Microadventure in Lusaka, Zambia

Visiting Lusaka, Zambia, for some professional development. Flight times meant that I arrived a day before the course began... had to make the most of the time and decided to make it into another microadventure!

Wednesday 6 December 2017
11:55pm - left home and headed to the airport in Dar

Thursday 7 December 2017
03:45 First flight - Dar to Nairobi (Kenya), arrived Nairobi just after 5am
07:40 Second flight - Nairobi to Lusaka (Zambia), arrived Lusaka at about 9:30am

Turns out it is a VERY small world... on the second flight I see a teacher I met a few years ago at the 21CL conference in Hong Kong - just so happens he has just moved to Kenya and is attending the same PD course as me.

Sailed through Zambian customs, and was met by a driver to shuttle us to the designated hotel.
Another passenger on the shuttle was a man who has been working in Zambia for three years with the Ministry of Education - he told us some fascinating stories and facts on the way into town. I was checked in and was unpacking by 11:30am.

I had already asked a teacher who lives in Zambia for some recommendations... she had given me a few suggestions and the number of a driver, Peter, that teachers regularly use. I had booked him for 12 noon... great timing!

He was punctual and picked me up at 12 noon on the dot. Then the real adventure began! This is what I absolutely LOVE about travelling - diving head first into the culture with a local. So important. I learnt sooooo much about Lusaka and Zambia in the afternoon I spent with him today.

So...

Peter drove me 20km (about 45 minutes) out of central Lusaka. Very different feel and landscape to Tanzania. A lot less people, and even more green, if that's possible! Along the way I was just drinking it all in... the different sights and sounds. Not to mention the significant drop in temperature (compared to Dar). A lovely 'cool' 24 degrees. Windows of the car were down, arms out the window, and the breeze was divine. We chatted along the way, me trying to find out as much as I could about this place in the short time I have here. I asked about Zambia's exports - Peter explained that copper is big here, and he's grateful it's not oil or gold. He does not want war. He knows other African countries are not so lucky.

I spotted a cemetery. Then realised that there was a massive funeral in full swing. Hundreds of people gathered to say farewell in an enormous roadside cemetery was an incredible sight.

Peter told me about the local morgue.
Still. Quiet.
His father told him that he would be different after a visit to that place. He says that is true.
He talked of dark, cold tunnels. Copious dead bodies.
He was searching for his niece. He found her.

He said that lots of people die here. Too many.

Peter drove me to the Sugarbush Farm and Cafe.

First, a leisurely wander around the farm shop that sells local and African upmarket handicrafts.

A couple of small purchases for me. A cushion cover and a small blue leather key ring in the shape of Africa.

 If I lived here I would have bought MUCH more. Like the lovely lamp bases decorated with copper. Immediate connection to the conversation I'd just had with Peter in the car.

Lunch. 

Outdoors. 

Flowers. 

Green. 

Horses!

Cooler than Dar.
Listening to Christmas toons.
Breathing.
Latte.
Me time.

Started heading back to Lusaka at about 3pm.

More great conversation with Peter. Really interesting guy.

Turns out he is a musician who has produced two albums! He says his music is a fusion of r 'n' b, rap, and Zambian beats. He sings/raps in both Bemba and English. He played me one of his CDs, explaining the meaning behind some of the tracks. Range of subjects... mostly related to Zambia, its people, and their customs. Some serious tracks too. Fascinating stuff.

He told me that he didn't finish school, because other things happened. He talked about wanting a better life for his kids... he is trying hard to keep them in school. A couple of his music videos feature the compound he lives on.

Peter told me he learnt all his English from 'mzungu' (white foreigners). He's hoping to save enough money ($2,000 USD) to pay a promoter who will help to get his music 'out there'. His passion for music was evident. He explained that when he was younger his two passions were music and football. He didn't spend enough time on football to be good enough to play professionally. He said that "music is my whole world". Incredible to hear him talk about his journey and dreams after just knowing him for such a short amount of time.

So... when he took me back to the hotel, I gave him a bit more than the agreed upon money... and asked him to drop a copy of his CD to my hotel, if he could, before I was going to leave Lusaka. At this point I was well aware that there was a good chance that I might never see that CD...

But no, my faith in humanity was restored! Two days later he texted me to say that he had just left it at reception for me. He was one VERY cool dude.

A REALLY good day.

Africa is going to be hard to leave.
I would never have imagined I would write that so soon.
It gets under your skin.... and it's stealing a piece of my heart...
I could end up staying on this continent longer than I thought.

Dar Microadventure

A couple of weeks ago, I heard about an 'adventurer', Alastair Humphreys, who recommends 'microadventures':

A microadventure is an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.

So today I decided to have one! Here's what happened...

9am

Dropped off my son at his friend's home for the day. Scheduled pick-up was 2pm. So no guilt about me having some fun of my own!

Stop 1 - Vipaji Art Gallery

Conveniently right next door to where I'd just dropped my son. I remembered a colleague mentioning this place to me so I decided to take a look. Walked around the back and found their nice outdoor coffee shop area, called Makuti.

I asked about the Art Gallery opening times - they said it was open so I went back to the front. It wasn't! Headed back to Makuti and ordered a latte. I came prepared - I had brought a book with me to read (The Last Maasai). I sat and read for about half an hour, then headed back to the front when the waitress told me the gallery was open.

Lovely little gallery, full of paintings and sculptures by local artists. I started talking to the man in charge, Yusuph. He explained to me that some of the artists originate from the south of Tanzania, a place called Mtwara. He talked about some of the artists, namely Chilonga, Kambi, Evarist Chikawe, and Ludovick. There were also some works by the apparently 'upcoming' artist Mika. There were definitely a few works I could have purchased and lived with!

One, in particular, I could have just stared at for a very long time... thankfully they didn't accept credit cards! But I will be going back.

What I loved was just having TIME to appreciate art. I could have stayed there for hours. Maybe next time I will! I did buy an interesting book they had there:

Stop 2 - Side of the road

We've lived in Dar for over 8 months now. The weather is starting to cool. I love sitting and eating outdoors... so I decided it was time to buy some furniture for our balcony. All I really wanted was a couple of chairs and a table. A colleague recommended a roadside place (there are many roadside 'stores' here!), so I headed in that direction. Pulled over, hopped out and within 5 minutes I'd made a deal with the owner! I managed to haggle a little bit, with a smile of course, and realised he wouldn't go down by much. We agreed on a price and he asked me to return in an hour as the table I wanted wasn't actually there. I paid a tiny deposit and off I went.

Stop 3 - Slipway

Touted as a 'shopping centre'... it's a small quaint array of shops, mainly for expats and tourists... an English-language bookshop, a LOVELY shop called The Green Room, a 'souk' (marketplace/bazaar) and more. A couple of reasons why I added this to my microadventure itinerary...

• need to start thinking about gifts to take back to UK in June
• I like the Waterfront restaurant there.

I wandered around, grateful to just have time to look at all the lovely things available. I was mainly window shopping, but couldn't resist buying a new book to read (as I'm nearly done with The Last Maasai!).

Saw some great ideas for gifts - I'll look in other places and come back another day if I need to...

Then I headed to the Waterfront. I ordered a soda water and a 'Lonely Planet for One'. YUM.

Lovely, slow lunch. No rushing required. As I was finishing the sky grew darker and I knew it was time to leave. The heavens opened as I approached my car... and thankfully I didn't get too wet!

Stop 4 - back to the side of the road

Picked up the two chairs and table. Paid the guy. In the POURING rain. Now I was drenched.

Decision - it was now about 1pm. I could go home, drop off the furniture, then head back in the same direction to collect my son... NAH - let the adventure continue - even if it meant more rain!

Stop 5 - Oyster Bay

Was hoping for a coffee at my all-time favourite restaurant in Dar, Salt. Unfortunately, they were closed for the public holiday. So instead I went next door to the Black Tomato... and continued to read.

As I sat there the rain continued. And got harder.

And harder.

In the end, I gave up and decided to collect my son from nearby a few minutes earlier than planned!

Stop 6 - driving home

Just plain everyday driving in Dar es Salaam can be an adventure in itself. Today was no different. Roads had started to flood due to the crazy rainfall.

The most we have seen since arriving last July. When we were almost home we hit DEEP water.

Stop 7 - the end of the adventure

Once back at home, my son and friends had a ball playing on the flooded field! Soooo much fun!

After the boys had finished, I noticed dozens of dragonflies skimming on the water. Then crows flocked in! Amazing to see so much nature so close by. Such a different world to the one we were in before, Hong Kong. Great to sit in my new chair, feel the breeze, and watch the world happen.

All in all, a great microadventure - it definitely ticked most of the boxes!

Short? Yes.
Simple? Yes.
Local? Yes.
Cheap? Kinda (if I hadn't bought the chairs and table... but could have been worse - art!)
Fun? YES.
Exciting? Not overly.
Challenging? Not really, apart from driving through the flood!
Refreshing? Absolutely. I adore rain. Must be the Brit in me.
Rewarding? You betcha!

Can't wait until the next one...

Full photo album from the day here.