle Philip, we were able to identify most of the plants. We spent some time marveling at how banana trees work and observing the bunches in mid-bloom. But what really took up our time was when Jimi spotted a chameleon perched on one of the tomatoes. We were told they were very friendly so we had him in hand in moments. He was beautiful – about six inches long head-to-tail and he instantly changed colour when he climbed onto Jimi’s arm. We marveled at him for a while as we watched his two eyes move in different directions. Before long, one of the mummies pointed out another that had coloured itself like a snake and had scared her. We went to investigate and found a second beautiful chameleon. We spent at least half an hour with our two chameleons – the second being very adventurous and fearless – snapping her tongue at a fly from the palm of Jimi’s hand and climbing all over Jenny until she needed a quick rescue from Jenny’s hunched-over back before she ended up in Jenny’s pants! It was such a cool break from our planning! Before long we put them back and watched them disappear into the long grass and tomato plants, shifting colours as they moved like leaves blowing in the wind.
Rain-Rain-Rain
Whenever we seem to think we’ve seen the true ‘rain’ of the ‘rainy season’ we’re quickly shown otherwise. This week it has rained for nearly three straight days – stopping only briefly enough to give you the false sense that you might actually be able to get some laundry done. Needless to say, we’re running out of underwear fast and have resigned to hanging it to dry inside tomorrow! Sometimes the rains are beautifully refreshing and warm. The other day during one of our sessions we noticed that it was lightly raining on one side of the school but not the other – we could see rain out the windows to the left and yet it was dry to the right. After five minutes of this we stuck our hands out the windows to make sure we weren’t imagining it – we weren’t. It stayed that way for about 20 minutes before gradually drifting on. Often the storms come quickly, without notice, and with much ferocity. After our first ‘flood’ we’ve gotten better at keeping the water outside, but some nights the rain comes in droves, intensifying and relaxing and intensifying again, to the point that we can’t get to sleep or wake out of paranoia that we need to double-check our water-proofing. The nicest nights, however, are those that come with rain falling gently on the tin-roof all night long, drumming you softly to sleep. We hope for these each night. And every morning the greening world around us is deeper, taller, thicker, and more and more alive. The transformation is remarkable.
Night Times in the Houses
As our dinner traditions continue, we’ve expanded our repertoire of helping with reading, homework, dance lessons and card games to include a few new treats. We started bringing our guitar and drum to dinners for some after-meal jamming. Some nights this has us playing songs for them and singing ‘Amazing Grace’ together, while others are a trade – song for song with the children. It is such a thrill to hear their beautiful voices in chorus. Other times it turns into a raucous jam session. The other night a few songs turned into a virtual ‘stomp’ show in the dining room, and Jenny began arming the family with found objects from the kitchen and we showed them how interesting sounds could be produced from anything. By the end, every person of every age was playing something – drums, guitar, spoons, tables, chairs, water-jugs, scrub-brushes, bottle-caps, glasses, even a box of kapenta (tiny dried fish). It was a blast and the rhythms were incredible. It’s like every child here is born with the ability to keep a beat. What a highlight!
We had also decided that we needed to bring some Robert Munsch and other Canadian stories with us and have had a wonderful time reading to the children. Everyone, little or big, gathers around as we share some of the favourites form our childhoods. “Thomas’s Snowsuit”, “I Have To Go”, “Mortimer”, and “Jonathan cleaned up – then heard a sound” being some of the bigger hits. We also had a great moment the other night when we read “The Hockey Sweater” by Roch Carrier. At first we weren’t sure how well they would relate to it, but as soon as we opened the pages we realized it was a great fit. While once upon a time (and still in some places) Canadian life was all about the school, the church, and the hockey rink, much of Zambian life (Chishawasha in particular) is spent in three places: The school, the church, and the soccer pitch. I think this story was particularly enchanting to the older boys who seemed to have a deep appreciation for the trappings of the story and for Roch’s plight. It was an excellent feeling that immediately connected our seemingly alien worlds in some very basic and true ways. Maybe the world isn’t so big after all.
Much love,
Jenny and Jimi
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