Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
On the 29th on December my friends and I (the Canadians an Jodi) decided to take a taxi for 20minutes to the Botswana fairy. There we crossed the Zambezi and took a very crowded bus for another 20 minutes into Kasane which is in Chobe Game Park in Botswana for three days. Botswana is great! I would have loved to spend more time there. The landscape is more flat and open and the people were really nice and didn't stare at us Mazungus as much as in Zambia.
Chobe National Park was awesome, we rented a car for two days and did our own driving safari. Chobe is know for the amount of elephants in the park. They say it has actually become a problem of overpopulation, but it was great for me! They were everywhere, in the distance and almost touching our truck, they're so beautiful and big! I wanted to kiss one but everytime we got so close to almost touch they started flapping their ears! We also saw giraffes, wild dogs which are very rare, lots of hippos, baboons, crocodiles, birds, water buffalo, impala, kudu, a jackel chasing a baby impala and more. Sadly no lions which were around and others saw but not us...next time. Saving that one I guess for when Alex comes.
Christmas for me was awesome, minus the missing friends part. I went to the biggest waterfall in the world: Victoria Falls! It was amazing the water falls into the knarly Zambezi river, which i rafted. My Canadian friends, Jodi(whose from Hawaii) and i decided to take on the class fives rapids of the Zambezi. These class fives were more like class sixes. HUGE!!!!!!!! we went through 10 rapids and only three of them were below class 4 and still huge!. The crocodiles add a bit more adventure to the river as well, and oh yes I flew out many times taking on the storm waves with my bobbing head and open mouth trying to not get sucked down by the swirling eddies which were unavoidable. But hey i survived!!! And would do it a lots more if I had more money, it was expensive but well worth it. And the gorge was stunning!
The man with the baby in the basket was in the town of livingstone where i have been staying for about a week now and thought it was too great to not photo.
Love you all much and miss you, I will be heading back to Lusaka tomorrow and then back to Mkushi to start work on the 6th. My break has been a wonderful unexpected adventure but feel ready to have clean clothes again and stay in one place for awhile. I hope everyone had a great new year, welcome 2010!
much love, r
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Hello all my friends!
I finally got the filter off the computer that was inhibitting me to share my life in Zambia with all of you. And I did manage, as you can see, a couple photos but now the interenet is not working well enough for me to add more.
So I will breifely give up a update of my life around the world in Africa.
Things are pretty quite now that the school year has ended and all the students have gone home and some of the teachers went for a bit of a travel.
Yesterday I got back from a bit of a travel myself. Anne and Charles took Chrissy and myself to see the 8 MILLION fruit bats take flight into the night sky. I was hoping to show some pistures but sadly I will not just now. These bats were amazing, and we were right in the middle of them! And these are not just small little bats but as big as my arm spand! The four of us trekked through a smelly muddy swamp deep into the bush where we climbed high in a tree so we could reach the top where we would then be surrounded by a moving dark sky. It was great.
We camped at Kasanka that night where I very foolishly threw my brand new headtorch that Alex just bought me down a 12foot longdrop toilet leaving me alone in the dark with the bugs....very bad.
The next day we drove a bit further to Kundalilla falls where we took a nice swim at the bottom of the beautiful overflowing waterfall. It was a bit hard to awim though because it is rainy season and there was alot of water falling, huh like a waterfall.....
It was a nice two day trip and I just wish we were still traveling. I am missing home and all of you very much. School starts again on January 6th and I must say I'm enjoying not working to much to be looking forward to it!
I hope all is well and love getting emails from Oregon!
I will tell more when I can get more pictures up so you can see what I am talking about.
Much much love,
Rachael
I finally got the filter off the computer that was inhibitting me to share my life in Zambia with all of you. And I did manage, as you can see, a couple photos but now the interenet is not working well enough for me to add more.
So I will breifely give up a update of my life around the world in Africa.
Things are pretty quite now that the school year has ended and all the students have gone home and some of the teachers went for a bit of a travel.
Yesterday I got back from a bit of a travel myself. Anne and Charles took Chrissy and myself to see the 8 MILLION fruit bats take flight into the night sky. I was hoping to show some pistures but sadly I will not just now. These bats were amazing, and we were right in the middle of them! And these are not just small little bats but as big as my arm spand! The four of us trekked through a smelly muddy swamp deep into the bush where we climbed high in a tree so we could reach the top where we would then be surrounded by a moving dark sky. It was great.
We camped at Kasanka that night where I very foolishly threw my brand new headtorch that Alex just bought me down a 12foot longdrop toilet leaving me alone in the dark with the bugs....very bad.
The next day we drove a bit further to Kundalilla falls where we took a nice swim at the bottom of the beautiful overflowing waterfall. It was a bit hard to awim though because it is rainy season and there was alot of water falling, huh like a waterfall.....
It was a nice two day trip and I just wish we were still traveling. I am missing home and all of you very much. School starts again on January 6th and I must say I'm enjoying not working to much to be looking forward to it!
I hope all is well and love getting emails from Oregon!
I will tell more when I can get more pictures up so you can see what I am talking about.
Much much love,
Rachael
These next photos are from awhile back but thought you would still enjoy. The man with his son, the sunrise, and the branch-built bridge are from my Mt. Sancha expedition. Me with the cute Camelian is from one of the Mt. Mumpu expeditons.
I hope everyone is doing well and are ejoying the Christmas spirit! It does not feel like Christmas or look like Christmas at all here, which has its goods and bads. I do like the fact that I am still warm!
I miss you all and wish you could all just come here and hang out with me in Zambia, then I would be completely happy.
Love you
Rachael
I hope everyone is doing well and are ejoying the Christmas spirit! It does not feel like Christmas or look like Christmas at all here, which has its goods and bads. I do like the fact that I am still warm!
I miss you all and wish you could all just come here and hang out with me in Zambia, then I would be completely happy.
Love you
Rachael
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Let me tell you about Zambia and what it's like here so far.
Overall, I love it.
The trees are changing colors and it looks like fall. I was sad about leaving the states and missing out on my favorite season, but at least i get to see the beautiful colors of the leaves beiing, red, orange and yellow. The funny thing though is it is not fall here at all, it's actually about to become the hottest here. It's quite amazing, in Zambia, things look forward to the rain, which comes in November, and they bloom! Without having any water for most of the year. So for Zambian trees, the first leaves come out being red, yellow and orange and then when they die, they turn green and then fall. Quite opposite.
Here is a picture of some trees from far away, up close there very vibrant. Everyone says October is the most beautiful beacause by then there will be fields of flowers and all the trees will be in bloom. I'm quite surprised with all the color here, Zambia is fertile, lots of fruit trees and flowers. The flowers are all around right now but they are so small that you have to look for them to find them and then you will see many, Mom you would love it. Here are some picutures of flowers i have found in the bush and
around Ndubaluba:
I'm very exciteds to see what else will pop up this next month between the dust and grass here.
Everynight and everymorning I am invaded with sounds. There are so many birds here it's quite amazing. Tons of small colorful ones and soome big ones too. I've seen an owl at night, some hawks and even a heron, i think,. And just the other day i saw the Ndubaluba bird!!! which is very rare to see and Ndubs is one of the only places where this bird lives. I was looking at MONKEYS! right outside my house and then i turn around just in time to see the Ndubaluba bird fly above me and land for only seconds on a high branch! It has a beautiful tall red mohawk and a yellow face mask with yellow and red and maybe even blue under his wings. It made my day. I was taking pictures of monkeys so i did have my camera but as soon
as i went to take one the bird moved around the tree to hide and then it flew away... They have alot of the same birds we have too. I've seen magpies, Norene's favorite, king fisher's and crows! except the crows are huge and are way louder than our crows and they have white on there bellies and neck! Here's a pic for you Alex.
The sounds of the birds make me feel like I am in a bird sanctuary, it's peaceful. A not so peaceful sound is all of the bees. There are so many bees here! I was not expecting that, and there huge! But there everywhere and no one has been stung by one so i guess I have good odds.
Everything here smells like campfire, which I like because the brick furnaces heat all the water for showers and what not. Here is a picture of the shower water i get to bath in....i don't take many bath
s...
Don't worry i let it run a bit and then it gets clearer, they say it has alot of iron in it. Oh and its much darker than the picture...much..
This has already taken me an Hour to write this because of the connection. I want to write about the people here and how simple their lives are and how hard they work. I have become friends with a couple of the workers on the grounds and their eyes always seem so tired yet they are so kind and friendly. On the very wavy and bumpy road from Ndubabluba to Chengelo I see people come and go into the bush where there villages are, with no running water, no electricity and barrely a shelter. I see them on the roads walking or riding their bikes with loads of branches in there arms or on their heads and huge water jugs on their heads that they had to get from miles and miles away and then take back to their village for fire or whatever. It's really humbling to see how hard they work and what the body is capable of. Something else that has struck me is the workers on the grounds are buliding a new little house right now and their tools! All they have are dull axes, shovels and hatchet it seems. No electric drills or things like that. It is another reason why time is slow here, everything takes awhile because they use what they have. Oh and breaks, there are two breaks in the day that people take very searioussly, tea in the morning and then alomost a two hour lunch break, and then you have tea when you get home too. They are very influenced by the UK.
My skin always smells like dust and my feet are constintlly browner than the rest of my body. It has been very hot but the sun actually dosen't feel very strong. My mouth seems to be dry alot and going through clouds of dust is unavoidable. I have already had to come to terms with many different things like, being dusty is just fine, smelling like fire is great, bugs are okay, there are soo many, not ones that will hurt me(that ive seen) but just all around, making sure i feel up on water from the only tap thats safe to drink, the brown water, not using to much electricity because were on solar, the roads and so much. But it hasn't been hard really. I'm enjoying it very much.I want to say more but i must go, here are some more pictures, including more pics of my hair which yo have asked for. I do miss you all very much and can't wait to share expereiences in person. I love you
The women and the baby on top is a Zambian women who was washing clothes and dishes near the dam. She was with a friend. The man is a local farmer taking his cows through Ndubaluba. And the girls in the tree are two local chhildren living in the compound next to us, worker's children.
The top is one of the many monkey's I saw, the spider was really close to me which i didn't know, but seemed to be friendly, the zambian boys were at the dam when we had a canoe race with the campers, and so where these girls, in their school uniforms.
So here is my hair again.
The one on the left is me, Sara, who works with me and is my friend now, then Enellia and Victor who are teachers of the kids we had this past week and then Collin who is one of the directors at Ndubs. And then me and Enellia.
h
t
So the next ones are of me and Sara, a small group of girls from the trip last week and then my house and a little shelter which are all over here.
Okay I have alot more but I must go. Sara and I are at Chengelo and we are about to do a hike with some other teachers. I love you all and miss you. Thanks for your prayers!
Overall, I love it.
The trees are changing colors and it looks like fall. I was sad about leaving the states and missing out on my favorite season, but at least i get to see the beautiful colors of the leaves beiing, red, orange and yellow. The funny thing though is it is not fall here at all, it's actually about to become the hottest here. It's quite amazing, in Zambia, things look forward to the rain, which comes in November, and they bloom! Without having any water for most of the year. So for Zambian trees, the first leaves come out being red, yellow and orange and then when they die, they turn green and then fall. Quite opposite.
Here is a picture of some trees from far away, up close there very vibrant. Everyone says October is the most beautiful beacause by then there will be fields of flowers and all the trees will be in bloom. I'm quite surprised with all the color here, Zambia is fertile, lots of fruit trees and flowers. The flowers are all around right now but they are so small that you have to look for them to find them and then you will see many, Mom you would love it. Here are some picutures of flowers i have found in the bush and
around Ndubaluba:
I'm very exciteds to see what else will pop up this next month between the dust and grass here.Everynight and everymorning I am invaded with sounds. There are so many birds here it's quite amazing. Tons of small colorful ones and soome big ones too. I've seen an owl at night, some hawks and even a heron, i think,. And just the other day i saw the Ndubaluba bird!!! which is very rare to see and Ndubs is one of the only places where this bird lives. I was looking at MONKEYS! right outside my house and then i turn around just in time to see the Ndubaluba bird fly above me and land for only seconds on a high branch! It has a beautiful tall red mohawk and a yellow face mask with yellow and red and maybe even blue under his wings. It made my day. I was taking pictures of monkeys so i did have my camera but as soon
as i went to take one the bird moved around the tree to hide and then it flew away... They have alot of the same birds we have too. I've seen magpies, Norene's favorite, king fisher's and crows! except the crows are huge and are way louder than our crows and they have white on there bellies and neck! Here's a pic for you Alex.
The sounds of the birds make me feel like I am in a bird sanctuary, it's peaceful. A not so peaceful sound is all of the bees. There are so many bees here! I was not expecting that, and there huge! But there everywhere and no one has been stung by one so i guess I have good odds.Everything here smells like campfire, which I like because the brick furnaces heat all the water for showers and what not. Here is a picture of the shower water i get to bath in....i don't take many bath
s...Don't worry i let it run a bit and then it gets clearer, they say it has alot of iron in it. Oh and its much darker than the picture...much..
This has already taken me an Hour to write this because of the connection. I want to write about the people here and how simple their lives are and how hard they work. I have become friends with a couple of the workers on the grounds and their eyes always seem so tired yet they are so kind and friendly. On the very wavy and bumpy road from Ndubabluba to Chengelo I see people come and go into the bush where there villages are, with no running water, no electricity and barrely a shelter. I see them on the roads walking or riding their bikes with loads of branches in there arms or on their heads and huge water jugs on their heads that they had to get from miles and miles away and then take back to their village for fire or whatever. It's really humbling to see how hard they work and what the body is capable of. Something else that has struck me is the workers on the grounds are buliding a new little house right now and their tools! All they have are dull axes, shovels and hatchet it seems. No electric drills or things like that. It is another reason why time is slow here, everything takes awhile because they use what they have. Oh and breaks, there are two breaks in the day that people take very searioussly, tea in the morning and then alomost a two hour lunch break, and then you have tea when you get home too. They are very influenced by the UK.
My skin always smells like dust and my feet are constintlly browner than the rest of my body. It has been very hot but the sun actually dosen't feel very strong. My mouth seems to be dry alot and going through clouds of dust is unavoidable. I have already had to come to terms with many different things like, being dusty is just fine, smelling like fire is great, bugs are okay, there are soo many, not ones that will hurt me(that ive seen) but just all around, making sure i feel up on water from the only tap thats safe to drink, the brown water, not using to much electricity because were on solar, the roads and so much. But it hasn't been hard really. I'm enjoying it very much.I want to say more but i must go, here are some more pictures, including more pics of my hair which yo have asked for. I do miss you all very much and can't wait to share expereiences in person. I love you
The women and the baby on top is a Zambian women who was washing clothes and dishes near the dam. She was with a friend. The man is a local farmer taking his cows through Ndubaluba. And the girls in the tree are two local chhildren living in the compound next to us, worker's children.
The top is one of the many monkey's I saw, the spider was really close to me which i didn't know, but seemed to be friendly, the zambian boys were at the dam when we had a canoe race with the campers, and so where these girls, in their school uniforms.
So here is my hair again.
The one on the left is me, Sara, who works with me and is my friend now, then Enellia and Victor who are teachers of the kids we had this past week and then Collin who is one of the directors at Ndubs. And then me and Enellia.h
t
So the next ones are of me and Sara, a small group of girls from the trip last week and then my house and a little shelter which are all over here.
Okay I have alot more but I must go. Sara and I are at Chengelo and we are about to do a hike with some other teachers. I love you all and miss you. Thanks for your prayers!
Here are some words I have learned in Bemba, which is phanetic!:
Natotella, Natasha---both mean thank you
unsoka-----snake
molli shani----a respectful hello, shani just to friends
chungulo mukwai-----is a hello after sunset, so 6pm. chunguloPO mukwai is the respectful greeting.
bieno(said like wieno)-----a response to shani, means fine
enshima----is their staple food, its maize ground up into a meal. You slowly pour some into boiling water and stir it with a huge wooden spatula. Then to eat it you grab some with your hands and roll in in your palm and use it to pick up your food. No utensils needed. Let me remind you that in Zambia, to be big is beautiful, thanks to enshima. They will literally fill up a whole plate with just enshima and then another plate with everything else.
a chitenge----is their custom skirt, and i just got a really pretty one at the market last week!
icimuti-----is a tree
ifimuti----is many trees
umunsokansoka---is a very bitter tree that they use for medicinal purposes like malaria, headaches, and stomach problems.
musamba----is a very fiberous tree that they use to make ropes or anything really. The leaves are long and fern like.
Well i'm sure there is more but thats all I can think of right now.
Other tid bits i learned this week:
If you boil water and stick an avocado seed in it for awhile, you can drink the "tea" and it is great for your blood!
I know now how to start a fire with elephant dung and then make a grill out of digging a hole and placing bamboo or reeds over the hole, and i know how to make a trap to catch a rabbit or mouse. oh and i learned of a couple different barries in the bush i can eat without getting sick, i think...
love you
Natotella, Natasha---both mean thank you
unsoka-----snake
molli shani----a respectful hello, shani just to friends
chungulo mukwai-----is a hello after sunset, so 6pm. chunguloPO mukwai is the respectful greeting.
bieno(said like wieno)-----a response to shani, means fine
enshima----is their staple food, its maize ground up into a meal. You slowly pour some into boiling water and stir it with a huge wooden spatula. Then to eat it you grab some with your hands and roll in in your palm and use it to pick up your food. No utensils needed. Let me remind you that in Zambia, to be big is beautiful, thanks to enshima. They will literally fill up a whole plate with just enshima and then another plate with everything else.
a chitenge----is their custom skirt, and i just got a really pretty one at the market last week!
icimuti-----is a tree
ifimuti----is many trees
umunsokansoka---is a very bitter tree that they use for medicinal purposes like malaria, headaches, and stomach problems.
musamba----is a very fiberous tree that they use to make ropes or anything really. The leaves are long and fern like.
Well i'm sure there is more but thats all I can think of right now.
Other tid bits i learned this week:
If you boil water and stick an avocado seed in it for awhile, you can drink the "tea" and it is great for your blood!
I know now how to start a fire with elephant dung and then make a grill out of digging a hole and placing bamboo or reeds over the hole, and i know how to make a trap to catch a rabbit or mouse. oh and i learned of a couple different barries in the bush i can eat without getting sick, i think...
love you
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