29.3.06
Kitwe At Last
March 24, 2006
I’m finally in my home for the next ten months. 5128 Kopa Street, Kitwe Zambia. We arrived in Zambia on the ten-hour flight from London to Lusaka, right as the sun was rising. I walked down the stairs of the plane, and it was so humid, and beautiful outside. We came through customs in the VIP lane-thanks to Sister Bernadette, and went through customs quickly. Our luggage was waiting for us as soon as we walked up to the luggage collecting area- all six of them.
My parents and I passed through the doors, and we were standing in Africa. It was lush, and green at the front of the airport- huge trees, nicely cut grass. All sorts of vehichles pulled up, but almost all of them were white. At 7:30 in the morning, in Lusaka, I got the impression that everything was laid back, enjoying the sun.
After waiting 20 minutes, we saw the white Toyota landcruiser with the Village of Hope logo on the side. Nancy Bersaglio, and the team from Pacific Academy (in Langley) got out, and started unloading their bags, to get on the plane that we had just landed in. My mom and I got in the front (on the right side), and my dad sat in the back (there is a sideways seat along each side of the vehichle).
As we drove down the (nicely paved) road, I was taking everything in (though jet lagged, I was), and had no idea what to expect. Driving on the left side of the road was a new experience for me. As we drove into Lusaka everything became busier, and more colourful. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was surprised at how normal everything was. There were houses, and neighbourhoods, people dressed nicely, people dressed traditionally, people with shoes, lots of cars, buses, two lane highways, and advertisements everywhere. All I had ever seen of anywhere in Africa was the World Vision channel, which is full of people in rags, and shantytowns. I quickly got used to the fact that there are buildings, skyscrapers, stores, gas stations, and that it was a city. That people live, they don’t just exist.
Our bags were unloaded at the Intercontinental Hotel, which was very nice. The sign of a good hotel is that it has more than just 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner, and soap in the bathroom. In our room, there was definitely more than that. After relaxing, and taking advantage of the all inclusive breakfast, Nancy drove us around Lusaka to buy a few things. As we were driving, I liked looking at the advertisements, painted on the walls surrounding people’s homes. Some were really funny, and made no sense, and some were familiar- like parmalat milk. We met up with the Airth’s at Toyota. (They are a couple starting another Village of Hope in Lusaka, and they have a daughter, Lauren, who is my age.)
That night we ate dinner with Nancy, Elaine (a 25 year-old from Ontario, who is staying at the guest house behind the Kopa house), and the Airths, at Rhapsody’s. I was going to order a ‘Nasi Ganeng’ which included a fried banana, and some kind of egg (later I found out that is what Graeme ordered, when he was there), but ended up ordering a Chicken Espidata. It was a metal rod, hanging vertically, with pieces of chicken threaded on to it. As I was eating, I took a big bite of a piece of chicken that looked a little different- it burned, and right away I knew it wasn’t chicken. The waiter happened to be standing beside me, and I thought it would be rude to spit it out, so I swallowed it- and it kept right on burning. It was a jalapeo pepper. I had no milk (because it’s not pasteurized here), so I drank water, and someone told me it inflames your tongue, so I stopped, and ran to the bathroom. Then I paced back and forth till the burning stopped. I don’t recommend those.
The rest of our time in Lusaka included mom and dad considering buying a guard (puppy) dog, showering(!), making enchima with Lauren, and going to shoprite, and the Game (to buy a water filter).
The four hour drive to Lusaka was amazing. Everything was so lush, and green because the rains are almost finished. The neatest thing was how people just walk on the side of the road, kids in school uniforms, women with pots on their heads, or babies on their backs, men all dressed up, people on bicycles. Every 10 minutes or so, there was a village on the side of the road, selling things, huts, people with their fruit stands. We went through about 4 police checks- one which even asked for our passports. We made one bathroom stop- where you had to pay (but only equivalent to about 20 cents), and they gave us blue toilet paper to use.
After another 2 hours we reached Kitwe, and so, here I am, in my new home. There are three bedrooms- one master, and 2 with 2 beds each in them. I chose one of them, and pretty soon I will tuck in my mosquito net and go to sleep.
# posted by alanna @ 5:42 PM 
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Alannikins you're amazing- i know what you mean about it being lush and beautiful- that was one of the things that shocked me most too- Africa is breathtakingly beautiful. I'm jealous. Keep us posted beautiful!
# posted by 
: 10:14 PM
: 10:14 PM
still can't belive you're in africa!! That's amazing!! the food sounds interesting:)Hope you're having fun!
Jasmine
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Jasmine
# posted by : 9:37 PM
: 9:37 PM << Home
