Sunset on the Atlantic

For the first part of this story you can insert "I hate my life" after every sentence. Julie and I met in Lusaka to take the bus to Livingstone on Tuesday. Eight hours later we arrive in Livingstone, go to the hostel, where they tell us we no longer have a room and we go to bed hungry. Things seem better the next morning when our bus to Nambia actually leaves 2 minutes early. That is until we are pulling out of Livinstone and they tell us "We have toilets on the bus...however they are not working. The air conditioning can be adjusted above your head...however it is not working." Regardless, I am with a fun friend and we are heading towards the ocean, how bad can this be? Hope is futile when you are traveling on the continent! We get through immigration and into Nambia. Then they come over that God forsaken loudspeaker again to tell us that there is a problem with the bus and we need to exit. We leave all of our food and things on the bus and get out at the Shell Station. This is at 4pm at night. It is not until 1am the next morning, when we are freezing and starving that we get back on this bus. We then promptly fall asleep until the next morning when the bus breaks down again. This time it is not the radiator, but just a general "lack of air" in the bus. Whatever that means. Julie and I were done with the bus at that point and decided to get all our bags and flag down a vehicle.

This is the part of the story where you can insert "I love my life" after every sentence. This nice family picks us up and offers us cold drinks and drives us to the turnoff for Skwakopmund. We get out, wait 10 minutes until this young cute guy picks us up in a luxury Volvo and drops us off at the door to our hotel. Our first night we were clean, eating amazing pizza, drinking cold German beer and feeling like we had stepped into the Truman Show. Swakopmund is AMAZING! It's right on the ocean, has great cafes, a rich German feel and is so clean and organized. Organized to the point of getting assigned seating in the movie theatre---this is not Africa! And after that traveling, I am ok with that! We are having such an awesome time, and watched the sunset on the Atlantic Ocean last night. I am pretty sure I could see America!

We are here in Swakopmund for the next few days and then head out in our rental car to the desert and Damaraland. Sandboarding, petrified forests,and sunrises from the Dunes are in my future. I love my life.

I hope all of you have an amazing Easter! He is Risen, and for that I am most thankful of all. Blessings!

YouTube & Picasaweb

Check out "Africa Cribs" on Youtube for a glimpse of my home in Chifusa! We fully recognize that we are dorks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqgF-ATfUDw

Then, if you want to see more of the trip with Erin and Brittany, check out Erin's photos at Picasa Web. Just follow this link...
http://picasaweb.google.com/stroup.paul/AfricaTrip

Villagio, Botswana, Etc

For those of you still reading this blog...my creativity is starting to fade. I don't think you are supposed to have "Etc" in the title of anything, but alas it has arrived. I left Brit and Erin at the airport this morning, drank a cappuccino, bought a dress, and now I'm consoling myself with the world wide web. There are worse things I could have been doing and probably less expensive things but I'm trying to keep from crying- I am going to miss those girls!

Their trip out here was so much fun. They should be posting a blog for all of you to read, but we didn't have a time to sit and type it out while they were here...one day soon you'll hear from their perspective all about our adventures. A quick recap of the highlights-a week in my village, filled with lots of laughter, great talks, and eating smores every night. They were such an encouragement and brought me great perspective on a lot of the work I am doing in the village. We all worked together at the clinic, played Valentine's Day Bingo at Girls' Club, made sock puppets with Club Mweka, and enjoyed time with my close friends in the village. After 7 days we were all ready for ice cold drinks and headed back to Choma to catch the bus down to Livingstone. The next day we were down in Botswana on a "luxury safari". It was amazing. It was my third safari since being in Africa, but it was by far the most exciting as far as animal encounters. We were seriously just about nearly trampled multiple times by elephants. They do not call it "Elephant Valley" because there are a lot of zebras. In fact we did not see one zebra. But it was still fun. Lions were in full mating force and the baboons were quite friendly with one another as well. After two days of interrupting animal love making we headed back across the border to Zambia. We got to enjoy getting soaked at Victoria Falls as the water level is at its fullest.

A super long day of travel yesterday and we arrived back in Lusaka. The girls definitely got to experience the joys of traveling in the developing world. After giving ourselves pedicures and applying our nightly dose of DEET we went to sleep. Our last night together in Africa. And now they are somewhere in the sky and I am here in Lusaka alone. I know, poor poor Caitlin Annie.

I have less than 6 months left in Zambia and everything is feeling very bitter sweet! I still have quite a few projects/workshops I want to get done before leaving for the States in August. Some friends are making plans to come visit me and Julie and I are heading to Namibia for Easter, so time will seriously fly! Continue to pray for my physical, emotional, and spiritual safety while here. Once I am back on American soil I will share ALL the details of how your prayers have kept me safe, until then, I want my mom to sleep at night.

There will be tons of photos and video from the girls' trip to Zambia and I will try and put a link on here once they have uploaded things back in the States. I have to put a disclaimer on here in regards to a certain disgusting section of video which showcases my armpit hair. I have not turned into "that girl". You know the one that quits her corporate job and goes to Africa and grows out her armpit hair to show her independence and carefree spirit. That is not it at all! I am growing it out until a certain cousin of mine whose name I won't mention, gets her booty out here. If she fails to arrive in Zambia prior to my departure and I have lived with the filth known as my armpit hair in vain then she will have some major consequences. You know who you are cousin.

Alright, just remembering the fun of these last few weeks and thinking ahead to the great things in store I am feeling refreshed. And I think I need to treat myself to a Coke Light. Stay well!

Silver & Gold

Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold.

I was never in Girl Scouts, but April was, and in her sisterly love she passed that little ditty on to me in childhood. I was reminded of that song with the arrival of Brit and Erin yesterday morning! It is such a joy to have friends from "home" visit my new "home" out here!

So far they have dived right into life in Zambia. We have ridden mini-buses with way too many people on them, hitched a ride in the back of a truck with way too many eggs in it, and walked around with way too little sunscreen on. Our first day we spent lounging around, grabbing coffee at a bakery and then napping at Munda Wanga Gardens. After finally letting them bathe we met up with some Peace Corps friends for a great dinner. Today I let them sleep in (I think the 12 hours of rest did them some good!) and we have been bartering at the market and getting great deals all morning. They just recognized the glory of seeing a movie in Lusaka, since the theatre is the only place with air-conditioning. We are heading back to the Gardens now to stay the night and tomorrow we will be heading out to my village! We have 8 hours of travel ahead of us tomorrow; pray that they still want to be my friend after hours in the back of a truck!

I have no doubt there will be plenty of stories coming your way as they get a taste of village life. I hope you are making and keeping friends of your own!

Some of my favorite things...

Rainboots, gigantic mangos, Mrs Kapuwe, JoJo and Bene, Rocky

Crazy Funny

We all know someone who is a little crazy. Most of us have at least one in our immediate family. Maybe that person is you. A lot of the time you are not aware that it is you until too late. Self examination is essential.

There is scary crazy and then funny crazy. We hope to medicate the scary and enjoy the funny. Thankfully the funny crazy guy in my village hasn't been introduced to any anti-psychotic meds. This means lots of funny stories for you to read now.

His name is Miyandu and rumor has it he used to be normal but his father traded his sanity for wealth in a little juju deal with the local witch doctor. This is the first of many facts throughout this story you think I have made up. People, I could not make this stuff up if I tried.

So his name is Miyandu, but he refers to himself in the third person as "King George". So our daily conversation as I am walking to get water goes something like this...

"Good morning."(Me)
"Ah, yes, white woman from Britain, King George is fine." (Miyandu)

He usually addresses me as "white woman from Britain", though at times I am referred to as "the red Indian". While I strive for a British accent and dream of tanning like an Indian, neither of these titles is accurate for me. I've tried to explain my Irish German heritage and the fact that I am an American, but it doesn't seem to stick. Oh well.

King George must have listened to a lot of top 40 hits back in the late 80's, early 90's. He does an amazing Michael Jackson impression and knows all the words to "Thriller". This man can, no joke, moonwalk barefoot on the dirt path. This takes major skills. Very impressive. Often in passing he will make comments to me about Michael Bolton or Bob Marley.

Last week he stopped me to tell me he finally had proof he was King George. Playing along I asked him to show me. He sat down in the dirt and squished his knee cap together.

"If you look into my kneecap you can clearly see the letters "j","k", and "y"." (Him)

I looked. I could see the way his skin folded it did look like those letters were there.

He said, "See, I told you!"

And there you have it...clearly proof that this man is, in fact, King George.

As you read that, if this made any sense to you, then you are definitely crazy too. If it did not make sense to you then hopefully you are at least laughing.

Hope you have a little bit of crazy funny in your own life this week.

30 Days

I am a girl that likes a challenge. Marathons, bungee jumping, sky diving, moving to Africa- I enjoy pushing myself to do hard things. This past month I embarked on the "30 Days" Challenge. Basically, I wanted to stay in my village for 30 days without going into town for anything! As the days went on I added little challenges...not plucking my eyebrows or shaving my legs or drinking coffee or speaking English. After this little adventure things like hiking Everest with no oxygen seem possible!

I made it! And it was really great to spend lots of quality time uninterrupted in the village. Since I came to Zambia there has always been some conference I came in for or email that I needed to rush to town to read! I figured it was now or never and I don't want to have regrets about not spending enough time doing what I came to Zambia to do!

We are in rainy season now and have had tons of rain. The most rainfall in Zambia since 1920! There were quite a few rainy days spent reading (9 books), playing cards, and chatting about the rain. Other days I was busy working in my garden, weeding, making rows, killing snakes, and trying to get my field ready for planting. My regular work- Girls Club, Club Mweka, teaching at the clinic, all of that is going well. I am also in the process of getting HIV Support Groups started; we have about 30 people interested at this point. It has been encouraging to see more people come forward about their status and not hiding in shame.

I am still missing Mrs Mpongo. Her children have all been taken to their aunt's home in another town and so it has been lonely without Bertha and crew to brighten my days! It seems more real now that she is gone. God has deepened my friendship with Mrs Kapuwe and that has been a huge blessing. We are meeting together Wednesday nights to read through the Bible and talk about what God is teaching us. It is really amazing to talk about how our cultures have given us such different perspectives.

Two very special ladies are arriving in Zambia on the 16th for their own adventures here! I can't wait to see Erin and Britt and I will have them be guest bloggers for their time here. We will have a week in my village and then be in Livingstone and Botswana. Should be a blast.

Keep praying for me! Specifically for these support groups, for an upcoming IGA workshop, an upcoming NHC training, and that God would be so present in my last 6 months here!

Here's to challenges of your own making!

A Chieferific New Years

So there I was at the Chief's "palace", I had just given a great speech on family, friends, and New Years Resolutions. The Chief was, in return, welcoming me into his family, telling me I was like a daughter to him. As if I wasn't getting enough attention, it seems I needed to stand out a little more. I was wearing a chitenge on my head and a bee came inside the area between my ear and the scarf. I tried to swat it away, but it stung the inside of my ear and continued to buzz around. I started swatting at my ear, sending the chitenge flying, all my hair falling out, and the entire ceremony came to a halt. Everyone was wondering if I was showing them a new American dance move, if I was dying, or if I was just intentionally trying to disrespect the Chief. As I write this I am still laughing and my ear is still swollen.

Happy 2008! I spent my New Years Day, obviously, causing a scene! I had been invited by the Kapuwes (friends from my village) to attend a "family reunion" in Monze, a town about 100k from Choma. It happens that Mr Kapuwe's father is the Chief of that area, and his 4 wives, 41 children, and all the grandkids gather each New Years Day for a celebration. And I was just like the 42nd child the Chief never had, so I was more then welcome!

We arrived at the "palace"-a converted old farmhouse with electricity!-on Monday and were given nshima, goat and chicken to eat. We were then spoiled with bread and hot cocoa made from fresh milk. Fresh like they just milked the cow. It was really great! Due to major flooding in the area, the majority of the family was stuck across the river at the "old" farmhouse. But we had the Chief with us and so that was really where the party was at! About 250 of the area Headmen report to the chief. He carries this carved walking stick, has bodyguards that protect him at all times, and wears this awesome cheetah skin vest deal.

On New Years Day we ate lots of meat-goat, sheep, guinea fowl, and chicken. I got to watch traditional dances and hear them sing family songs. The Chief got up and named all of his children that were present. This is a pretty big task considering he is in his late 60's and has so many kids.

In my speech I talked about how I always thought I was from a big family until I came to the palace. They all laughed. I also talked about how one of my new years resolutions is to practice the generosity that I have received from their family and so many others here in Zambia.

It was an unforgettable New Years Day...I did however get a little homesick when I thought about my friends and family eating at the Pantry and getting ready to play broomball. Let me just say that next year I am bringing my A-game to the ice and you people better be ready!

Blessings in the year ahead!

A Very Zamtastic Christmas

It was an unforgettable Christmas for so many reasons! I missed being with my family, but really made the most of my Christmas here. My close Peace Corps friend, Heidi, came out to the village with me and we both loved every minute! Ok, well the fact that I could not pick up Christmas music on my world radio was sad, but I figure I can make up for that next year! And dancing to Amy Grant in my socks on my parent's wood floor is really not replicable in Zambia, so I didn't give that one a try. This was a Christmas of so many firsts!

It was the first time I...



~Cut down my own Christmas tree...and with a machette no less. I felt a little too cool.
~Cooked Christmas Eve dinner...my portion was homemade applesauce and garlic mashed potatos. The fact that I cooked is pretty startling, but that it turned out amazing and I did it over an open fire is, well, a Christmas miracle. Second only to Christ's birth. The fact that Heidi made green bean caserole and stuffing is remarkable too, but she is just remarkable like that!
~Made Christmas ornaments with African children. I loved seeing some of our American Christmas traditions through the eyes of my villagers. We showed my Club Mweka kids how to make ornaments, put glitter on everything, and hang them on trees. They loved it. Their parents probably don't love me for the glitter they will be enjoying all throughout the year....
~Baked and decorated sugar cookies. I have definetly eaten sugar cookies in the past, but this was the first year that I baked my great grandma's recipe for sugar cookies. They were so good. I had all my little village buddies over to decorate them on Christmas Eve. Heidi and I turned my chikuta into a winter wonderland-complete with paper snowflakes. They loved it!
~Opened gifts by candlelight. We opened presents after dinner on Christmas Eve and thanks to a package I recieved right before I went to the village, I had all kinds of great things to open from my Grandma Jones. My mom sent me out a stocking too, but I had opened it before...not too good at waiting. Sorry, mom!
~Sang Masiku Asweya (Silent Night). I love that song so much, and it was so special to sing it in Tonga with my villagers. I told the pastor I loved that song and we ended up singing it four times during the Christmas Service.

Those are just a few of the highlights from this year! I have uploaded photos to my snapfish account. If I didn't send you a link I probably don't have your email. Send it my way if you want to check out some of the photos! Hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas and were able to have a few of your own firsts!

Jesus Christ

"Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the Most High, Prince of Peace, be born again into our world. Wherever there is war in this world, wherever there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expected one, with healing in thy wings. Holy Child, whom the shepherds and the kings and the dumb beasts adored, be born again. Wherever there is boredom, wherever there is fear of failure, wherever there is temptation too strong to resist, wherever there is bitterness of heart, come, thou blessed one, with healing in thy wings." ~ From The Hungering Dark by Frederick Buechner

I came across these words last week and loved them. December 25th we celebrated Christ's birth and we need to celebrate His coming into our everyday situations to heal us now. I pray that He will make His Presence known in your very situation. Blessings in the journey ahead!

Come Back to Me

"Come back to me." Those were my last words to her. She responded by giving me a hug, as though she knew it was a promise she could not keep. Later that night there was a knock at my door, her daughter Bertha asking me if we could try and phone the hospital where she had been taken. As we stood on the hill, the cell phone searching for network, I hugged Bertha and told her it was going to be ok. I think we both knew it was a promise I would not be able to keep.

I will never forget the first time I met her, my friend, Mrs. Ennis Mpongo. She was the first woman I met in Chifusa. Eight months pregnant, she stood in her white nurse uniform in front of the Rural Health Center. She was tall with brown skin shining in the sun and heat. I immediately liked her. The way she called me "dear", the way her laugh came out heartily, the way she worked hard and loved without condition.

We did life together. She taught me how to plant a garden, I brought her tomatoes. She translated for me at meetings, I assisted her with quarterly reports. We biked to neighboring villages to talk and treat patients with TB, malaria, and HIV. She found me in my house on rainy days and would chat for hours. I made her try American foods, she taught me how to cook nshima. She named her baby girl after me, I held her when that baby died. She wept with me at the loss of my grandma. She is not here to hold me as I weep for her now.

She made me laugh! I remember a time when I made her soup and put 'Mrs Dash' spices in it. Anytime I looked away she would pick out the spices. Finally I caught her and asked her what she was doing. Not wanting to embarrass me, she said, "Oh, Pego, it's ok, when you are first learning to cook here lots of dirt can get in." 'Mrs Dash' does look a bit like dirt.

She was one of the most generous individuals I have met. People would come to her house at all times for treatment, food, a bicycle, advise, or just the pleasure of her company. She would always send one of her kids to make sure that I had eaten when I came back from a long day of working. She gave birth to 4 children, but she was mother to many. At the time of her death she was caring for her children plus 5 nieces and nephews.

She was my closest friend here, but also like a mother to me. As I sat in her house last Monday crying, I caught a glimpse of a card that I had made her- "Buzuba bamama kabotu." Happy Mother's Day. The card was still sitting on her shelf. She would write me notes that started, "Daughter Pego". If I ever needed advise on an issue in the village I went to her. If I was scared, lonely, or sad I went to her.

I didn't ever go to the hospital to see her and it is killing me. I called to get updates from the nurses but wasn't able to talk to her directly. I was in a taxi once to go and then got out and walked home. In that I have failed her. The last I heard was that she was doing better and recovering at her parent's home in a village 7 hours away.

Last Monday I came back to the village from Choma. I sat on my doorstep and wrote in my journal "Feeling a bit lonely without Mrs Mpongo around". I finished writing and started to get ready for bed. Then I heard the wailing. Sobs cutting through the dusk air with their sorrow and I knew before I say Bertha's tears, before I heard the actual words. I knew my friend, my teacher, my helper, my comforter, was gone.

And I miss her. I want her to be here now. I wanted to eat Christmas dinner with her and her family. I wanted to be the one that said 'see you later' come August. I wanted to take her around in the US and somehow show her how much she meant to me here in Zambia.

Our last day together, before she left for the hospital, she looked at me and said, "I know God is with me". And He was...He is. Her suffering in this life has ended. Her Maker called, "Come Back to Me", and so her life begins.

Take a Chance

"If we do not offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses will dull. Our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder. Our eyes will not lift to the horizon; our ears will not hear the sounds around us. We pass our days in routine that is both comfortable and limiting. We soon wake up to find we have lost our dreams in order to protect our days. Fear of the unknown and the lure of comfortable space will conspire to keep you from taking the chances you should take.

But if we take a chance, you will never regret the choice. To be sure, there will be moments of doubt when you stand alone on an empty road in the pouring rain, or when you are ill with fever in a rented bed. But as the pains of the moment will come; so will they ever fade away. In the end you will be so much richer, so much stronger, so much happier and so much the better person for having taken risk and hardship. There will be nothing to compare to the insight you have gained."

- Kent Nerburn

Spring Time

December in Zambia means no school for kids, lots of rain, and everything turning green. Here are some photos of my buddies playing in the front yard. We had lots of fun searching for bowa (mushrooms), playing with Rocky, and dancing.

World AIDS Day

The first confirmed case of AIDS in Zambia came in 1984. By 1986 17.5% of patients in the capital city tested postive for the disease. In 1987 then Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, announced his own son had died from AIDS. Each and every person in Zambia has been infected or affected by this pandemic.

This is not a problem only found in Zambia. The World Health Organization estimates worldwide, 33.2 million people are living with HIV. With all the information given on HIV, we watched 2.5 million people contract this disease in 2007. The fight ended for 2.1 million people in 2007 as they died from this disease. 330,000 of those that died were children under the age of 15 years.

It breaks my heart that even one person contracted the disease last year. We have the information on how this disease is spread. Quick health lesson for those of you still reading-4 bodily fluids carry the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. We have medicine that a pregnant mother can take that will greatly decrease the risk of passing HIV to a child. We understand that sharing needles, razor blades, anything that can transfer blood is dangerous. Unprotected sex opens you up to a whole host of infectious diseases as well as emotional issues.

A person's place on the map should not determine their likelyhood of contracting HIV. And yet, sadly, it seems there is a connection. Here in sub-saharan Africa, we're leading the world with 22.5 million people infected. Poverty, lack of education, and gender issues all work together to form a deadly combonation that is directly connected to this virus.

Unfortunetly I don't have solutions for all the problems our world is facing. I am doing what I can to make a difference in the place God has put me. Right now I am in a place where I can directly touch the lives of those dealing with HIV/AIDS. Do what you can, where you are, to make an impact for the better. In Chifusa Village we celebrated World AIDS Day by hosting an event at Pilgrim Church. We had dramas, dancing, sketches, teaching, and prayer. I am learning each day that behind every statistic is a person, a face, a soul, that matters deeply to our Creator. There are days that I wish the numbers were just numbers to me. And there are days that my heart aches for the daughter or son behind that number.


Join with me in prayer that God will guide us in the battle.

Thanksgiving at the Lake

My second Thanksgiving in Zambia gave me further respect for pilgrims. Having to purchase a live turkey in the village, fatten it up over a few months, and then kill it for the meal was just part of our adventure! Imagine how our forefathers felt chasing after these birds in order to enjoy their savory taste.

This year, 18 Peace Corps volunteers and I headed to Lake Kariba to enjoy our American holiday. Kariba is a man made lake, over 200k long-and filled with hippos, crocodiles, and other very un-American animals. After a 3 hour journey with all of us piled in the back of a cantor, we found our way to The Clubhouse at Lake Kariba. We had the whole place to ourselves and it was great to be in a home! We did not do any swimming in the actual lake, but spent hours jumping in the pools and splashing around in an effort to ward off the heat. I convinced the group to have a Turkey Bowl Zambia and am still sore from playing football for hours. We ate tons of great food throughout the whole weekend-and Thanksgiving dinner was awesome-turkey, duck, chicken, and many side dishes. Turns out wild monkeys are also fond of eating stuffing. Friday night we went out on a boat and toured around the lake which allowed us to see lots of animals on the many islands throughout Kariba. I got to talk with my family back home and received text messages from many of you---so appreciated!

As always, Thanksgiving gives us a time to pause and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. I am so thankful this year for the path God has led me on that brought me out here to Zambia. I am blessed beyond belief to know the God that allows us to know Him and find our identity in Him. A God that gives us hope that this life is not all there is to the world. Also for my family, and this includes people that don't share my "blood". People that have loved me, pursued me, encouraged me, and made sacrifices to be a part of my life-I cannot repay you for your kindness. I only hope to continue this journey with you and stand on mountaintops one day looking back on the valleys. Through lows and highs I want to walk with you.

I hope all of you were able to pause and enjoy a moment with people who love you!

Photos

Wanted to post some of my favorite photos from my time here In Zambia. There are so many-but here are just a few of the memories and people I love! If you want to know the story behind one of the photos, just email me and I can let you know. Enjoy!

LoveHate2

I will continue with the November list of some of my favorite and least favorite things...

LOVE: Eating Outside
Maybe it's your back deck, or an African chikuta, perhaps the patio at a great restaurant, wherever it is, eating outdoors makes the meal better. You get to have fresh air, it's usually not so noisy, you can people watch or animal watch, and if you drop something on the floor you don't have to clean it up later. What is there not to love?

HATE: Obnoxious Drunks

Somehow alcohol makes even a wallflower feel the need to sing to, heckle at, or just annoy anyone in the vicinity. Now I have no problem with people drinking a glass of wine. Or sipping a margarita. Or gulping down a cold ale. But please, don't mix all of these and find your way to a place near me. You are not welcome.

LOVE: Rainstorms When I am Inside Wrapped in a Blanket

Something about the sound of rain on a windowpane or rooftop brings me peace. I think it goes back to my deep love for all things water. I love being snuggled inside and feeling safe and warm. In college, K and I would find our way to Mimi's cafe and I loved getting corn chowder and warm muffins. That is the best rainy day food.

HATE: Being in Rainstorms While Wet and Cold and Miserable

Yeah, that really needs no explanation. I hate that.

LOVE: When People Comment Back on Their LoveHate Ideas
Go now. Do it. You can even be anonymous. It is therapeutic.

The Rest of the Story

It's been less than a week since A left, and I am just know feeling exhausted. We have this deal where any time we are on vacation we go from sunup to sundown, literally! Somehow it works awesome and I just get strep throat about a week later. It is 100% worth it.

We moved from Tanzania to my village, and it was by far the best part of the trip for me. I loved being able to share both of my "worlds" with each other.

My world of African transportation. This means A and I got to share the back of a Cantor truck with literally 60 people, added livestock, and tons of luggage. I am so glad that she now understands why I would rather cycle 40k than ride in a vehicle.

My world of African cooking. Mulenga and Bene came over about noon on Saturday to have us inspect the chickens we would later be eating-they looked good to us. I attempted to decapitate the chicken around 5pm but the knife was not very sharp and I was hit with a bout of fear and nausea mid cut. I can only imagine how that chicken felt! We boiled, plucked, cleaned, and fried the chicken. Boneless skinless chicken is a miracle and a blessing. Let me repeat-boneless skinless chicken is a miracle and a blessing. Do not take it for granted. I am moved closer to vegetarianism each day.

My world of African friends. We had the best time with the Kapuwe's and Kayawe's. The moms of these families are my co-leaders of Girls Club. Both of the fathers are teachers at the school. All of the kids are my little buddies. Taking care of extended family in Zambia is commonplace. So we enjoyed dancing and dining with Getrude, Jeans, Bene, Tembo, Junior, Bene Mushonto, Lilian, Jay, Memory, Mercy, Mwalya, Mulenga, Jordan Zambia, Friday, and Flo. And all those people live together in four bedrooms. They embraced Andrea and taught her all kinds of new dance moves, Zambian taboos, and traditions. It is one of my favorite village nights thus far.

My world of African chores. Fetching water from the well, washing clothes by hand, cooking over the fire- A got to experience it all and shined like a pro. I'd like to think she will never take her washing machine for granted again!

After time in the village we caught a bus down to Livingstone and explored Victoria Falls. I had not been there this time of year, and it was awesome to see how different they are in dry season. We went on a dinner/drinks cruise on the Zambezi River, layed by the pool, and hung out with some Peace Corps friends.

Then it was back to Lusaka and A back to the States. She has tons of pictures and video from our trip, so grab her and ask her to see them. Once I am no longer a complete picture poster looser I'll get some up here too.

Amushale kabotu basa! Stay well friends.

Snapshots of Paradise

The vacation with A is almost half over-and I've yet to give you my own take on things, so here are some "snaps" of the trip so far.

A arrived with a bag full of goodness from the States. The bag included just about all of my favorites-Skittles, coffee, candy corn, cute clothes, and best of all a video! K & A had put this video together that included live footage of Colorado's fall season and then a snowstorm the next day, my parent's home, and messages from so many of the people I love. I couldn't stop smiling as I watched it. So not only did flight Q3001 bring my kindred spirit, but it brought a lot of you to me!


Fast forward to Tanzania. We are on day 1 of our safari and we are in the midst of an elephant herd. They weren't charging the Land Cruiser but they were definitely sauntering by and within touching distance. On our right, mama elephants with their young rolling in the mud to stay cool and then one elephant on our left scratching against a tree trunk. I was entertained and just a little frightened. I also learned much about elephant anatomy during this episode. You can ask Andrea more about that one day.


Next day, we are in the Ngorongoro Crater and sitting on the roof of our Land Cruiser, overlooking a hippo pond. More then a dozen hippos are submerged in the pond and hundreds of zebras and wildebeest are moving throughout the grasslands surrounding the pond. The water is bright blue, the grass is blowing in the breeze, the crater walls rise up in every direction. It inspires awe for the Creator.

We'll kindly skip over the next day as I have refereed to our bus ride back to Dar as a mix between hell and hell. The only slightly redeeming factor was that I got through most of an awesome book, The Kite Runner. The book is fabulous and like any great book, transports you into another world quickly. A good book is basically the exact opposite of transportation in Africa.


Zanzibar- a mix between heaven and heaven. Fresh seafood, white sands, sea green water. One day we went dolphin trekking, jumping into and out of the Indian Ocean as we followed a group of dolphins. I literally make eye contact with one of the dolphins before she swims underneath me and rubs against a piece of coral. Next day we are watching the sunrise from the beach, riding bikes on the sand in the afternoon, and ending the day with a glass of great wine. See what I mean about heaven and heaven?

Hope that you are enjoying a little paradise of your own! If not, live vicariously through me and I'm sure I'll do the same with your life one day.

Vacation by the Numbers

Some people get substitute teachers...I have a substitute blogger. All the way from Colorado, here are some of Andrea's witty musings on our trip...

Vacation by the Numbers Part 1:
0: Number of times I've beaten Caitlin at Rummy
1: Hour difference between Zambia and Tanzania. Good to know when you're leaving for safari trip
2: Number of marriage proposals
3: Lions seen at Ngorogoro Crater today
4: Oceans Caitlin and I have visited together
5: Feet away from elephant herd
6: Times needed to understand what our safari guide could possibly be saying
7: Types of transportation used while in Africa
8: Bruises I have from four-wheeling
9: Mosquito bites on left leg alone
10: Number of times we laugh uncontrollably each day
15: Items bought in one trip to local market

Vacation by the Numbers Part II:
0: Tolerance for African transport
1: Can of pringles between the 2 of us for lunch
2: Times bus broke down
3: People squished in bus seats
4: Time ferry to Zanzibar left without us
5: Times cursed African transportation
6: Time bus supposed to leave this a.m.
7: Men yelling at me when demanded money back
8: Shillings needed for taxi from bus station to hotel
9: Hours it took to go from Arusha to Dar es Salaam

Okay...so African vacation doesn't always go as planned. But we ended the day well...not in Zanzibar as scheduled....but spending time on the Indian Ocean. Afterall, tomorrow is another day!