Nico and a few thoughts

I’m not sure where I’d find scenery like this else where. on the road to Samfya you hit swamp land - more than 3 hours of straight, flat, swamp filled space. the actual drive is maybe 9 hours from Lusaka, which i

willingly drive alone to visit one of my volunteers placed here. And yes, without Tim Hortons coffee stops, it can be difficult - I’ve gotten to a bit of a routine - as I make sure to pack the necessities when i go on such long trips -
-sunscreen, charged ipod, thermos with very hot coffee, clean water, malaria pills and toilet paper.
Settled in the City
After traveling by a jeep nicknamed Grandpa Lion on and off for the past month a half - it “appears” as i’ve settled down a bit. I currently share a three bedroom apartment with two American NGO workers in a good safe

central location in Lusaka. The following comforts are provided at a cost
-guard, gardener, maid, satellite television, hot water, shower, double bed, microwave, backyard, parking space -
some african experience you could say, well i’d say considering i lived in a remote south african community for my first 6 months and half my time here is spent outside of these comforts - i’m content with what i’ve got.

In the city, things also happen. I get to go to irish pubs, movies, nice restaurants, and even music concerts. This week was Francophonie week, celebrating french culture in Lusaka. There were a few concerts by Congolese musicians and one great show by a group from Guinea shown below. They held massive instruments called Koras, that were plucked like a harp, but more resembled like a giant mandolin.

Fun with the neighbours.
If you haven’t kept up with African political situation outside of Darfur - i’ll fill you in. Things are happening in Zimbabwe. Maybe a 4 hour drive from where I stay lies the border of the country formally known as Rhodhesia. Robert Mugabe, the 83 year old president who has been in power for 27 years, seems to be a bit of a bully. The economic situation is beyond my explanation, as one of the potentially richest african countries in terms of resources has the highest inflation rate in the world, with money that actually states an expiry date. Recent attacks on opposition leaders do not seem to make things better for Prez Mugabe, who has one of the creepiest moustaches of all time. So i predict, as the other news agencies and locals also confirm, that something is going to happen. I’m not sure what that something is - but, i don’t think i’ll be backpacking Zim anytime soon. know that i am very safe here - but realise that there resides a number of development through sports volunteers place in Harare the capital - that i doubt are too comfy right about now.

Site visit season has begun. This means I visit all my volunteers, in 6 different communities around Zambia, with this past week visiting Livingstone and Kalomo in the southern province. One trip I ended up deep in a Tongan village where I was reintroduced to polygamy. I can’t say it was common practice in my previous South African community, although I heard of it in remote communities. Zambia is perhaps another case all together. In this village community, the surrounding huts were owned by one big family, the head chief with 24 wives. He had 80 children, 30 girls, 50 boys. After discussion with many locals of the area, this seemed to be less and less of an exaggeration. One of the main facilitators my volunteer was working with will be soon having his second wife of his own. He made me think of it another way : “why should I be so selfish, why not help support more than one wife” – he meant the food, education, and shelter he will provide to his 2nd – whereas without, this wife may be left hungry on the streets. Hey, not my words, his, but something to think about.

There was discussion about the man with the most wives. It started sounding like something guys would brag about, like capturing a 5 mile long whale. But it came down to what seemed to be the honest recount of the man with 600 children. My volunteer and I did the math, and yes, it is possible, however ridiculous it may sound. I guess he was in the production business.

Livingstone

Hot shot missionary David Livingstone wandered the bushes of Zambia before any other white guy. He stumbled onto one of the great natural wonders of the world ,and promptly named the giant waterfalls after the queen, and so named Victoria Falls.

Vic Falls, is the biggest attraction for tourists in Africa, a big mother of a waterfall. During the rainy season, a giant cloud of mist makes the falls almost invisible, add a full moon (eclipsing full moon) and you get a massive “lunar rainbow”. Maybe Niagara falls has it too, or maybe anyone with a hose at night can make it, but c’mon, its still is great sight. I will be back here with my own pics in another month, so use your imagination for now.

Sad thought of the day.

Commerical sex workers in livinstone are paid 5000 kwacha (Zambian currency) with condom – 10,000 without condom. Which do they pick?