Hello Everybody,
A quick update… Since the last time I wrote, I was in the village for a little, but traveling a lot and spending as much time as possible with Claire before she finished her service. We have now parted ways; I am heading back to the village, while she will take the “long way” home, all over northern Africa and Europe (rough life, right…?). Here are some of the wonderful adventures we shared in the past 3 weeks:
We started in Lusaka, where we hitched to Livingstone (home of Victoria Falls). From Victoria Falls, we hitch hiked in 3 successive rides to the border of Namibia. From there, we were passed on the road by an older white woman, driving an EMPTY 15-seater Safari transport van. I have done my share of hitch-hiking in Zambia, and have a very calm and relaxed attitude about traveling on some else’s time. However, it is always frustrating seeing someone in an empty vehicle pass going the direction you are trying to go. In this instance, the woman gave us a look that said “I’m sorry”, which of course meant nothing at the time. After she passed, we hustled to the Namibian immigration office to get our passports stamped. Low and behold, we ran into this woman in the parking lot.
Now of course, I had to say something. I know many of you who know me best think it might have been smart-assed, but I’ve learned a little bit in the past few years. So I started with ‘hello’ and a characteristic Hostetter smile (ear to ear, thanks Mom!). The woman softened up, and agreed to give Claire and I a ride, as it just so happened she was also heading to Windhoek (about 1500 KM away). So, this 65-year-old woman, a white Namibian with a thick German accent, glorious mullet, and a mouth that would make a sailor cringe, took us onboard.
The wonderful part of our luck is that she was a freelance safari and tour guide. So, while she gave us a free ride, she gave us the low-down on all the flora, fauna, and wildlife we passed along the. She was even so kind as to open her window every 10 minutes while she smoked a cigarette, having recently rolled it on the steering wheel while maintaining control with her Forearms. I guess that’s Namibia’s alternative to doing your mascara in the rear-view on the way to work. She understood we were on a limited budget, so she stopped with us at a waterfall and the three of us camped out that night (Claire and me in the tent, She in the truck). She even ate pasta with us around the fire, and told us stories of ridiculous tourists and the outrageously ignorant questions they ask (don’t laugh, its been me, and it will probably be you someday – if it hasn’t already!).
One of the best moments of the trip was watching the sunset with Claire in my arms over the Okavango River, on the tent platform we camped that night (about 10 feet off the ground, just high enough to have a picturesque view un-obscured by the trees). You would think this moment might have lost its romance, but our Tour Guide seemed to now just when to find something else to do, or somewhere else to be. We really came to enjoy her company, as she told us about the many adventures she has had in 30 years of guiding in Namibia. What respect I have for a woman who can keep at that kind of work at 65! Hope I look that good in 40 years…
From Windhoek, Claire and I rented a car (thanks Papa Albrecht!), and drove to Swakopmund. This town, claimed to be “more German than towns in Germany”, was not as cultured as it might sound. Despite its location, nestled on the Atlantic Ocean, there was no fresh seafood to be found. The architecture was German, and the language had German’s customary, angry feel, but the effect ended there. Unfortunately, the local Namibian flavor of the culture was drowned out by the chilly wind off the ocean, and the guys selling curious who followed us into the Grocery Store desperately trying to sell us “dagga” which we clearly stated we did not want.
From there, we drove to Sossusvlei, one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Namibia. Here, I am short of words to describe what we saw. The park consists of sheer desert (about 200 KM on either side). But when we reached the dunes, we found out what all the hype was about. We climbed a dune about 400 feet (vertically) from the road. At the top, we watched the sunset as it threw colors across the dunes, changing in tone seemingly every second. In the morning, we managed to hitch to the last driving point on the dunes (called Sossusvlei, 4x4 needed). We arrived there before anyone else, at about 5:30 AM. Before the sun rose, we saw lots of Oryx and Springbok, just enjoying the dew on the plants that was soon to be evaporated by the sun. As we watched the sunrise over the dunes, taking pictures and trying to capture the moment, it dawned on me (no pun intended) that the real beauty of the moment was just being there, with Claire, and watching the colors change on the sand. We put the cameras away, and watched the sun rise on one of our last days together in Namibia.
From there, we hitched to Cape Town. At the hitching point, the first person to offer us a ride was a kindly white gentleman with stained teeth, a buzz cut, and a pair of shorts so far up his thighs that people watching a Lakers game in 1974 would have taken notice.. He was driving a semi – unreliable, slow, and painful transport, and only headed about 200 KM up the road. But he stopped, not for the family waiting ahead of us, or the elderly African woman with a head wrap and all she owned strapped to her back, for me. To pretend this was not a racial issue would be too American – in South Africa and Namibia there isn’t much doubt. But, I pestered this gentleman into giving the elderly woman a ride, since she had been waiting longer than us, had things to do, and was heading near to his destination. He tried several tactics to put me off, but enough persistence and blunt wording left him no choice but to give her a ride, or take a seat in my history book next to Strom Thurman…
I think that Karma caught up to us after that, because a Van came along and gave Claire, Myself, and the family ahead of us all a free ride to Cape Town. In Cape Town, we found a beautiful, large, ‘actual’ city, with Skyscrapers and everything! I know that probably sounds uninteresting, but live in Zambia for 2 years and then we’ll talk. There, Claire and I enjoyed our last few days together (for now). We went to the local museum, ate fancy meals and pretended to be ‘grown-ups’, and climbed table mountain (a beautiful cliff standing less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean). It was truly a beautiful trip, shared with a wonderful person.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Marching On
Greetings everyone!
So, since my last blog I've been really enjoying my time in the village, and taking advantage of time spent with Claire until she finishes her service in April. She and I have really grown close, and its great to hang out with someone who is able to relate so exceptionally with the people of Zambia. She has helped me improve my Bemba a lot - enough that I now realize how often people are talking about the 'Misungu'. Luckily, most of the remarks are made about superficial things, and are not negative or insulting... The best part is the look on the faces of people when I respond in Bemba and let them know I understand what they are saying. Being with her has definitely changed my service. We are received very differently traveling together rather than separately. Of course, her and my Zambian families responded in disbelief when we broke the news that we weren't planning to get married. The culture is just so different, and its difficult for many here to grasp a relationship which will end in any way other than marriage - its just unheard of, especially in the village.
As far as work, things are moving a bit slowly since its the heart of rainy season now. This is the last month of real rains, so I'll definitely be ready for that to finish. Getting soaked and having work canceled at least once a week is wearing thin. The biggest pond of Ba Kasonde has been completely fixed, and now most of the farmer groups I work with are implementing more intensive management of their fish ponds, which I see as a success in terms of my service. However, the major issue of inbreeding has come to light. Much like any other animal (cows, pigs, etc.), new stock must be introduced to prevent the gene-pool becoming inbred. Such inbreeding can lead to reduced reproduction and stunted growth. I am just now learning what a serious problem this is for rural fish farmers. It is very difficult for them to travel to the government research station to get fresh stock, and even more difficult and unrealistic for farmers to then transport fingerlings successfully using bicycles for the long distances back to their farms. Unfortunately, funding limitations within the Department of Fisheries limits the Government's ability to use trucks to transport these fingerlings, and the heat and jostling the fingerlings receive on bike transport (most farmers' only remaining option) causes very high mortality (for the fingerlings of course).
If I have learned anything in my service, its that problems have to be solved bit-by-bit, on a local level. I can't help all the fish farmers in Zambia, let alone Northern Province, or even Kasama. Its a realization I've come to slowly - I mean at first I think all Peace Corps Volunteers get posted expecting to save the World. Of course, simple logic could have told me that smarter people than me have tried for years to solve the problems facing countries like Zambia and not succeeded, but it took more than a year of experience for this truth to really hit home. So, I have become satisfied with small scale goals and solutions...
The first, and main goal for the remaining six months of my service, is to get Ba Kasonde (My host father) new stock. This could be accomplished by buying them from the government research station, but at 300 Kwatcha per fingerling, it would cost approximately 3 million kwatcha (700 USD) to fill all of the ponds. Given the loss of fingerlings and costs incurred repairing the broken fish pond, this option is unrealistic. A recent harvest made evident first-hand the problems inbreeding can cause, as none of the fish in Ba Kasonde's fish ponds were bigger than about 4 inches, meaning we can't even use the adult fish as breeders to make new stock - so that option is out also. Therefore, the solution is to go to Chambeshi River and catch large Mpende (Tilapia Rendali) to bring back to a specially prepared breeding pond. Without getting too specific about breeding techniques, the basic idea is to place 50% males and 50% females into one fish pond, and allow them to breed. Immediately upon creating fry (small fingerlings), we will remove the babies and place them in an uninhabited fish pond to grow. Since the parents then no longer have to worry about caring for the fingerlings, they will begin to reproduce again. In this way, we will be able to sequentially stock each fish pond, after first completely emptying each of its current inbred stock.
If this system is successful, I hope to also encourage the other farmer groups who are raising fish at a relatively large scale to adopt a similar strategy. Mostly, my focus will be on Ba Kasonde. Since there will be at least one more volunteer replacing my site, I just need to get the ball rolling and make sure my post is replaced by someone knowledgeable about fish genetics and reproduction (something which I'm in the process of teaching myself through literature).
I feel that regardless of everything else in my service, I owe it to the Kasonde family, who has welcomed me and given me a home in a country where I knew no one, to make sure their fish farming efforts are successful.
All my best to everyone in the states, and feel free to email me if you want to connect, or want more specific details about the fish breeding programs. I find it fascinating, my I realize that most people reading this probably don't share my absurd obsession with fish, so I tried to keep it pretty basic.
Shalenipo,
- Justin
So, since my last blog I've been really enjoying my time in the village, and taking advantage of time spent with Claire until she finishes her service in April. She and I have really grown close, and its great to hang out with someone who is able to relate so exceptionally with the people of Zambia. She has helped me improve my Bemba a lot - enough that I now realize how often people are talking about the 'Misungu'. Luckily, most of the remarks are made about superficial things, and are not negative or insulting... The best part is the look on the faces of people when I respond in Bemba and let them know I understand what they are saying. Being with her has definitely changed my service. We are received very differently traveling together rather than separately. Of course, her and my Zambian families responded in disbelief when we broke the news that we weren't planning to get married. The culture is just so different, and its difficult for many here to grasp a relationship which will end in any way other than marriage - its just unheard of, especially in the village.
As far as work, things are moving a bit slowly since its the heart of rainy season now. This is the last month of real rains, so I'll definitely be ready for that to finish. Getting soaked and having work canceled at least once a week is wearing thin. The biggest pond of Ba Kasonde has been completely fixed, and now most of the farmer groups I work with are implementing more intensive management of their fish ponds, which I see as a success in terms of my service. However, the major issue of inbreeding has come to light. Much like any other animal (cows, pigs, etc.), new stock must be introduced to prevent the gene-pool becoming inbred. Such inbreeding can lead to reduced reproduction and stunted growth. I am just now learning what a serious problem this is for rural fish farmers. It is very difficult for them to travel to the government research station to get fresh stock, and even more difficult and unrealistic for farmers to then transport fingerlings successfully using bicycles for the long distances back to their farms. Unfortunately, funding limitations within the Department of Fisheries limits the Government's ability to use trucks to transport these fingerlings, and the heat and jostling the fingerlings receive on bike transport (most farmers' only remaining option) causes very high mortality (for the fingerlings of course).
If I have learned anything in my service, its that problems have to be solved bit-by-bit, on a local level. I can't help all the fish farmers in Zambia, let alone Northern Province, or even Kasama. Its a realization I've come to slowly - I mean at first I think all Peace Corps Volunteers get posted expecting to save the World. Of course, simple logic could have told me that smarter people than me have tried for years to solve the problems facing countries like Zambia and not succeeded, but it took more than a year of experience for this truth to really hit home. So, I have become satisfied with small scale goals and solutions...
The first, and main goal for the remaining six months of my service, is to get Ba Kasonde (My host father) new stock. This could be accomplished by buying them from the government research station, but at 300 Kwatcha per fingerling, it would cost approximately 3 million kwatcha (700 USD) to fill all of the ponds. Given the loss of fingerlings and costs incurred repairing the broken fish pond, this option is unrealistic. A recent harvest made evident first-hand the problems inbreeding can cause, as none of the fish in Ba Kasonde's fish ponds were bigger than about 4 inches, meaning we can't even use the adult fish as breeders to make new stock - so that option is out also. Therefore, the solution is to go to Chambeshi River and catch large Mpende (Tilapia Rendali) to bring back to a specially prepared breeding pond. Without getting too specific about breeding techniques, the basic idea is to place 50% males and 50% females into one fish pond, and allow them to breed. Immediately upon creating fry (small fingerlings), we will remove the babies and place them in an uninhabited fish pond to grow. Since the parents then no longer have to worry about caring for the fingerlings, they will begin to reproduce again. In this way, we will be able to sequentially stock each fish pond, after first completely emptying each of its current inbred stock.
If this system is successful, I hope to also encourage the other farmer groups who are raising fish at a relatively large scale to adopt a similar strategy. Mostly, my focus will be on Ba Kasonde. Since there will be at least one more volunteer replacing my site, I just need to get the ball rolling and make sure my post is replaced by someone knowledgeable about fish genetics and reproduction (something which I'm in the process of teaching myself through literature).
I feel that regardless of everything else in my service, I owe it to the Kasonde family, who has welcomed me and given me a home in a country where I knew no one, to make sure their fish farming efforts are successful.
All my best to everyone in the states, and feel free to email me if you want to connect, or want more specific details about the fish breeding programs. I find it fascinating, my I realize that most people reading this probably don't share my absurd obsession with fish, so I tried to keep it pretty basic.
Shalenipo,
- Justin
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
2010
Bon Dia!
Sorry I didn’t connect with anyone on Xmas and New Years – I took a trip to Mozambique and I didn’t get a different Sim Card. I went on the trip with my girlfriend Claire and 4 of our friends, as well as 2 other Peace Corps volunteers who quickly became part of the family. Traveling with 7 people can be overwhelming, especially with no reservations or real plans outlined. However, things went remarkably well, and everyone had a great experience. It was an amazing time – the second Xmas with no snow, but sitting on the beach at the Indian Ocean really eased the blow. The trip was a blast, we spent 4 nights in a beach house in Xai Xai (pronounced Chai Chai), a stone’s throw from the ocean. We grilled Lobster caught fresh that day, along with prawns, fish, and even a shark. It was an awesome experience and great rest from the somewhat straining travel from Lusaka to Mozambique.
From there we headed to Tofu, a small beach town in the middle of Mozambique. We celebrated new years in style, listening to a local regae band on the beach, with COLD beer… Quite a luxury! The place we stayed was a cool backpackers’ place with tons of tents packed in like Woodstock. There was a really cool ‘backpackers’ scene, but Claire and I made sure to find the local party after the concert and try our hand at Portuguese. Quite a cultural way to kick off 2010. Overall it was an incredible time, and a sweet opportunity to interact with the vivrant, colorful culture and people of Mozambique.
Now its back to work in the village for a few weeks, before I return to Lusaka to assist in training for Volunteers who just finished their first 3 months at site. Crazy to think I’m an ‘older’ Volunteer now!
I hope everyone had a great festive season! While I didn’t have a tree with gifts underneath it, I definitely missed the company of my family and friends and not the material objects! Wishing you all happy and fulfilling familial relations for the holidays.
Boas Festas,
- J
PS – I’ve gotten some emails wondering if my phone is still working. Now that I’m back in Zambia, it should work pretty much all the time. 260 967 443 671. Thanks for your persistence everyone!
Sorry I didn’t connect with anyone on Xmas and New Years – I took a trip to Mozambique and I didn’t get a different Sim Card. I went on the trip with my girlfriend Claire and 4 of our friends, as well as 2 other Peace Corps volunteers who quickly became part of the family. Traveling with 7 people can be overwhelming, especially with no reservations or real plans outlined. However, things went remarkably well, and everyone had a great experience. It was an amazing time – the second Xmas with no snow, but sitting on the beach at the Indian Ocean really eased the blow. The trip was a blast, we spent 4 nights in a beach house in Xai Xai (pronounced Chai Chai), a stone’s throw from the ocean. We grilled Lobster caught fresh that day, along with prawns, fish, and even a shark. It was an awesome experience and great rest from the somewhat straining travel from Lusaka to Mozambique.
From there we headed to Tofu, a small beach town in the middle of Mozambique. We celebrated new years in style, listening to a local regae band on the beach, with COLD beer… Quite a luxury! The place we stayed was a cool backpackers’ place with tons of tents packed in like Woodstock. There was a really cool ‘backpackers’ scene, but Claire and I made sure to find the local party after the concert and try our hand at Portuguese. Quite a cultural way to kick off 2010. Overall it was an incredible time, and a sweet opportunity to interact with the vivrant, colorful culture and people of Mozambique.
Now its back to work in the village for a few weeks, before I return to Lusaka to assist in training for Volunteers who just finished their first 3 months at site. Crazy to think I’m an ‘older’ Volunteer now!
I hope everyone had a great festive season! While I didn’t have a tree with gifts underneath it, I definitely missed the company of my family and friends and not the material objects! Wishing you all happy and fulfilling familial relations for the holidays.
Boas Festas,
- J
PS – I’ve gotten some emails wondering if my phone is still working. Now that I’m back in Zambia, it should work pretty much all the time. 260 967 443 671. Thanks for your persistence everyone!
Friday, October 16, 2009
A Quarter Century
Hey there,
So its been a while since I last posted, and a lot has happened. My best friend Brett came out to Zambia to visit at the beginning of September. It was quite a whirlwind trip. After picking him up in Lusaka, we took a nightbus straight to Livingstone (the place of Victoria Falls). We stayed there for 4 days, partying and getting plenty of adrenaline rushing. We had the most intense day of whitewater rafting I've ever had (class 4 and 5). The day began by jumping off a rock into the river, and then swimming the first rapid of the day, in order to reach the awaiting raft. It then progressed to flipping in a class five rapid, swimming it, and then almost flipping another 2 times in the same day. We even managed to turn the raft completely on its edge, and drop everyone (including the guide) except for Brett and Myself from the boat. It was pretty cool to watch the video as Brett and I clung on the boat, while the rest of the crew was quite literally ejected. Even Brett admitted it was the most intense day of rafting he's ever had, and considering his experience as a raft guide in Colorado, I think that speaks pretty highly of the experience.
We also go to swim the "Devil's Pool" which is a 'pool' at the edge of Victoria Falls. What it really entails is a place at the edge of the 300 foot precipice which is very deep. The current was still cascading over the falls (about 4 inches of water) but because the rocks at the edge are very deep and run straight down, your body catches there and you are able to literally look over the edge of the falls. It was quite a rush. You can check out pictures on google, or just wait till I post our pictures on the Internet (might be a while). Brett also took the chance to bungi jump and do the gorge swing, but my money was a bit tight for that (Volunteer salaries only allow for so much vacationing).
We also went on a 2 day safari, during which we saw all of the game we could have hoped (elephants, hippos. buffalo, antilope, etc.) We even got to see the major predators (a lioness, a leopard, a jackal, and crocs). All-in-all, we were incredibly lucky. From there, we headed to my site for a few days, where Brett got to see some the fish ponds that I've been helping with first hand. He talked with me about how his company is making wells of similar size using Cranes, and the construction process takes one day. I explained that the pond we were viewing would take about 5 or 6 months for an average farmer to complete...
After that we camped at a local waterfall, which was a crazy experience. We managed to find a spot where we could literally climb behind the waterfall, and just watch as the water rushed past our faces and scattered into the rocks. While Brett didn't get as much time at my site as I would have liked, it proved an eye-opening experience for him (I hope) to see how different life on this side of the world really is. Its exciting that he came, because He will understand this experience, and its affects on me in the future, better than anyone who hasn't seen this place first-hand.
To complete his Zambian journey, he boarded a nightbus to return to Lusaka. In true Zam-Transport style, his bus arrived 5 hours late. It then proceeded to break down, and fail to reach his destination in time for him to make his flight. He was forced to reschedule his flights, but managed to handle it all, and is now back at work. I, on the other hand, continued living the dream...
For my Birthday (25) we went to a place called 'Wonder Gorge'. This is a big birthday for me, because it means I have lower car insurance! Pretty ironic, considering I haven't driven in 18 months and am probably less safe of a driver than any time in recent memory. Wonder Gorge is like the Zambian Grand Canyon. It is, however, not nearly as accessible...
We hitch-hiked for a full day to get to a lodge within striking distance. The next day, we awoke to find the canter truck which was prepared to take us 120 KM off the road (all rutted out, dirt paths) to the Wonder Gorge. Unfortunately, the truck got lost along the way, and we didn't arrive until just before sunset. After setting up our tent, and briefly enjoying the sunset, we realized that the forest fire we had seen on the opposite hillside had spread very close to us. As the truck had left, and we were 120 KM from the road, which is another 200 KM from anywhere, we had no choice. The 25 of us got whatever green leaves and sticks we could find, and spent most of the night beating back the flames as they engulfed the grasses near our camp, threatening to burn all of our tents.
The next day (my Bday) we climbed down to the Gorge. The climb was easily the most intense hiking I've ever done. There was no path, and it was the equivalent of a black diamond (Colorado style) in steepness the whole way. We probably descended about 1500 vertical feet, and we definitely wouldn't have thought to try it if we hadn't know other Volunteers who had accomplished the feat previously... About half the volunteers who tried it turned back, because scooting on their butts down a slate rock precipice didn't seem enticing to them.
I had my fly rod and vest, and therefore was determined. Not to mention, we were hiking among a forest fire in 100 degree weather. At that point, I NEEDED to swim. We arrived after about 2 hours, and were overjoyed to swim. Then, we used a natural vine as a rope swing, and just enjoyed hanging out by the river for a few hours. I fly fished for about 2 hours, and managed to catch a native fish (I still haven't identified the species yet). It was cool to manage that, considering I'm using Colorado flies and the ecology here is completely different. Also, most rivers in Zambia have been depleted of most fish, so this river was a unique experience (mostly because it was so damn hard to get to).
The hike back up proved tricky, since the forest fire had singed all the grass and covered the path we used on the descent. Luckily, we scaled back up, and arrived before the sunset. Unfortunately, the intensity of the trip wasn't ready to recede. We were attacked by a swarm of bees, which was feasting on the water we brought for sustenance. After we managed to chase off the bees, a forest fire began on the other side of the hill from where we were camping. 3 of us spent much of the remainder of the night making a fire-break using controlled burning techniques to ensure we were safe...
The next day we waited till 16 for a driver who was supposed to come at 10 AM. We had no food, and ran out of water mid-day... Luckily the ride back to the lodge was smooth, and we all enjoyed a much-needed shower and night's sleep. Now, I'm back in Kasama and headed to site as soon as I finish this blog. It will be nice to relax for a while at home and get back to work. Till next time...
All my best
- Justin
So its been a while since I last posted, and a lot has happened. My best friend Brett came out to Zambia to visit at the beginning of September. It was quite a whirlwind trip. After picking him up in Lusaka, we took a nightbus straight to Livingstone (the place of Victoria Falls). We stayed there for 4 days, partying and getting plenty of adrenaline rushing. We had the most intense day of whitewater rafting I've ever had (class 4 and 5). The day began by jumping off a rock into the river, and then swimming the first rapid of the day, in order to reach the awaiting raft. It then progressed to flipping in a class five rapid, swimming it, and then almost flipping another 2 times in the same day. We even managed to turn the raft completely on its edge, and drop everyone (including the guide) except for Brett and Myself from the boat. It was pretty cool to watch the video as Brett and I clung on the boat, while the rest of the crew was quite literally ejected. Even Brett admitted it was the most intense day of rafting he's ever had, and considering his experience as a raft guide in Colorado, I think that speaks pretty highly of the experience.
We also go to swim the "Devil's Pool" which is a 'pool' at the edge of Victoria Falls. What it really entails is a place at the edge of the 300 foot precipice which is very deep. The current was still cascading over the falls (about 4 inches of water) but because the rocks at the edge are very deep and run straight down, your body catches there and you are able to literally look over the edge of the falls. It was quite a rush. You can check out pictures on google, or just wait till I post our pictures on the Internet (might be a while). Brett also took the chance to bungi jump and do the gorge swing, but my money was a bit tight for that (Volunteer salaries only allow for so much vacationing).
We also went on a 2 day safari, during which we saw all of the game we could have hoped (elephants, hippos. buffalo, antilope, etc.) We even got to see the major predators (a lioness, a leopard, a jackal, and crocs). All-in-all, we were incredibly lucky. From there, we headed to my site for a few days, where Brett got to see some the fish ponds that I've been helping with first hand. He talked with me about how his company is making wells of similar size using Cranes, and the construction process takes one day. I explained that the pond we were viewing would take about 5 or 6 months for an average farmer to complete...
After that we camped at a local waterfall, which was a crazy experience. We managed to find a spot where we could literally climb behind the waterfall, and just watch as the water rushed past our faces and scattered into the rocks. While Brett didn't get as much time at my site as I would have liked, it proved an eye-opening experience for him (I hope) to see how different life on this side of the world really is. Its exciting that he came, because He will understand this experience, and its affects on me in the future, better than anyone who hasn't seen this place first-hand.
To complete his Zambian journey, he boarded a nightbus to return to Lusaka. In true Zam-Transport style, his bus arrived 5 hours late. It then proceeded to break down, and fail to reach his destination in time for him to make his flight. He was forced to reschedule his flights, but managed to handle it all, and is now back at work. I, on the other hand, continued living the dream...
For my Birthday (25) we went to a place called 'Wonder Gorge'. This is a big birthday for me, because it means I have lower car insurance! Pretty ironic, considering I haven't driven in 18 months and am probably less safe of a driver than any time in recent memory. Wonder Gorge is like the Zambian Grand Canyon. It is, however, not nearly as accessible...
We hitch-hiked for a full day to get to a lodge within striking distance. The next day, we awoke to find the canter truck which was prepared to take us 120 KM off the road (all rutted out, dirt paths) to the Wonder Gorge. Unfortunately, the truck got lost along the way, and we didn't arrive until just before sunset. After setting up our tent, and briefly enjoying the sunset, we realized that the forest fire we had seen on the opposite hillside had spread very close to us. As the truck had left, and we were 120 KM from the road, which is another 200 KM from anywhere, we had no choice. The 25 of us got whatever green leaves and sticks we could find, and spent most of the night beating back the flames as they engulfed the grasses near our camp, threatening to burn all of our tents.
The next day (my Bday) we climbed down to the Gorge. The climb was easily the most intense hiking I've ever done. There was no path, and it was the equivalent of a black diamond (Colorado style) in steepness the whole way. We probably descended about 1500 vertical feet, and we definitely wouldn't have thought to try it if we hadn't know other Volunteers who had accomplished the feat previously... About half the volunteers who tried it turned back, because scooting on their butts down a slate rock precipice didn't seem enticing to them.
I had my fly rod and vest, and therefore was determined. Not to mention, we were hiking among a forest fire in 100 degree weather. At that point, I NEEDED to swim. We arrived after about 2 hours, and were overjoyed to swim. Then, we used a natural vine as a rope swing, and just enjoyed hanging out by the river for a few hours. I fly fished for about 2 hours, and managed to catch a native fish (I still haven't identified the species yet). It was cool to manage that, considering I'm using Colorado flies and the ecology here is completely different. Also, most rivers in Zambia have been depleted of most fish, so this river was a unique experience (mostly because it was so damn hard to get to).
The hike back up proved tricky, since the forest fire had singed all the grass and covered the path we used on the descent. Luckily, we scaled back up, and arrived before the sunset. Unfortunately, the intensity of the trip wasn't ready to recede. We were attacked by a swarm of bees, which was feasting on the water we brought for sustenance. After we managed to chase off the bees, a forest fire began on the other side of the hill from where we were camping. 3 of us spent much of the remainder of the night making a fire-break using controlled burning techniques to ensure we were safe...
The next day we waited till 16 for a driver who was supposed to come at 10 AM. We had no food, and ran out of water mid-day... Luckily the ride back to the lodge was smooth, and we all enjoyed a much-needed shower and night's sleep. Now, I'm back in Kasama and headed to site as soon as I finish this blog. It will be nice to relax for a while at home and get back to work. Till next time...
All my best
- Justin
Friday, August 28, 2009
A Long Time Coming
Hey everybody,
Thanks to everyone who has been emailing me, pressuring me to get back to the blog... Things have been incredibly busy here, which is a great thing. However, the longer I stay here, the harder it becomes for me to describe life in the village and all of my everday activities. Its like the unique, outlandish things that happen here in Zambia have flip-flopped, and are now normal (for me), while everyday American things like HealthCare concerns seem more ridiculous and strange than ever. Guess I'm adjusted...
Things have been going exceptionally well, I really couldn't ask for a better project, site, host family, or PC Volunteer neighbors. The fish farming projects have been accelerating quickly, I now have 5 groups I meet with, and another prospective group which will hopefully start up soon. Today I taught a group their first fish farming lesson, all in Bemba. Its a pretty gratifying feeling, I hope they understood my 2nd-grade language skills. Good thing I'm not teaching rocket science (or 2nd grade math, for that matter)..
Last week I went to Lusaka for a week to help train the new fisheries (RAP) volunteers. It was pretty wild to think that I'm halfway through my service, and that I've been here for more than a year. Also, it was unusual to be the 'senior' volunteer in the situation. I did my best to answer all the questions tossed my way about practically applying the learning the trainees are receiving, and also tried to bring as much positive energy to the group as possible. Luckily, things are great here so that wasn't too difficult - saying things like "I can't believe we get paid to do this (Okay, not much, I know)" and being completely honest makes it really easy to bring a positive perspective as a trainer. Also, the work I've been doing is so rewarding that I didn't need to embellish in that area either. The new group was very enthusiastic and talented, and as I think about the influence that then-current volunteers had on me as a trainee, I hope that I stayed upbeat in my responses, while bringing some of the real-world village problems to the forefront. Really though, who wouldn't love this?! I get paid to mountain bike through lush forests in Africa, and then play in the mud all day (I know many of you are thinking, 'I wouldn't love it'. But hey, thats how I feel about deskjobs)
I promise to have pics posted as soon as I find an acceptable Internet connection, and also I have a blog entry about a community school in the area that is progressing nicely. All of this is time-dependant of course. I've been at site a lot, but also doing lots of traveling for PC work and other assignments. Next week, 4 trainees will come to my site to stay for a week and see what fish farming in the village is all about. I hope they have a good time, and I can help give them a quick view of what their life will be like in the next 2 years. At least we'll be busy, so they'll get an accurate depiction of what my life as a volunteer is like. The great thing about this experience really is that everyone makes it his/her own. If you want to sit in your hut and do nothing all day, you probably could. But then, what would be the point... I never have been one to sit around idly.
Brett comes the week after the trainees leave, so that will be incredible. I think this whole experience is really gonna blow his mind, just as it did mine. He will just have less time and a less suitable platform for adjustment. I probably won't post until after he leaves, but I will try my best to get some time for another post soon. Thanks again for reading, hope its proved interesting so far... after all, there's still another year left! Good thing, Im not ready to leave..
All my Best. I miss you all back home - thanks again for the emails and phone calls!
- Justin
Thanks to everyone who has been emailing me, pressuring me to get back to the blog... Things have been incredibly busy here, which is a great thing. However, the longer I stay here, the harder it becomes for me to describe life in the village and all of my everday activities. Its like the unique, outlandish things that happen here in Zambia have flip-flopped, and are now normal (for me), while everyday American things like HealthCare concerns seem more ridiculous and strange than ever. Guess I'm adjusted...
Things have been going exceptionally well, I really couldn't ask for a better project, site, host family, or PC Volunteer neighbors. The fish farming projects have been accelerating quickly, I now have 5 groups I meet with, and another prospective group which will hopefully start up soon. Today I taught a group their first fish farming lesson, all in Bemba. Its a pretty gratifying feeling, I hope they understood my 2nd-grade language skills. Good thing I'm not teaching rocket science (or 2nd grade math, for that matter)..
Last week I went to Lusaka for a week to help train the new fisheries (RAP) volunteers. It was pretty wild to think that I'm halfway through my service, and that I've been here for more than a year. Also, it was unusual to be the 'senior' volunteer in the situation. I did my best to answer all the questions tossed my way about practically applying the learning the trainees are receiving, and also tried to bring as much positive energy to the group as possible. Luckily, things are great here so that wasn't too difficult - saying things like "I can't believe we get paid to do this (Okay, not much, I know)" and being completely honest makes it really easy to bring a positive perspective as a trainer. Also, the work I've been doing is so rewarding that I didn't need to embellish in that area either. The new group was very enthusiastic and talented, and as I think about the influence that then-current volunteers had on me as a trainee, I hope that I stayed upbeat in my responses, while bringing some of the real-world village problems to the forefront. Really though, who wouldn't love this?! I get paid to mountain bike through lush forests in Africa, and then play in the mud all day (I know many of you are thinking, 'I wouldn't love it'. But hey, thats how I feel about deskjobs)
I promise to have pics posted as soon as I find an acceptable Internet connection, and also I have a blog entry about a community school in the area that is progressing nicely. All of this is time-dependant of course. I've been at site a lot, but also doing lots of traveling for PC work and other assignments. Next week, 4 trainees will come to my site to stay for a week and see what fish farming in the village is all about. I hope they have a good time, and I can help give them a quick view of what their life will be like in the next 2 years. At least we'll be busy, so they'll get an accurate depiction of what my life as a volunteer is like. The great thing about this experience really is that everyone makes it his/her own. If you want to sit in your hut and do nothing all day, you probably could. But then, what would be the point... I never have been one to sit around idly.
Brett comes the week after the trainees leave, so that will be incredible. I think this whole experience is really gonna blow his mind, just as it did mine. He will just have less time and a less suitable platform for adjustment. I probably won't post until after he leaves, but I will try my best to get some time for another post soon. Thanks again for reading, hope its proved interesting so far... after all, there's still another year left! Good thing, Im not ready to leave..
All my Best. I miss you all back home - thanks again for the emails and phone calls!
- Justin
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
New Phone
Hey all,
Hope things are well. Quick note: I got a new phone service which works all the time at my site. If you can part with a few bucks for a phone card, call me anytime (preferably not in the middle of the night here tho).
260-967-443671
All my best
- J
Hope things are well. Quick note: I got a new phone service which works all the time at my site. If you can part with a few bucks for a phone card, call me anytime (preferably not in the middle of the night here tho).
260-967-443671
All my best
- J
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Dynamic Duo
Admittedly we make a strange team...
I am the 6'2", young Misungu with ridiculously long, puffy hair and a multicolored beard. In stark contrast, my Bataata stands about 5'8", is 67-years-old, dark in complexion (even by Zambian standards), with a cleanly shaven head and face. I laugh just thinking of the impression we must present: I arrive in shorts, a T-shirt, Chacos, and the only bicycle helmet in the village (along with the only bicycle that has not only gears, but brakes as well!). Ba Kasonde arrives in his foam, black, Stetsson (No, i didn't type-o, haha) Cowboy hat and full-length, red and blue, cotton sweat suit (despite the weather being over 80 degrees every day)... all completed with the always fasionably sound neon pink, rubber bath flip-flops.
Yet despite our aloof appearance, he and I are successfully encouraging fish farming in the communities surrounding Chibo. Lessons are held 4 days a week, each presented to a different village, with a different fish farming organization. Mostly, I sit to the side and try not to attract to much attention (harder than you might think, being the only white guy around)... Meanwhile, Ba Kasonde teaches in Bemba. While this description may make me sound lazy or uneager to do my job, its actually accomplishing one of the main goals of Peace Corps: I'm eliminating the need for my job, or another Volunteer in the area -hopefully. So, Ba Kasonde is teaching community fish farming groups about aquaculture while I add color commentary, in Bemba, to the lessons. Because of the language limitations, I'm probably about as effective as John Madden (ironic after all the bad-mouthing of him I've done) - "Mubike Amenshi mucishiba, elyo Mulefwaya ukubika isaabi mucishiba", which translated Madden-style equates to "You see, what we want to do here, is add fish INTO the fish pond... but only AFTER adding Water".
While I'm ridiculously lucky to have so much interest from the surrounding communities (keeping me busy teaching, demarcating, digging, harvesting, and paying farmer visits), I'm even more lucky to live with such a selfless family. Even my host mother/brothers are involved with voluntarily helping the community - following Ba Kasonde's lead.
In a way, so am I... While he calls me his 'boss', only somewhat sarcastically, he is helping people in a way only a true leader can - by example. In that regard, we've almost fully repaired his damaged pond, and have only been delayed because we are so busy helping others' Fish Farming interests. With Ba Kasonde's help, we'll be able to leave the community with self-sustaining Fish Farming groups with all the necessary knowledge to perpetuate themselves (hopefully).
According to Lao TzuA "a leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him....But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did it ourselves".
Maybe these villagers will remember the Misungu who lived here, played guitar, and ate Nshima (a true test of Zambian integration). But hopefully, they will remember the man the sweatsuit and foam Cowboy hat for even longer, as they harvest fish and grow fat.
I am the 6'2", young Misungu with ridiculously long, puffy hair and a multicolored beard. In stark contrast, my Bataata stands about 5'8", is 67-years-old, dark in complexion (even by Zambian standards), with a cleanly shaven head and face. I laugh just thinking of the impression we must present: I arrive in shorts, a T-shirt, Chacos, and the only bicycle helmet in the village (along with the only bicycle that has not only gears, but brakes as well!). Ba Kasonde arrives in his foam, black, Stetsson (No, i didn't type-o, haha) Cowboy hat and full-length, red and blue, cotton sweat suit (despite the weather being over 80 degrees every day)... all completed with the always fasionably sound neon pink, rubber bath flip-flops.
Yet despite our aloof appearance, he and I are successfully encouraging fish farming in the communities surrounding Chibo. Lessons are held 4 days a week, each presented to a different village, with a different fish farming organization. Mostly, I sit to the side and try not to attract to much attention (harder than you might think, being the only white guy around)... Meanwhile, Ba Kasonde teaches in Bemba. While this description may make me sound lazy or uneager to do my job, its actually accomplishing one of the main goals of Peace Corps: I'm eliminating the need for my job, or another Volunteer in the area -hopefully. So, Ba Kasonde is teaching community fish farming groups about aquaculture while I add color commentary, in Bemba, to the lessons. Because of the language limitations, I'm probably about as effective as John Madden (ironic after all the bad-mouthing of him I've done) - "Mubike Amenshi mucishiba, elyo Mulefwaya ukubika isaabi mucishiba", which translated Madden-style equates to "You see, what we want to do here, is add fish INTO the fish pond... but only AFTER adding Water".
While I'm ridiculously lucky to have so much interest from the surrounding communities (keeping me busy teaching, demarcating, digging, harvesting, and paying farmer visits), I'm even more lucky to live with such a selfless family. Even my host mother/brothers are involved with voluntarily helping the community - following Ba Kasonde's lead.
In a way, so am I... While he calls me his 'boss', only somewhat sarcastically, he is helping people in a way only a true leader can - by example. In that regard, we've almost fully repaired his damaged pond, and have only been delayed because we are so busy helping others' Fish Farming interests. With Ba Kasonde's help, we'll be able to leave the community with self-sustaining Fish Farming groups with all the necessary knowledge to perpetuate themselves (hopefully).
According to Lao TzuA "a leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worse when they despise him....But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did it ourselves".
Maybe these villagers will remember the Misungu who lived here, played guitar, and ate Nshima (a true test of Zambian integration). But hopefully, they will remember the man the sweatsuit and foam Cowboy hat for even longer, as they harvest fish and grow fat.
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