Zoosaka

street vendors take advantage of slow moving traffic

After weighing many factors (including the fact that we hadn’t been away for a weekend since Thanksgiving), Heather and I made the last-minute decision to venture to Lusaka, our capital city, last weekend.

If you want to envision Lusaka, put away almost every idea you have of traditional “Africa,” and think more along the lines of New York City, London, and Johannesburg. Whatever you picture for a large, international city will be way more like Lusaka than African bush scenes.

enough diesel and petrol exhaust to make anyone cough

Most of the time, a zoo is a place with animals. Lusaka is the other kind of zoo, the kind that doesn't have animals—just lots and lots and lots of people and traffic and stores and compounds and elaborate buildings and shanty towns.

street shot (at a very un-busy spot!)

Our most adventurous moments in Lusaka happened Saturday morning when we ventured into the city with our list of can’t-buy-in-Choma items and a few maps… I took the wheel, and Heather navigated.

It was over an hour later when we arrived at our first destination, less than 10ks from the guesthouse. I have NEVER driven in such traffic (In fact, I've never even ridden in such traffic). Ever. Anywhere.

(sorry- no pics of the nutsy traffic... we had to concentrate on driving and navigating!)

I wanted to show off my inter city park job along the main road.
(the white Isuzu on the left)

and the passenger side of our Isuzu...

I wish I could describe to you what the traffic was like, but I have a feeling that you’re not going to believe me even if I tell you about it.

I would also like to note that I inched (literally) up and down two large bridges in my manual :). (um… I guess I have a little bit of pride about that.) Just so you don’t think I’m too puffed up, I also stalled a couple times… one time the other driver loudly said, “She was supposed to wait!” when I pulled out and stalled in front of her! Hahaha… oops. I would have been fine except I forgot I was in 3rd- thought I was in 1st!

oooo! Something we definitely don't have in Choma!
But I can't tell you anything more about this place than that we saw the sign when we drove by...

HarveyTile has a great way with words. This advert reads: "A roof without HARVEYTILE is like
nshima without relish... it might be tasteless!"

Later, someone told us one of the main routes was closed in Lusaka Saturday morning, which is probably why the roads were so congested. In all our other times out in Lusaka (Friday through Monday), we didn't see any traffic half as bad as what we experienced Saturday morning. Busy city traffic is one thing… Saturday morning’s lock-jam experience was a totally different thing.

Huge curio market. I have fun bargaining.

Anyway. We had an enjoyable weekend away. We can’t wait to start some of the projects we brought home with us (more to come on those). Also, I can’t tell you how WONDERFUL it was to come home yesterday. If we wouldn't have had other passengers in the vehicle with us, Heather and I would have hollered some whoots of happiness upon arriving in Choma… and I would have done a happy dance in our Nahumba yard.

What a change to STAY at a guesthouse instead of manage a guesthouse!

We purchased our first container of Zambian ice cream. It was only half full! (who knows how many times
it had melted previously!). And, yes... we ate the whole thing.