Tuesday, January 1, 2013

African Adventures

Since we arrived in Lusaka, our time has been jam-packed with new experiences-- a non-stop procession of kind people, wonderful moments and astounding sights. After a mere three days of being in Zambia, I feel as though I couldn't possibly remember (let along recount) all of the fantastic things that have happened, or all of the big-hearted people we've met. I'm absolutely blown away by this place and it's beauty.


For those of you who, like us, know next to nothing about Zambia (but would like to know more), here's a quick overview: The Republic of Zambia gained it's independence from England in 1964 and has a relatively stable (yet still somewhat corrupt) democratic government. It is located in the south/central part of the continent of Africa and is bordered by the Congo and Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Mozambique to the east, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and a tiny bit of Botswana to the south, and Angola to the west. We've arrived at the beginning of the rainy season, which usually lasts from November through April but this year has started a little bit late. During these months, the country is incredibly lush and green, and many things grow easily here (including the grass which can make viewing animals more difficult). During the dry season, we are told, everything is brown, the grass is shorter and it gets a bit hotter. Otherwise, the temperature remains pretty consistent throughout the year-hot during the day, and still pretty hot at night. 

Our first two nights were spent at a wonderfully rustic hostel in Lusaka. It was located pretty close to downtown, although you'd never know it. Judging by it's surroundings, you might assume you were on the far outskirts of some forgotten city in the middle of nowhere. The one lane dirt roads in the surrounding neighborhood were filled with pot holes, lined with trees, and dotted with mounds of garbage left to rot. As far as we could tell during the short walk we took, there wasn't much at all in the immediate vicinity to see or do. Fortunately, the hostel itself was a great place to be. It had it's own friendly staff, an outdoor grass-roofed patio/bar and staffed kitchen serving meals throughout the day.


On our first full day, we caught a cab out front of the hostel and ventured to the bus station to try and get our tickets to Livingstone. We made fast friends with our cab driver on the way there. His name was James and he shared with us many of his insights and opinions about the political system, the educational system, and the job prospects for people in Zambia. Mostly, I think, he was glad to have someone in the back seat who cared, and it seemed that he would continue talking for as long as we continued listening (or until we got to the station). He had gone to school only up until primary, which is quite normal here, and had started working when he was 7 or 8 to help his family get by. He was perhaps in his mid 60's and had been driving a taxi for 14 years. In addition to driving his taxi, he ran a funeral home. He told us about an article that an American reporter had written about him a few years back, and explained how he often talks on the radio about his life, hoping to inspire other Zambians to find a niche and start their own businesses.

When we arrived, James graciously offered to show us the way to the ticket booth (and then, of course, provide our transportation back). He waited patiently a few yards away while we pushed our way through what was perhaps the rankest smelling crowd of people I have ever encountered, to get to the ticket booth. With New Year's approaching, lots of people were making plans to travel out of town and the buses were almost completely sold out. We had been advised by multiple people to pay the (negligible) extra to spring for the “luxury” buses (which have a/c) rather than endure the “ordinary” buses (which are more crowded and do not have a/c) but unfortunately, all of the luxury buses were booked. We managed to get two seats together on a regular bus and hoped for the best (or at least not the worst).

We got back in the cab and enjoyed another nice chat with James on our way to the local mall to run some errands. When we arrived there, he gave us his personal phone number and the website for the article he and his business had been featured in. We promised to look him up and wished him the best, thanking him for sharing his story with us.

After returning from the mall, we hung around the hostel patio for the afternoon enjoying some gin & tonics (we've read they're supposed to help keep the mosquitos away, so I'm goin' with that) and attempting to stay on top of our journaling. At one point we noticed James sitting at the bar. We had learned that out front of the hostel was “his spot” and he liked to hang out there whenever he didn't have a fare. Apparently he took his breaks there, too. We got up the nerve to ask him for the picture we were wishing we had gotten earlier and he obliged.
Friday night there was live music at our hostel and we met a whole slew of great people throughout the evening. Tilly was on business from Ethiopia and after talking to him for less than five minutes, he insisted we come and visit him there. Norman was a local Lusakan and thrilled to tell us all about Livingstone and Victoria Falls (our next stop). Rupert and Jason were in the band and couldn't have been more excited to learn that Sean had brought his saxophone. They welcomed him enthusiastically onto the makeshift stage with them, and his “rare” instrument quickly made him the star of the show.

(video coming soon!)

We had a great time meeting and chatting with everyone and couldn't believe how open and friendly all the locals were, or how many of them hung out at the hostel. We learned that the band, 'Kapiri Mposhi Top Rank Sweet' as they call themselves, are not merely the only classic rock cover band in Lusaka, but are the only band of their kind in all of Zambia.

The following morning, James was waiting in his usual spot and was happy to drive us back to the station to catch our bus. We said goodbye and headed through the small gap in the fence and into the “station”, which was really just a big dirt area inside a fence with little ticket stands all around. It was absolutely swarming with people, and we were an overly-cautious hour early for our bus. With nothing else to do, we plopped our bags down near the ticket booth where passengers seemed to be waiting and people watched. It was so different and interesting, we couldn't have pealed our eyes away had we wanted to. Despite all the people moving around and the constantly approaching vendors trying to sell us various things, we never felt as though it was a dangerous area. We simply sat and watched.
As our departure time approached, we stood up from our backpack-seats, stretching and preparing our legs for the long, cramped 7 hour journey ahead. Just then, who should walk up but Chris, Sean's friend in the Peace Corps who we were supposed to meet in Livingstone. Behind him was Kelsey, Chris' good friend who's also visiting while we're here. They had been up north in some of the villages and had happened to reserve seats on the same bus. As we boarded, we happened to glance back to so James waving goodbye to us from in front of the bus- our first Zambian friend!

The bus ride wasn't half as bad as we had prepared ourselves for. It took us through some amazing country on our way south, and we spent the afternoon alternating between napping and gazing out the window. The Zambian countryside is vast, green, and largely untouched. We passed through town after tiny town, slowly making our way south and admiring the grass-roofed huts and perfectly planted fields.


The bus stopped quite a few times along the way. In many of the small towns, people would approach the bus holding bowls or baskets full of food up to the open windows and trying to make a sale. Occasionally one of the passengers would exchange a few Kwatcha for an ear of corn or a piece of fresh fruit. It all seemed like it could be straight out of National Geographic.
All in all, we've been amazed so far by the friendliness and sincerity of the Zambian people. Everywhere we go, we are greeted with broad smiles and warm words of welcome. We get the feeling that they genuinely want us to enjoy our time in Zambia, and so far, that's exactly how we feel.  

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