Its been a hectic few months of hosting friends and family in the ‘jungles’ of Africa. Bill and Todd came at the beginning of June, in the midst of the World Cup frenzy and the final stretch of my service. It was crazy to greet them as they emerged from customs, two years flew by, but we reunited as if no time had passed. In the car on the way to our accommodation, I gave them a crash course in Zambian survival – a bit of local language, some quick notes about the culture, and a short list of things they should not do, under any circumstances.
They arrived about 8 PM in the evening, and we planned to take a safari starting at 3 the next morning. Despite their long journey, Todd and Bill lived up to the Hostetter/Barnum name, and we went out on the town for a some beers in Lusaka. We returned from the casino less wealthy but much the wiser, having caught up on some of the changes which had occurred in the past 2 years. When we returned to our place at about 2 AM, Todd and I decided there was nothing for it, and stayed up over a few pulls of Vodka and talked.
We left for our Safari at about 4 AM. A friend of mine named Ebrahim who lives in Lusaka was kind enough to put us up, and he and his cousin each provided a Toyota Land Cruiser and basically guided us for the whole trip. It was incredible. The ride to Kafue, which is about 4 hours from Lusaka, was a sobering one. As the two surprised greenies would quickly admit, its way colder in Zambia than one might expect. Todd was enjoying the fresh air, and the break from civilization so much, I had to coax him off of the safari seat and against the back of the cab, for fear he would freeze to death.
We spent two days and three nights in Kafue National Park, and it was an incredible experience. We got to see Cheetahs organizing a hunt as the sun set on the Zambian dambo, Lions feeding on a kill with newborn cubs, and even hippos and elephants on the river. We took two river boat rides, which involved fishing, relaxing, and an encounter with a bull elephant that left us within feet of his massive trunk and jagged tusks.
After the safari, we headed immediately to Kasama so they could see the other side of the African Bush – my village. They immensely enjoyed Chibo, and got to ride into the village on bicycle and experience first-hand what my life has been like for the past 2 years. It was really a unique trip, and will allow them to relate with me in a way not possible for those who have not been to Zambia, and are therefore rendered less able to relate to its beautiful culture.
After my site, we went to Victoria Falls. We got to see the ‘Smoke that thunders’, and since I’ve been there a few times now, I was able to show them around a bit. We even timed our trip so that we were able to see the lunar rainbow which occurs during the full moon. From a distance the rainbow was quite impressive – a bit like a normal rainbow, except in grayscale. However, after talking with some other visitors, we learned that we had to journey further into the mist of the falls to really experience the phenomenon.
We didn’t have rain jackets or even warm clothes, and as previously mentioned it was cold… But, in true Polar Bear tradition, we took off our layers, and ran into the mist with our T-shirts. The climax of the lunar rainbow is at a bridge in a cloud of midst, just opposite the middle of the falls. The force of the water cascading over the precipice was incredible, and as we approached the bridge, we were already getting wet.
At that point, there was nothing to lose, so we trekked on. As we reached the bridge, the lunar rainbow became clear in all its magnificence. It was complete. From as far as the eye could see it ran from the river on both sides, and peaked just over the railing encompassing the bridge like a halo. It was the most complete rainbow I’ve ever seen in my life, and a wonder to behold. We each handled the brilliance of the moment in a different way… yelling and jumping like excited children on Christmas. Todd and I decided we had to cross the bridge, and jogged across the misty overpass. Upon reaching the other side, we were still in awe of the rainbow, the falls, its power, and our wonderful fortunes from having reached this place and moment in our lives.
We decided to turn back, and as we did, the Falls was waiting… The wind shifted imperceptively, and suddenly we were in the middle of a full-out downpour. I have been in some crazy storms in Zambia, when the sky unfolds and hold nothing back… but this was a different level of saturation entirely. It was like being hit full-on with a fire hose. We ran back across the bridge, whose foot path had suddenly become a river of water rushing at our feet. As we all escaped the mist, completely soaked, there was a contagious sense of euphoria among us. It was more than water that we soaked up on that bridge, in front of one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the World.
It was a wonderful trip, and I found myself feeling – as I inevitably do here in Zambia – lucky to be alive, to have such opportunities, and to have such close relationships with my family and friends. I couldn’t have asked more from their visit, or the experience I’ve had here and the ways in which this culture has shaped my existence and changed my perspectives. For Todd and Bill it was only a snapshot of what I’ve been through. However, its experiences like the ones we shared, and moments like the one I’ve just described, that give meaning to everything we have and will encounter in our lives.
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