I started writing this blog post months ago when I first got home, but never got round to finishing it. I realise this is incredibly out of date, but I'm attempting to finish it for posterity! So here are some highlights from the last few weeks (or months, since I got a bit lazy towards the end!) in Zambia:
In April/May two really good friends I met in Ghana came to visit me. Jim is an A&E consultant from Texas who works abroad a lot. He was on his way to a hospital in a war-zone in the Middle East and spent a couple of much more peaceful weeks with us in Katete, working in medical outpatients.
I also met Jennifer, who's from Minnesota, in Ghana. She came for a couple of weeks too, but they were mostly spent on safari and visiting the Victoria Falls.
This involved an absurd about of bus travel - it's about 15h from the hospital to Victoria falls, and the same back again! At least buses are a bit more interesting in Zambia than the UK! Firstly people are so much more friendly so happily lend you their baby to play with. And then there's the interesting combination of television. There's the blaring loud gospel music on loop, with hilarious music videos (I think my favourite is the military gospel choir with overweight women dressed in camo breaking some sweet moves!), and then the most ridiculous, extremely violent action films, also on full volume.
We went to the Victoria falls, which were stunning, but very wet!
We stayed in a great place called Tabonina guest house, recommended by my friend Sinan who worked at SFH last year. There we made friends with a fab couple called Lorna and Andrew. Andrew being a local lad took us to some great places we definitely wouldn't have found on our own. Since Jennifer hadn't ever been on safari, Andrew said he could find us some giraffes and zebras. We thought he was pulling our leg, but went along for the fun of it and guess what we found!
Unfortunately the white water rafting was closed as the water was so high - the rainy season was super long this year. Instead we went on what was advertised as a horse riding safari, although, perhaps for the best we didn't come across anything too exciting!
We had high tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel which looks out over the river Zambezi, just upstream from the Victoria Falls. You may not be able to see, but there are zebras grazing on the lawn!
Then we took the 15h bus back to the hospital where we chilled out for a few days and Jennifer watched some babies getting born. While we were there we spent some time in the local village with my good friend Benson.
The following day we were invited to the funeral of the local chief. We weren't allowed to take any photos of the event, but did get a selfie with some women who thought we were celebrities! (Nothing new!)
After a few days in Katete we went to South Luangwe for safari. I'd planned to go by bus, but in true Zambian fashion a passing businessman stopped for us and gave us a lift for the cost of the petrol.
I won't put up too many pictures because I went of safari a LOT and at this rate we'll be here all day.
And now for few random photos that I can't think how they fit into this timeline!
We (the expats) had a summer fete with a cake competition, garden produce competition and performance from the resident recorder group! There was very little to do in rural Zambia, so we had to get creative to keep ourselves entertained!
Mum and I went camping in Chobe, Botswana where we saw many animals:
And we went to Victoria falls:
And had high tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel:
Then I went white water rafting:
In April/May two really good friends I met in Ghana came to visit me. Jim is an A&E consultant from Texas who works abroad a lot. He was on his way to a hospital in a war-zone in the Middle East and spent a couple of much more peaceful weeks with us in Katete, working in medical outpatients.
We managed to find time to nip over to South Luangwe one weekend
I also met Jennifer, who's from Minnesota, in Ghana. She came for a couple of weeks too, but they were mostly spent on safari and visiting the Victoria Falls.
This involved an absurd about of bus travel - it's about 15h from the hospital to Victoria falls, and the same back again! At least buses are a bit more interesting in Zambia than the UK! Firstly people are so much more friendly so happily lend you their baby to play with. And then there's the interesting combination of television. There's the blaring loud gospel music on loop, with hilarious music videos (I think my favourite is the military gospel choir with overweight women dressed in camo breaking some sweet moves!), and then the most ridiculous, extremely violent action films, also on full volume.
This cutey belongs to a female police officer who was sat next to us and kept us entertained for a good while.
We went to the Victoria falls, which were stunning, but very wet!
Unfortunately the white water rafting was closed as the water was so high - the rainy season was super long this year. Instead we went on what was advertised as a horse riding safari, although, perhaps for the best we didn't come across anything too exciting!
We had high tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel which looks out over the river Zambezi, just upstream from the Victoria Falls. You may not be able to see, but there are zebras grazing on the lawn!
Then we took the 15h bus back to the hospital where we chilled out for a few days and Jennifer watched some babies getting born. While we were there we spent some time in the local village with my good friend Benson.
Me and Benson with some village children, including his grandson Benson (one of many!) who I'm holding in the upper picture
Benson junior junior, Jennifer, me and another village boy who's name I don't remember
The following day we were invited to the funeral of the local chief. We weren't allowed to take any photos of the event, but did get a selfie with some women who thought we were celebrities! (Nothing new!)
Carrying Gloria, Benson's adopted daughter (her mother died at birth and her father couldn't look after her so Benson's family took her in) with Daniel and Christa
Local tailor we met on the walk home
Jennifer had brought some balloons with her for the local kids, so on the way home we gave them to some very excited children. Balloons and bubbles - loved by children everywhere! I wouldn't let her give them to the kids on the hospital compound (children of the hospital staff) because they know where I live! They already came knocking on my door asking for biscuits most days and didn't want them to come any more often!
We also walked past one of Benson's fields where his sister was harvesting ground nuts, or as we call them peanuts. Ever wondered how they grow? The peanuts are little nodules of the root system. It's a very labour intensive process - first grow the plant, then dig them up and leave the in the sun to dry for a few days, then they can either be boiled, dried further on the roof, or (my absolute favourite) dry roasted. Benson made the BEST charcoal roasted ground nuts which were probably my favourite food in all of Zambia. Such a treat!
I won't put up too many pictures because I went of safari a LOT and at this rate we'll be here all day.
Selfie with some lions fighting over a buffalo kill
And now for few random photos that I can't think how they fit into this timeline!
We (the expats) had a summer fete with a cake competition, garden produce competition and performance from the resident recorder group! There was very little to do in rural Zambia, so we had to get creative to keep ourselves entertained!
The judges - Raqib, a lovely couple Raqib met on safari who were staying very near the hospital (I can't remember their names), and Tim. I didn't make a cake as I was on call.
Doctors and medical students watching the judging
The surprisingly good recorder group (Nicola, Becky, Adam and Raqib)
The chicks grew up
Yazzy (new girl who I tricked into looking after my cat when I left!) and I hiked up the mountain
Then I had my leaving party. Following the success of the goat at Easter I decided to spit roast some chickens.
Benson and his family came and Benson's daughter Christa sang us some songs
Memory and Adama - two of the nurses from York (gynae ward) who I was good friends with
Some of my favourite nurses and midwifes plus a couple of the doctors
I then took the bus back to the capital where I met my mum for a mini-adventure. Only halfway there I got this picture from Nicola:
My faithful flamingo Pinky got left behind, so was carefully looked after by Jess and Bernie until Nicola got back to the UK!
Mum and I went camping in Chobe, Botswana where we saw many animals:
We went on a river cruise
Itty bitty baby elephant!
Rare sighting of a leopard
And had an elephant ride.
A bunch of other stuff happened, but I'm officially bored of writing this insanely long blog post so I'm going to stop there! If anyone made it this far I'm seriously impressed! This really could have been about 10 different blog posts, but due to laziness here it is all lumped together! I realise this is just a collection of pictures with a bit of narrative and maybe I should have written something a bit deeper reflecting on the very challenging time I had in Zambia, but this will do for now!
Zambia, you were intense! Until next time... xxx
