Well today seems to have been truly Zambian in so many ways, so I thought I'd share it with you while the details are still fresh in my memory...it's all been about our journey from Mkushi where we live, to Nchelenge to visit some groups there.
The journey really began yesterday when Sharon and Maurice set off from their homes by bike. Sandy roads prevented them from cycling though so they had to push their bikes and when I called to see if they were okay they were still some way off and it was going dark. So, I turned the oven off, hoped the chicken wouldn't end up over cooked and went to find them. Bush roads by night are hard to recognise because unless you know them well they all look the same! Anyway, before too long we were all home eating said chicken (which hadn't been spoilt) and crashing out in bed!
Today began at 5.15am with an early breakfast before I threw the last things in the car. I had asked Moses who works for us (helping around the house, doing mountains of washing by hand and making yummy fresh bread!) to put the empty green diesel cans in the car as I wanted to fill them at the petrol station in case there was a shortage of diesel further along the journey - this isn't uncommon! I just happened to check and Moses had ever so kindly filled the green cans from the other ones and put them in the car...which was very kind of him, but left no diesel at home for Jon and Jude meaning they could not run the generator and therefore would have no electricity or lights in the evening! I wouldn't be popular if I took the last diesel!! So our start was delayed as I swapped the full and empty jerry cans over following this simple miscommunication. Little things like this happen all the time which leads to some crazy and confused situations and sometimes frustration but more often, laughter in my case!
Finally we were on the way. By 7.30am we were 80km along the road and at Serenje and the last fuel station for 350km. So I filled up the car and the jerry cans...well, I didn't because here there are attendants at the stations who do it all for you. Meanwhile, I bought 6 little sweet bananas for 1500 kwacha, about 20p, from a lovely boy called Christopher...then it all went a bit crazy when an old guy called Sparks (complete with a gold tooth and very dodgy hat) turned up for fuel. He decided I should be his friend and started inviting me on a 4x4 expedition around Malawi, announcing that he does love an english girl with a sense of adventure and who loves Africa...hmm! I decided it was time to beat a hasty retreat and thankfully was safely back in the car with the door closed before he walked by and asked if I was going to give him a hug!
Two and a half hours and 292km later saw us at Samfya. We had crossed the Luapula Bridge and the surrounding salt marshes. The landscape in that area is so different to anywhere else in Zambia. Its greener and there are tall thin ant hills all over the place on the outskirts. Then amid the marshes there are various sizes of pools and little lakes (I think it's probably very different during the rainy season). You can see people standing in the water fishing or even in little boats in some of the bigger lakes. They then come to the side of the road with their catch and hold them up to tempt passing drivers. I have to confess, the thought of freshly caught, still wiggling, stinky fish in my car doesn't appeal to me so I'm afraid I wasn't adventurous enough to stop and buy some!!
We whizzed on through Samfya not stopping as I wanted to make it to Mansa by lunch time. Mansa is only 80km away from Samfya but the entire road is full of potholes the size of bathtubs...and I'm really not exaggerating! You have to drive off the side of the road to go round them...only since I'd travelled this bit of road last year they've mended it!! Imagine my joy at being able to zoom along to Mansa in no time rather than spend an hour and a half fighting with potholes! Yeyyyy!!!!
Mansa is the biggest town in these parts for miles, so the last fuel stop and a good chance to track down any supplies you need or to go to a cash point.
Turns out though, of the four petrol stations, only one had any diesel left and they were only selling it to account holders now. Hmm...very glad I brought extra fuel with me! At one place, the guy was very kind and helped me fill the car from the cans even though I wasn't buying anything from them. I had hoped not to have to use any of my reserve diesel quite to soon, but hey ho. Let's see what happens!
We popped by Shoprite, the big supermarket you find in most Zambian towns (but not where we live - no supermarket for us!) and got a few supplies I had not been able to bring...more water, bread, non-melting margarine, fruit and heaps of sugar as most Zambians have at least three teaspoons of sugar in a cup of tea!
We grabbed a pasty from the little cafe attached to Shoprite for a quick and cheap lunch. As we were sat eating a girl was really staring at me. She wouldn't stop. Lots of people stare at me because I'm the odd one out here, so I get used to it. Its normally kids though and they normally smile or look away if I look back at them. But this one girl, who must have been 16 or 17, just kept staring and staring. I couldn't figure it out. It was only as we were finishing and I put down my can of coke and said shall we go that it became clear why. The second I'd put it on the table she quickly reached across and snatched it from under my nose! As it happened I hadn't finished so I told her to give it back, but she had obviously been watching me as she wanted the empty can for something. It makes you realise just how poor some people here really are that an empty can is worth waiting 20 minutes for (and how nothing gets thrown away but is used for something!) The car park at Shoprite is a real gathering place for street children and those who beg. It's a pretty tough place to even stop by briefly, never mind spend all your time there.
Well, we cracked on from Mansa to tackle the last stage of our journey, 240km north to Nchelenge. The road was generally good, but just as you begin to relax into the driving another batch of potholes arrives! It's exhausting continually watching for potholes as well as the random goats and chickens that may hurl themselves in front of the car at any point!! Not to mention all the pedestrians and cyclists who use the road as well!
We finally arrived in Nchelenge at 3.45, exhausted and hot, but safe! We met our friend and headed to the place we are to stay at. We've stayed here before and as places go, its not the best. Its pretty grimy, there's no running water, the rooms are always baking hot, full of mosquitos and they pretty much whiff! But...we walked in to find that since we last came they've put up new mosquito nets! Sounds like nothing exciting, but the old ones were full of holes and so dirty I used to try and sleep without moving so I didn't accidentally touch them!! Ha ha! The simple thing of new nets means that sleeping will be much more successful generally despite the heat, and with a good nights sleep anything is possible!!
So, having watched an amazing sunset over the lake, cooked our dinner on the back of a van, washed up our pots in the dark and played a quick round of uno...it's bedtime! I'll write again soon to let you know how our time here went...probably a lot more interesting than hearing about the journey. As they say here, mulale bwino...goodnight! x
