I so love getting texts, emails, Facebook messages, or letters from everyone back home in the States or abroad in Europe. Thank you!
The one common request I hear is everyone wants to hear about my adventures or any neat stories. The funny thing about that is most events that happen to me would probably make great stories. However, they have becomes so common place in my life here that I fail to share the little things. So, today I decided I needed to share some of the random happenings of my life in Zambia.
One activity that always results in a story is travelling! Here in Zambia hitching is actually the most common, efficient, and best way to get around. For those of you reading this and concerned for my well-being, I assure you, hitching is one of the (if not THE) safest modes of transport in Zambia.
It does seem to be that most hitches or rides to and from anywhere end up creating quite an interesting adventure. First off, the types and kinds of vehicles range from small Toyota cars to mid-sized vans to large trucks and canters. Sometimes I find myself in the front of a van with a child on my lap or sitting in the bed of a canter on a spare tire with goats and pigs as my traveling buddies.
One day I was going to Town with a friend and we hadn't seen too many vehicles pass us. When a small pick-up finally rolled up with already twenty people in the bed, we'd been walking for 5 or 6 km. Therefore, we found ourselves standing just behind the cab for the last 55 km. We spent the ride singing Christmas songs and discussing life with the other passengers.
Another day I was already in Town and wanted to head back to my village. Another gal and I had met this guy the day before and because he was just out and about driving around, he gave me a free lift to my corner where I could catch other transport. We even stopped for chocolate and Fantas mid-way!
Sometimes it doesn't have to be random vehicles or people who happen to be going where you're going. Just recently I visited another volunteer who lives very far in the bush down bumpy dirt roads. On a good day, transport with a canter will take 2 hours from the nearest Town. Our trip took four and a half hours!
I am not sure how many people were in the vehicle, but there were many. We sat on bags of fertilizer up against the left side of the canter and I am not quite sure how our feet found room, but they did! It was only sprinkling as we started off, but a few kilometers down the road we found the big heavy green tarp over our heads to protect us from the rain. Of course, there are plenty of holes in the tarp and if you are under one of those holes it would almost be better to be without any protection!
With the rain comes muddy roads. We'd probably gone 45 minutes before actually getting stuck. Its amazing though when it happens. All the men jump out and hook a rope to the truck and push and pull the vehicle out of the mud and water. After getting stuck twice, the third time we all had to get out; men, women and children. Now it was the fourth time I believe when we really got stuck. You know its a bit "shupa" (difficult in Tonga) when the men start hauling even the 50 kg bags of urea out of the canter and 100 meters down the path.
As all this was happening, I happily held the new kitty that would soon become the other volunteer's rat killer while he assisted in the pulling with the other men. At one point the men and women hoisted the rear wheels of the canter and put branches under the tires to help with traction. I was actually most shocked by the usage of the trees above all else. In my area, trees and branches are so scarce that no one would even think to use them as traction for the vehicles. However, is this particular area there are still many trees scattered everywhere.
Luckily, during this particular canter ride we made it home by 21:00. After heavy or continuous rains, sometimes that same trek takes over six hours and puts people at home around 02:00 hours in the morning!
Oh the joys of transport in Zambia! To me, these events are so 'normal.' I hardly think to share them with others because I almost doubt they could be at all entertaining or interesting! And then I remember what its like in the States or Europe. If you are late for a train, you are left. If you want to go visit a friend, you get in your own car and drive straight there. If in a vehicle you make less than 60 mph it is easy to get mad and blame whatever little hold up made you late.
Not here. Patience and flexibility are key when it comes to traveling anywhere in Zambia. But, a funny or interesting story may be the result for the 14 hour day and make the trek worth it!
Transport and hitching have become the norm in my life here. There are also probably many other things that I find to be just part of my life that others might find wildly unfamiliar. I will try to remember to pass on those stories! Feel free to continue sharing about your lives! Nothing is off-limits to share with me! Mundane or exciting, it is all so interesting to me!
