Crocs (not the shoes)

Another week passed already. There are some good things to report about the Mango Tree. The restaurant more than doubled its income in food sales compared with last week. Also, we completed 6 interviews and selected a teacher for the Adult Literacy class that will begin next week. It was a difficult choice, but we are excited about Mr. Gula Thole, the man we selected to be the teacher. Mr. Thole survives on subsistence farming, as do about 95% of the people in the surrounding villages. It is exciting that now he will be able to use his skills to help the community, while also making some extra income for his family.

I also spent some time at the office of PVCW (program for vulnerable children and women) giving computer lessons to Joyce Ngoma, the program head. They have a computer at the office, but no one knows how to do much more than turn it on and off. So, I am giving some tutorials (with the little knowledge I have about computers!) on how to use the computer’s programs like Microsoft Word and Excel.

My Sundays are proving to be the day for new adventures. In church this week I noticed 3 other musungus in the pews across the aisle. After church we met and they invited me to join them on a day trip to Kapishya Hot Springs and a canoe trip down the Ishiba Ng'andu River. I accepted their invitation gladly, ran back to my room to pack a quick lunch and then jumped in their red land cruiser. We were off. It is about 1.5 hrs north of Chilonga, so we had plenty of time to get to know each other during the car ride. Vincent and Marie, a French couple, are working at the Chilonga Hospital for 2 years. Vincent is a doctor, and Marie helps with administrative matters. Luckily their English is excellent, because my French is definitely rusty! Anna, a friend of Vincent and Marie from Germany, had been visiting for a few weeks.

Vincent and Marie had already been to the River before, so they knew a place where we could launch our canoe about an hour and a half up the river from the Kapishya Hot Springs lodge. Since their canoe could only hold 3 people, Vincent offered to wait for us at the Lodge. As we are about to launch the canoe, I ask about the name of the river and Marie tells me it is "Ishiba Ng'andu", meaning "royal crocodile" in Bemba. “Oh yes? Now, why do you suppose it is named that?” I laugh nervously. Turns out there are quite a few crocs that live along the banks of the lake and adjoining river from which we are currently launching our canoe. In fact, Marie informs me casually, there was someone eaten by a croc in this river just last year. Anna and Marie don’t seem to be too bothered by this startling fact, so I shrug my shoulders as if to say “no big deal”. As we course gently down the river I am on the lookout for any movement in the water or on the banks. “So, uh guys….do you think we should have a plan of action in case we come across any crocodiles??” I ask nonchalantly. “I suppose we should just start paddling fast,” Marie calls from the back of the canoe. Great plan, I think to myself. “Anyway,” she continues, “I don’t think they will try to attack us because we have two paddles.” “Yeah, that’s true,” I say. Two plastic paddles and a rubber boat.

A half hour or so into our trip I was able to relax and enjoy the ride. It was a beautiful day and it was so good to be outside and get some exercise. I admit I was a bit relieved when we rounded a bend in the river and saw Vincent sitting on the patio outside of the Kapishya Hot Springs lodge. We got drinks on the patio and then took a dip in the hot springs. We loaded the boat into the car around 5pm and decided to drive through a neighboring game park before we headed home. We bumped along the dirt roads, dodging potholes, keeping our eyes peeled for any wildlife. It was a beautiful ride. The sun was just beginning to set and every bend in the road seemed to open up to a beautiful plain where we watched zebras roam with impalas, gnus, and antelope.

We reached the main road as the sun was low in the sky and dark was starting to roll in. Vincent went to switch the car headlights on, only to discover that they had randomly stopped working. An 1.5 hr drive on remote roads with about 20 minutes left of daylight, this was not a good situation. With a crisis looming, all conversation in English came to a halt and a torrent of rapid-fire French filled the car. It was difficult to see – and the many dangers of the road included deep potholes that threatened to pop our tires, and the many people riding bikes and walking along the roads (often in the middle of the road) who wouldn’t see us until we were almost upon them. Vincent turned on his turn signal, which was still working, so the dull pulses of light could help us to see what was ahead, and also warn people on the road that we were approaching. “Attention! Il y a un truc a droit!” Anna was in front trying to squint through the dark and warn Vincent of upcoming potholes. After a few close calls with some pedestrians, we knew it was too dangerous to continue all the way back home like this. Just then, we caught a glimpse of the red brake lights of a truck way ahead on the road. We accelerated and finally caught up to the truck. The back lights of the truck was just enough light for us to see the road in front of us, and it served to warn people we were approaching. It was a long drive but we got back safely! It was a good day.