June 8th
The trip to Masuku Lodge, Kariba and the crocodile farm.
30/4/09 - 4/5/09
We have wanted to see the famous Kariba Lake since we arrived and at last we were going, and via the wonderful Masuku Lodge. We went with Theresa (Mo was back in Ireland having his health sorted out), Maeve, Dr. Peter and his wife Helen and Michael B. Tony and Sarita declined. We all squashed into a large Holy Family 4WD and in rota, 2 of the thinner ones were squashed with the luggage in the back. This wasn’t too uncomfortable until MB drove, when my (MRT) head was intermittently but regularly rattled against the roof. The last 30kms of road to Kariba and our lodge
The trip to Masuku Lodge, Kariba and the crocodile farm.
30/4/09 - 4/5/09
We have wanted to see the famous Kariba Lake since we arrived and at last we were going, and via the wonderful Masuku Lodge. We went with Theresa (Mo was back in Ireland having his health sorted out), Maeve, Dr. Peter and his wife Helen and Michael B. Tony and Sarita declined. We all squashed into a large Holy Family 4WD and in rota, 2 of the thinner ones were squashed with the luggage in the back. This wasn’t too uncomfortable until MB drove, when my (MRT) head was intermittently but regularly rattled against the roof. The last 30kms of road to Kariba and our lodge
was unmade and appalling, which didn’t reduce MB’s determination to get there in record time for a swim in the beautiful pool
with extensive lake views.
The accommodation was clean and simple but the views of Kariba were breath taking.
We all got on very well and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
On the veranda of our accommodation enjoying an evening dinner. Clockwise Theresa (stripy back), Michael, Judy, Peter, Helen (Peter's wife) and Maeve (tank top).
We had a memorable trip on the Lake
which was created in June 1959 by the construction of a huge dam for hydroelectric power. It was constructed at the end of a gorge in the lower part of the mighty Zambezi. It’s construction was very controversial at the time because it caused displacement of the valley Tongans on both sides of the Zambia/Zimbabwe Border as well as large numbers of animals, many of which drowned in spite of Operation Noah.
The building of the dam was a massive project taking 86 workers lives, 18 of whom are encased in the million cubic metres of cement. In a later blog we have more details and pictures of the dam from another trip with Theresa and her sister and friend.
A crocodile farm close to the lakeshore was extensive and impressive
and one night we had crocodile curry. It had the texture of fish and pretty well no taste so I don’t think we will bother again!
On our way to Kariba we stayed for a night at Masuku Lodge
Another meal at Musuku Lodge this time with Helen (middle facing row) Maeve Theresa and Mike as well as the host.
before moving on to Kariba. On the way we stopped to say hello to Mike and Jill Bennett, second-generation native-born white farmers, who had previously taken us to the musical concert in Masabuka. They were preparing for 60+ guests who were helping them to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. They married in Zimbabwe and showed us all their wedding photographs, although they didn’t include Sir Roy Welensky who was a guest. They also, of course knew Stewart Gore-Brown of Shiwa N’Gande fame and Kenneth Kaunda so they were very interesting to talk to about the politics of colonial rule, the winds of change, Zambian independence and what has happened since. The farm is very successful, is being run by his son and they hope that the son’s son will continue as the fourth generation. The Zambian government has had a much less aggressive approach to white farmers than Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and many white farmers still exist and plan to stay in Zambia, which they regard as their primary country. Their social circle however seems to be almost completely white although they seem to have a very democratic and easy relationship with their workers. Mike Bennett was supervising the building of a very substantial open thatched barn just for the Ruby wedding. He said that it would be taken down after the celebrations as they were using wood that could be used in other projects and labour was cheap so it really wasn’t costing much. Such is the very comfortable life of white African farmers.
When we asked him why he was preparing side flaps to drop down the sides of the open barn he said the wind over the last few days was very unusually from the north, which greatly increased the risk of rain over the next few days. All our other “African” resident friends said that this was a little bit over the top, as it never rained in May!! Weather here is extremely stable and as we wrote in the last blog, after having rain for most days since November the tap was suddenly turned off and we have not had a drop for 4 weeks. However Mike Bennett was clearly very wise. The heavens opened on Saturday night over Kariba and after we got home on Monday night we were kept awake for at least two hours with the most incredible electric storm, which seemed to envelop us in continuous deafening thunder and sheet lightning that easily penetrated the thin curtains and filled the room with flashes of light. We seemed to be in the centre of the storm and were quite scared. This was also accompanied by so much water that I thought it must flood the house but it didn’t and we survived without any permanent damage.
Mike Bennett the knowledgable and experienced farmer was so right about the north wind, which brings the rain. We hoped for his sake it arrived on the Choma plains after his Ruby wedding, although I’m sure his “temporary open barn” would have been amply sufficient if not completely water and light tight and sound proof!
Since then the weather has run exactly to form with night temperatures dropping to a chilly 9C at night and up to 25C during the day in the shade. However in the sun and out of the wind it still soars to the low 30s during the day although the breezes have a distinctly cool feel just to remind us that we are at 3,000 feet. Many of the locals wear jumpers and anoraks in the mornings and evenings just like an English summer and we feel it is really chilly when the temperature drops to the low 20s and have to dress in long trousers and at least a long sleeved shirt!! It is strange that I haven’t worn a long sleeved shirt or tie during the day since I left England and have only worn long trousers when working. Even that on some days is too much unless you move at a very slow pace, which is of course, what the native Zambians do!!
VSO 6 month review at the Commonwealth Centre at
Zambia University Lusaka.
5-8/5/09
After rarely being away from Monze since we arrived in October 2008 over the last 4 weeks we have been away 4x, Mongu/Kuomboka, Lundazi/Malawi, Masuku/Kariba and finally for most of the week in Lusaka for the VSO review.
Perhaps it’s not surprising I developed shingles.
We had a very intense meeting with everyone saying it is either very difficult or impossible to change the small town councils, NGOs of varying description, missionary and government hospitals, to fund raise, or to introduce monitoring evaluation which is supposed to actually measure whether anyone is doing any good at all with all this public money. It is very easy to conclude that the only people to benefit are the volunteers; the ones who are naive enough to think that VSO can change anything, never mind changing lives by exchanging skills.
It easy to get very cynical but we think it is partly because we have been taught to set our sights too high. All these extremely bright idealistic group of mainly young people will have a big impact on the Zambians they work with.
At the lowest level just making good friends, for Zambians to see by example just how different our culture is from theirs and particularly our attitude to work. This may not produce great immediate change and in this sort of climate there is only one sensible rate at which to work without air conditioning, but we think if Africans do want mobile phones, satellite TV, premier league football and lots of money, just like all human beings, change will occur but very slowly and probably not fast enough to be worth monitoring and evaluating. Part of the problem is logistical. The only way of making a lot of money in Zambia is in copper, agriculture or tourism all three of which are very sensitive to changes in the world economy over which there is little control.
I am convinced that our culture is the best, our attitude to work, education and caring for the vulnerable and poor in that order is probably as good as any society will achieve and that we should be less apologetic for our attempts to change or help Africa whatever our motives even in colonial times. Many of the Zambians we have met are very favourable to the British and our ways even in the bad old colonial times.
A journey to the precipice!
6-9/05/09
While in Lusaka for our six monthly VSO review with the entire October 2008 intake I (MRT) developed a rash over my back. I became aware of it while leaning against the hard back of a chair at Portico’s restaurant and at first thought it must be from some thorns, previously caught in my Abercrombie and Fitch jumper and driven into my skin. Judy inspected the rash and immediately and correctly diagnosed shingles.
Worryingly this is one of the ways HIV can present!
I had pricked my finger badly on January 14th while operating on a patient with bowel blockage described in a Blog. I had had a previous needle stick injury in November and on that occasion the patient was tested and was non-reactive. After that and talking to several surgeons who had worked in Africa for several years, and because they had a very laid back attitude to the risk of HIV and take no precautions whatsoever, I decided not to have post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) on that occasion. The patient made a slow recovery in January and I never did ask him to be tested for HIV.
The meal at Portico’s in Lusaka was on Wednesday night and, as the rash became worse and Judy more convinced it was shingles, by Saturday I felt sure there was a distinct possibility that the reason for the rash was that I was HIV positive.
After breakfast, on our way to the local African market we called into the Urban Government Clinic and to our great relief they were open and doing counselling and testing for HIV for couples. We got in line and very quickly a very nice Zambian nurse called Sikatu took our history and took us over for a skin prick blood test. Judy was tested as well!
We then had to wait for the result with my pulse racing up to 100/min.
Over the last few days we had to start considering what we should do if I was positive. We thought that we couldn’t keep it from the girls although it could wait until after the new baby arrived. I had decided I wouldn’t come home but complete the year in Zambia and started to think that this would be of interest to the general public and could be put to good use to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. I would have contracted it by pursuing a charitable cause unlike most other methods of getting it! I would be in a very prominent position to make much good out of my potential predicament. It also made me face up to how frightened I was of dying, but at that moment decided that I was more worried about how much it might upset the family.
The whole process of testing was amazingly quick and I wondered how long it would have taken in the UK.
We were both negative but it took a long time for my pulse to settle and I’m still suffering a bit from the rash. We don’t know why I got it other than the stress of recent long bus journeys and it does tend to occur in frail older people!
It is now Wednesday a week after I first noticed the rash, it is still getting better and I’m back from the brink.
Although I have not had a major stick injury since January I will be even more careful in the future. I am back to thinking, like my African colleagues that the risks to surgeons are exceedingly small but if the same thing happens again I will ask for the patient to be tested and if they are positive I will have PEP!
In all of this it is easy to forget that 80% of the so called high risk population who are aged from 15-45 yrs are negative for HIV and as 45% of the population are below the age of 15, not many people in Zambia (probably less than 5%) are positive! That is the majority of the ones we operate on!
The trip to Lochinvar National Park
23-25/5/09
When we arrived in Monze last October we quickly became aware that we had a National Park on our doorstep and equally rapidly that very few people visited it.
We have just learnt how right and wrong they were!!
The main problem is that although it is close to Monze, to get to the Park requires navigating an unmade road, which in places is worse than a ploughed field. During the wet season it is impassable and those that try, gouge 1-2 foot deep ruts which dry into a concrete consistency. Our trip there, two of us again in the back of a 4WD,
I had pricked my finger badly on January 14th while operating on a patient with bowel blockage described in a Blog. I had had a previous needle stick injury in November and on that occasion the patient was tested and was non-reactive. After that and talking to several surgeons who had worked in Africa for several years, and because they had a very laid back attitude to the risk of HIV and take no precautions whatsoever, I decided not to have post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) on that occasion. The patient made a slow recovery in January and I never did ask him to be tested for HIV.
The meal at Portico’s in Lusaka was on Wednesday night and, as the rash became worse and Judy more convinced it was shingles, by Saturday I felt sure there was a distinct possibility that the reason for the rash was that I was HIV positive.
After breakfast, on our way to the local African market we called into the Urban Government Clinic and to our great relief they were open and doing counselling and testing for HIV for couples. We got in line and very quickly a very nice Zambian nurse called Sikatu took our history and took us over for a skin prick blood test. Judy was tested as well!
We then had to wait for the result with my pulse racing up to 100/min.
Over the last few days we had to start considering what we should do if I was positive. We thought that we couldn’t keep it from the girls although it could wait until after the new baby arrived. I had decided I wouldn’t come home but complete the year in Zambia and started to think that this would be of interest to the general public and could be put to good use to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. I would have contracted it by pursuing a charitable cause unlike most other methods of getting it! I would be in a very prominent position to make much good out of my potential predicament. It also made me face up to how frightened I was of dying, but at that moment decided that I was more worried about how much it might upset the family.
The whole process of testing was amazingly quick and I wondered how long it would have taken in the UK.
We were both negative but it took a long time for my pulse to settle and I’m still suffering a bit from the rash. We don’t know why I got it other than the stress of recent long bus journeys and it does tend to occur in frail older people!
It is now Wednesday a week after I first noticed the rash, it is still getting better and I’m back from the brink.
Although I have not had a major stick injury since January I will be even more careful in the future. I am back to thinking, like my African colleagues that the risks to surgeons are exceedingly small but if the same thing happens again I will ask for the patient to be tested and if they are positive I will have PEP!
In all of this it is easy to forget that 80% of the so called high risk population who are aged from 15-45 yrs are negative for HIV and as 45% of the population are below the age of 15, not many people in Zambia (probably less than 5%) are positive! That is the majority of the ones we operate on!
The trip to Lochinvar National Park
23-25/5/09
When we arrived in Monze last October we quickly became aware that we had a National Park on our doorstep and equally rapidly that very few people visited it.
We have just learnt how right and wrong they were!!
The main problem is that although it is close to Monze, to get to the Park requires navigating an unmade road, which in places is worse than a ploughed field. During the wet season it is impassable and those that try, gouge 1-2 foot deep ruts which dry into a concrete consistency. Our trip there, two of us again in the back of a 4WD,
again wedged in by the luggage and food and all the kit for cooking with the other 5 sedately in the front was uncomfortable to the extreme lasting for 3.5 hours. The group consisted of Theresa and Maeve from the Holy Family, MB from Monze Mission, Judy and Mike and Desmond brother of Perry and his mate Andrew.
The accommodation was a partially resurrected derelict Victorian Lodge for which there was no charge.
There was no running water, washing facilities or flushing toilets without a refill with water from dirty plastic containers. We had been guaranteed three rooms for five of us all with double beds. When we arrived there were two rooms with two single beds per room but only three single mattresses. A further room was rapidly prepared by removing concrete debris, dust and other building materials from the floor and the three single mattresses were then shared between the three rooms. This meant that Judy and I slept head to foot perched on the edge of a single mattress on one of the single beds, the other providing space for our clothes off the dusty floor.
But we had a great time in great company with long walks, spectacular views across great expanses of water
getting very close to hippos vast numbers of deer and an amazing variety and numbers of birds. We visited hot springs, some of which contained water too hot to touch and a large Baobab tree with a hollow trunk.
A large Baobab treeBaobabs are weird looking trees, which are the oldest surviving trees in the world. They were around long before the dinosaurs.
We sped in a long motorized boat on a lagoon of the Kafue River, without life jackets or any safety measures should we be thrown into the water. We were reassured that very few crocs were around, although I had treated one woman in Monze from the Kafue River reservation for a croc bite! On the river trip we stopped off at rarely visited fishing villages on mud flats, with poor people living very well on a profusion of fish most of which they sell.
A mixture of the modern with an ancient tradition of drying the fish on the roof in the sun to store or transport it or catching the sun's rays to charge a car battery probably to run a TV for premier league football.
Michael talking to some young children his team may have delivered
However this sort of life style isn’t sustainable as the logistics of educating the numerous children are impossible. Almost none go to school.
On this trip we were accompanied by an either manic or slightly drunk park ranger called Fritz drinking vodka out of fortunately small soft poly bags who also carried a gun to ward off the hippos.
Merry Fritz, Desmond, me and the GunIn comparison and perhaps fortunately the guy who drove the boat seemed to be very expert.
Fritz christened me the Professor because I new the reason for the “drum rocks”; they were volcanic and had bubbles of air trapped inside. Fritz was loud, talked and laughed continuously mainly at his own jokes, and conducted us around the river chasing fishing poachers, confiscating the fish they caught and threatening them with years in jail.
Fish poachers punting through the reads
Fritz in the green 'T' shirt talking to the poachers.The Friday after the trip Fritz turned up in Judy’s HIV clinic and had lost his deep voice and imperious manner. He was now in a suit and without his cap. He was also probably sober! He explained he was in Monze for a court case, prosecuting poachers who had slaughtered three lechwe (deer) before they were caught.
The major disaster of the trip however was my unscheduled dip into a bog with a deep middle gully. I had wandered off in the opposite direction to the rest of our group to get some good photos of the deer and some vast birds and was trapped the wrong side of the bog. Bad judgment meant I leaped into the gully up to my chest, unfortunately with my Nikon. It was only under water (very brown water) for a few seconds, the time it took my aging brain to register the risk, but afterwards it did not work! The dirty brown white tee shirt, soaked shoes, socks and Rohans were the least of my worries. Even the camera I was less worried by, than the loss of the pictures of some large birds in flight I had just captured the other side of the bog.
Fortunately the warm rays of the sun cured the camera but the photographs weren’t worth the effort.
The sun again amazed us with its rays in the mornings and evenings, with no competition from electric lights, and was enjoyed with either Earl Grey tea or gin and tonics.
The night skies were lovely, studded by stars and the Milky Way and studied while sitting by the log fires together with the rhythmic beat of drums. I had a great time beating on the drums, trying to keep in rhythm. The entirely male dancers kept the women entertained with their explicit gyrations. Mother Theresa was reminded of her time in the Middle East where she formed the view that “men were made for having sex and women for having babies”? The evenings softened by alcohol were another strange and distracting experience even though we knew we were in for another night on the edge. We actually slept remarkably well but I suppose it was only for two nights! We were very grateful to get back to a five-foot bed, electricity, loads of hot running water and flushing loos. Little did we know that the weeds getting into the Kafue generators were going to put a stop to the luxury of this back in civilized Monze the following weekend?
We had been warned about the accommodation before we went by Desmond Cornhill who, with his friend is developing the lodge and had organized an otherwise very enjoyable trip for nothing more than the cost of the petrol, 30 pounds sterling each! They also did a braii (African for a barbeque) of steaks for us on the second evening. The meat was from his family’s farms.
Desmond and his friend cooking his fish in the traditional way with three large logs which are gradually pushed into the centre of the fire as they burn.
We had been warned about the accommodation before we went by Desmond Cornhill who, with his friend is developing the lodge and had organized an otherwise very enjoyable trip for nothing more than the cost of the petrol, 30 pounds sterling each! They also did a braii (African for a barbeque) of steaks for us on the second evening. The meat was from his family’s farms.
Desmond and his friend cooking his fish in the traditional way with three large logs which are gradually pushed into the centre of the fire as they burn.The women subsequently had plenty of advice for them on how it had to be improved before they could encourage other people such as us to visit!
The dominant sun!
October 2008 to now.
The longer we stay here the more certain we are of the dominant effect the gloriously hot, golden and dependable sun has on everything.
The wide-open skies with their warm light from the big blue and their constantly changing clouds never fail to raise the spirits, excite and amaze. The occasional 360 degree blue skies are becoming more common with the end of the wet season. The drying out and burn off of all the verdant green vegetation we saw arise from the universal beige and red dust is rapidly disappearing and the ground is increasingly untidy and ugly. The dense green provided a convenient screen for the locals to relieve themselves and in parts the walk to the hospital is becoming fly ridden and smelly. Battalions of tiny ants, which are eating their way through the drying vegetation return the ground to its original dusty covering. The ants sometimes lose their way and relentlessly invade the house often against all repellants. It is reminiscent of the much more transient flying ants that came out just for two nights at the beginning of the wet season, attracted by the electric lights, throwing themselves like Kamikazi pilots against the windows in hoards, leaving their wings in piles at the base of the windows, their bodies disappearing and finishing up as nourishment for man and who knows what.
The response of the ground to the sun and rain from the dry to wet and going back to dry has been fascinating and unexpected, as has how cold it can get at night. We now have to put jumpers on at night as the temperatures plunge to 10C or the lower 5s. I’m not sure how we will cope at home!
We surmise that the sun over the years, has also greatly affected the ways Africans behave, from their attitude to work, their laid back approach to time to the trust that the land or someone will provide for all their needs if they just wait long enough. In the high mid-day heat even in the shade the most obsessional westerner finds it easy to succumb to a lazy lethargy especially after the newfound half decent tumbler of red wine.
The endless variety of insects large and in glorious Technicolor must be an evolutionary response to the suns seductive rays to make themselves even more attractive to each other.
The crocodiles and hippos bathe in the warm waters of the mighty rivers created by the tropical torrential rains, which are in turn the result of the suns rays evaporating huge quantities of water. This also causes the great humidity and even greater languor close to any open water. Although the Zambezi is the most famous river in Zambia the Kafue is almost as big and just as important to Zambia. The lazy sounds of the hippos reach crescendos of laughter, which carries across large stretches of water and the endless sound of crickets, cicadas and birds and frogs when in season.
However the rich colours of wild flowers
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and butterflies are probably the sun’s greatest accomplishments and should we question whether, even with the help of the tropical rains, the sun could have created all this just by chance!!
It is the abundant rays of the sun I believe, which makes the real African experience so rich and makes up for all its dangers and hardship. I think it helps to explain the original amazing explorations of Africa by people like Livingstone and Stanley and why they put up with such intense hardships and risk of contracting fatal infective diseases.
So we have become dependant on the sun! It will be interesting to see how we readjust when we come home.
Work
There has been a national strike of public servants starting around Wednesday 27th May so Mike has had no elective surgery. This is quite restful but definitely more boring! Last Monday I did Judy’s afternoon HIV clinic as all her clinical commitments have not been affected, ward rounds, HIV/Aids and Filter Clinics and the ART meetings. I did an anastomosis workshop with MB last Saturday morning, which has probably been the most useful thing on the surgical side that I’ve done. The strike may go on for some time. Fortunately we are going home in a week and we hope it will all have been resolved by the time we come back in July.
Home in Monze
To add to the doom and gloom of the national strike the country has been plunged into darkness. Some weed has grown into one of the major hydro-electric generators resulting in nearly a week of power cuts; nearly all day Saturday and then very depressingly Sunday/Monday and Tuesday nights which makes all activities other than bed very difficult. We went out one night to Nzango Gardens and played Canasta by candle light, for two nights Judy managed to cook and I managed to pour the drinks and deal the cards and the final night we gave up and just played cards, drank wine and ate biscuits, then coffee and cake before falling into bed at about 20.30! Not really, although it was pretty early.
Having hot baths even by candlelight could have eased things but we have also been without water for the same length of time. The water company blames the electric company and it’s all because of a bit of stray weed in the Kafue River.
We have now not had a hot bath for a week and are adding to the ever-present rich body smells of Monze. One great thing about Africa is that one is much less self-conscious about BO and bad breath! There is always someone to put you in the shade! and one realizes how lucky we are to have constant water supply and almost constant electricity at home in the UK!
Well the big event of 2009 has not happened (6/6/09) yet, and we are still waiting for D-Day, although I suppose the news may take a little time to get through to us. We are getting very excited about it and our imminent trip home. It is now three working and a total of four and a fifth full days before we get on the plane home, eight months since I left and nearly 6 months since Judy left in December. The time has gone very, very quickly.
So it’s good afternoon from me and goodness knows what from Judy at 16.00hrs on Saturday. Time to go to the internet cafe. The electricity is now consistently back on, water is also better and we have had our first proper baths for a week.
Times are a changing.
A Lengthy Limerick.
VSO Sharing skills – Changing lives
There was an old couple from Steep,
Whose volunteering commitment ran deep,
But they felt that their gain
Was not without pain,
When the troubles they found made them weep.
They set out to do lots of good,
But all people wanted was food.
The wards were neglected.
The clinics infected,
And the culture ostensibly rude.
Their sadness was not sharing skills,
As they saw many problems and ills.
They worked dutif’ly,
And showed how it could be,
So it wasn’t just giving out pills.
Bugs and spiders were truly outrageous.
A snake in the garden quite dang’rous.
The ants, ground and flying
(They ended up frying),
And frogs in the bathroom were hideous.
The droughts and the blackouts were dire.
And on cold nights no sign of a fire.
But the night sky was brilliant
And they were resilient.
What a wonderful way to retire!
And there was another bright side,
As they sat down to plan the next ride.
With Falls thunderific,
And wild life prolific
The Zambian sun never died.
Older, wiser they set off back home,
Wondering whether to ever more roam.
But with family and friend
Does this story end,
Or is there more of the world still to comb?
So we have become dependant on the sun! It will be interesting to see how we readjust when we come home.
Work
There has been a national strike of public servants starting around Wednesday 27th May so Mike has had no elective surgery. This is quite restful but definitely more boring! Last Monday I did Judy’s afternoon HIV clinic as all her clinical commitments have not been affected, ward rounds, HIV/Aids and Filter Clinics and the ART meetings. I did an anastomosis workshop with MB last Saturday morning, which has probably been the most useful thing on the surgical side that I’ve done. The strike may go on for some time. Fortunately we are going home in a week and we hope it will all have been resolved by the time we come back in July.
Home in Monze
To add to the doom and gloom of the national strike the country has been plunged into darkness. Some weed has grown into one of the major hydro-electric generators resulting in nearly a week of power cuts; nearly all day Saturday and then very depressingly Sunday/Monday and Tuesday nights which makes all activities other than bed very difficult. We went out one night to Nzango Gardens and played Canasta by candle light, for two nights Judy managed to cook and I managed to pour the drinks and deal the cards and the final night we gave up and just played cards, drank wine and ate biscuits, then coffee and cake before falling into bed at about 20.30! Not really, although it was pretty early.
Having hot baths even by candlelight could have eased things but we have also been without water for the same length of time. The water company blames the electric company and it’s all because of a bit of stray weed in the Kafue River.
We have now not had a hot bath for a week and are adding to the ever-present rich body smells of Monze. One great thing about Africa is that one is much less self-conscious about BO and bad breath! There is always someone to put you in the shade! and one realizes how lucky we are to have constant water supply and almost constant electricity at home in the UK!
Well the big event of 2009 has not happened (6/6/09) yet, and we are still waiting for D-Day, although I suppose the news may take a little time to get through to us. We are getting very excited about it and our imminent trip home. It is now three working and a total of four and a fifth full days before we get on the plane home, eight months since I left and nearly 6 months since Judy left in December. The time has gone very, very quickly.
So it’s good afternoon from me and goodness knows what from Judy at 16.00hrs on Saturday. Time to go to the internet cafe. The electricity is now consistently back on, water is also better and we have had our first proper baths for a week.
Times are a changing.
A Lengthy Limerick.
VSO Sharing skills – Changing lives
There was an old couple from Steep,
Whose volunteering commitment ran deep,
But they felt that their gain
Was not without pain,
When the troubles they found made them weep.
They set out to do lots of good,
But all people wanted was food.
The wards were neglected.
The clinics infected,
And the culture ostensibly rude.
Their sadness was not sharing skills,
As they saw many problems and ills.
They worked dutif’ly,
And showed how it could be,
So it wasn’t just giving out pills.
Bugs and spiders were truly outrageous.
A snake in the garden quite dang’rous.
The ants, ground and flying
(They ended up frying),
And frogs in the bathroom were hideous.
The droughts and the blackouts were dire.
And on cold nights no sign of a fire.
But the night sky was brilliant
And they were resilient.
What a wonderful way to retire!
And there was another bright side,
As they sat down to plan the next ride.
With Falls thunderific,
And wild life prolific
The Zambian sun never died.
Older, wiser they set off back home,
Wondering whether to ever more roam.
But with family and friend
Does this story end,
Or is there more of the world still to comb?
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