Visitors and Bon Voyage

Living here, I always feel very lucky when people come to visit. No one is ever “passing through” Zambia. Actually, you have to go pretty out of your way to get here. So having a friend visit is always a special event, and this month has been full of them. Not long after Jamie left, my college friend Becca, on a family trip in East Africa, came down for a weekend. While the trip was too short, we had plenty of time to catch up during a visit to the Lower Zambezi. The two of us took the relatively short drive down to the river which involved a pontoon crossing and some rough roads that made me glad I replaced the 12 year old tires before we left.

Kiambi, the camp where we stayed, is an oasis perched on a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Zambezi and Kafue rivers. The big lazy river moving deceptively quickly below offered itself as a perfect canvas for the sunset we were just in time to catch. We braved the cold at night with plenty of warm clothes, resisting the urge to bring some coals from the fire into the tent with us. The stars glittered in the chilly darkness,  showing clearly Scorpius and the Big Dipper, which only appear for a short time during the year down here. We were also privy to the uncommon sight of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury in the sky together.

We spent our one full day perfecting the art of relaxation, ending it with a beautiful boat ride on the river for sunset. As dusk was falling we stumbled on a group of elephants playing in the water. Our guide got us right up next to them and it was really something else to watch these huge animals romping like puppies.

Speaking of puppies, our dog is now in what I imagine to be his rebellious adolescent years. His reign as sole house mascot, however, is being eroded by the arrival of two new turkeys. There is a tentative understanding developing between them as they try to assess what threat the other poses.

(Sparta sizing them up)

In the same airport trip I dropped Becca off and picked up Anne, an old Lusaka resident on her third visit back. We were close friends during my first year here so of course there’s plenty of reminiscing to be done when she’s back. It’s been great having her around, and I’m looking forward to a group trip this weekend up to Ndola to watch Chiplopolo play Lesotho for a chance to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Of course there has to be a tradeoff to all this fun. This week Zambia said goodbye to an institution. Jes, the ever adventure-ready, master traveler, cook and Frisbee player, brought to a close her almost 4 year relationship with this country. While we will certainly miss her here, I know she can’t ignore when adventure beckons with a chance to bike across Eastern Europe.

(Photo credit: Cheryl R.)