Sundays in My City--Lumangwe Falls

Before I get started, I want to answer some of your questions about our pool and the post I wrote here.

1. The giant rubber band is actually strips of inner tube tied together. These rubber strips are the go-to material for all the junior Macgyvers here in Zambia.

2. We haven't had too much trouble with gawkers but we try to swim at off hours--lunch time when everyone is home eating or napping or evening when people have left their fields and gone home for dinner. It helps that the pool is above ground because no one can see into the pool by just looking through the fence. There is the tricky moment when you have to drop your wrap before climbing and then descending the ladder but we are getting good at timing it just right.

Now, on to the main part of the post!

 

 Like I mentioned before, we had visitors last week. It was wonderful! and even better was getting the chance to take them to all our special places. On Monday we drove to Lumangwe and Kabwelume Falls. In my opinion these are some of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Zambia. We adore them!

The only reason we don't go to them every week is because they are a little bit far from our house. They are  80 miles (130 km) from our home. In a developed area this wouldn't be a problem but when half the trip is over a deeply rutted dirt road you rethink the drive. 

We piled 9 people into our Landcruiser and hit the road. The first half (while crowded) was nice. Then we got onto the dirt road. Everytime we hit a pothole we who were sitting in the back bounced all over--bumping into each other and nearly coming off our seats. We giggled a lot but by the end we were sore, sore, sore. 

The other issue was the dust. It is the dry season right now and all the fields are dried up and to add insult to injury they've been burned as well so the air is full of dust and ash. Landcruisers are not known for their good seals and it showed. 

 

These Bibles were brand new at the start of the trip. It's a good thing they were wrapped in plastic.

A shot of my leg--the 'bad tan' line is actually what was not covered up by my yoga pants. My face and chest looked just as bad.

It was wonderful to get to the end of our journey and see the water. The first waterfall has parking and picnic area at the top of the waterfall. The pleasant little river you see here tumbles along and empties over the edge of this:

 

Tom was standing right on the edge--just a few yards from where we were eating lunch. There are no guard rails or precautions. It's slightly scary but also nice to see the waterfalls in their natural, pure state.

 

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After lunch we walked down the ravine. Slipped and slid is probably more accurate. While not as difficult to do as when I came in rainy season and the ground was covered with mud and there were millipedes everywhere, it was still hard work. 

 

This is what greeted us at the bottom. Tom may or may not have tried to scale this rock face. Since his mom reads this blog I'll leave it open.

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Lumangwe Falls! Absolutely stunning!

We jumped right in to swim. It was wonderful to wash off all the dust.

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Our friend, Tommy, is not drowning. Have no fear. The current was strong and real swimming wasn't possible but it was refreshing and safe. The only problem was the dead monkey floating next to the rocks at the shore. Aren't you glad I didn't show you that picture? You're welcome.

 

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There were large rocks all throughout the area we were swimming in, so Tom asked me to sit on one for a while so he could practice camera angles and settings. The sun was behind me and I'm sure this could be fixed up in Photoshop or some such program but I'm not there yet.

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After swimming for awhile and then climbing (or crawling) out of the ravine, we drove for about 10 minutes to another waterfall called Kabwelume. We parked in the parking area and then took a pretty walk through the woods to get to this beautiful sight. 

 

 This is to the right of the waterfall shown above. With everyone walking around on the bluff you can see the magnitude of the waterfall.

 

 I leave you now with my favorite shot of the day.

Tom took all the photos in this post except the first two. 

He's a whiz with the camera and I love him for it.

Now, go check out other wonderful sights from around the world:

 

We're Always Trying To Be Different

With Labor Day all done for those in the U.S and summer has bid adieu with most children back in school we decided that we would do something different from all the others I've been reading about in cyber space.

We are getting ready for the new season. We're setting aside our sweaters and jackets, tossing off the blankets, and making sure fans are installed and working in every room. 

Yes, folks, we are entering our HOT season. And that is capitalized for a reason. It is hot, hot, hot. There is no real summer here. Our seasons are: hot and dry, wet and warm, and cold and dry. 

To celebrate the hot season or rather to help us survive it, we bought a.......swimming pool!

We had planned to dig one below ground but have now decided to go with an above ground pool with a deck so that it is a bit safer and also cheaper.

When we took Chola to Lusaka for his operation we visited the only department store in Zambia and asked if they had a 4 meter (@4 yards) pool. They were all out but after checking in the back they found a couple incomplete pools that they were able to piece together to make one. We were so psyched. And! they gave us a $100 discount since it wasn't in its original packaging. God is good!

 Am I the only one that thinks that men with work gloves on are hot?

We first cemented a round platform so we would have a level surface on which to install the pool. That was a challenge in and of itself but it was eventually completed and we now don't have to worry as much about termites attacking the pool.

At times it took all hands on deck to hold the frame, smooth the rubber and keep it all even and tight.

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Zeger, our volunteer from Belgium was a big help.--He jumped right in to smooth out all the wrinkles as the pool filled.

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Oh, so refreshing! Wish I could jump in right now! It will take us several days to fill the pool. It has a capacity of 14,000 L. (3500 gallons)

T

The store was also sold out of 4 meter pool covers so my enterprising hubby decided to have a local tailor sew about 15 chitenges (local cloth) together to make a cover. We keep it on with a giant rubber band.

The pool will be open this Saturday for a pool party. We'll be celebrating Jasmine's birthday. Join us?

Total Randomness

• There were a few sweet souls who wondered where I was in Sunday's post. Ok,  for my stalkers fans, I present my picture from the waterfalls.

•  We had visitors all weekend so it turned out that we had a holiday just like people in America celebrating Labor Day. Pretty cool. We went boating out on 'our' lagoon on Saturday, then swimming at 'our' waterfalls on Sunday and finally drove 3 hours to not 'our' (but I wish they were) waterfalls. They were so amazing that I just have to share photos. They will be up on Sunday. 

• The trip to the waterfalls on Monday was hilarious and needs its own post. I'll leave you with a teaser. I'm having a hard time sitting down still--and it's Wednesday.

•  Our visitors have now left and I'm suffering from Post-visitor letdown. I find that I unconsciously run on adrenaline when we have guests and the day after they leave I can hardly function.

• I really wanted to post here on Monday and Tuesday but our houseguests were so thrilled by our wireless internet that they were downloading music and other data and surfing the web every free minute which basically made our internet move like traffic in Houston on a Monday morning. 

• As I work on the computer I listen to I-Tunes. It is usually on shuffle and with nearly 7000 songs in my library, I could listen for 18 days straight and not hear a repeat. song. The funny thing is that my library is clogged up with music that the kids like to listen to which are not exactly my taste (yes, I'm a stodgy old lady) and yet when one of those hideous songs comes on I frequently forget that I can skip the song. I sit there a while wondering why my brain hurts until I realize it is the music and I have control over the dial. Yeah!

• There is an exciting new project being constructed here these days. It is made up of wire and rubber and it is blue. It's also perfect for this season. Any ideas?

Sundays in My City--Ntumbacushi Falls

I'm not sharing all these photos with you to make you jealous. Truly I'm not. But, are you? Just a little?

I happen to live in a wonderfully beautiful place. I have a 'paradise' lagoon 45 minutes in one direction and a waterfall that inspires and lifts your spirits 45 minutes in the other direction. Sometimes we'll be driving around running one errand or another and I look over the typical African landscape and gasp with joy--I live in Africa. Imagine that! I am so, so blessed!

We have friends visiting us this week so we've been sharing all the gorgeous sites with them. Yesterday it was the lagoon, today Ntumbacushi Falls and tomorrow two more awesome waterfalls. 

 After a picnic of tuna sandwiches and soft drinks, we headed up the hill--hiking to our favorite swimming spot.

The beginning of the hike is quite steep. But oh, is the workout worth it!

The pre-jump conference.

Go, Timmy!

Yeah, Jasmine!

Good one, Troy!

After swimming and a failed attempt at water polo (I couldn't deal with the current and tossing a ball around too) we had a rest time of sunbathing.

This was my view. You'll have to supply the sound effects: babbling brook, water rushing over rocks and then tumbling down over the edge and crashing to the bottom. 

This was also my view. Lovely blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

Also this--my little Hollywood starlet.

Then it was time to head home. 

Such a nice Sunday!

Travel the world this weekend by visiting blogs over at Unknown Mami's blog carnival

Exactly one year ago: Adventures in Baby Care

Saturday Evening Blog Post

 

I haven't played along with Elizabeth Esther's blog party for a while now. I always miss the date. Anyway, this month I'm playing again with the post I wrote about the ugly baby that was brought to our orphanage. 

In case you missed that post, here is the link: Baby with a Grin to Die For

Please go visit Elizabeth's site and see the best that bloggers had to offer for August.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

While in Lusaka recently we were sitting at one of the busiest traffic lights in town. Did you know they call them robots here? Weird! 

Anyway, at most of the busy intersections there are vendors selling anything from Zambian flags, to fruit, to puppies. We've bought phone chargers, phone credit, Spiderman toys and one of my favorite skirts of all time at traffic lights. So very convenient. 

This particular day we were just sitting there avoiding eye contact with the vendors because otherwise they just don't give up on their sales pitches. You end up having to say "We have it!" or "Tatulafwya (We don't want it)" or eventually "Nakana!! (I refuse!)"* to get them to go away. 

As we sat there chatting, a vendor selling hats came up to our car and said, "Are you traveling back to Mansa? I've seen you there." We were surprised. Here we were 700+ kilometers from Mansa and we bumped into someone who knew us.

We were reminded though of our time out on Mofwe Lagoon when we called over a couple fishermen in their little canoe way out in the middle of the lagoon. As Tom bargained for the fish trying to get a good price, the fisherman kept saying, "Oh, Thomas. You're so funny." We laughed that even in the middle of nowhere, Tom's name and fame has preceded him.

*Raven, you'll probably have to correct my Bemba spelling and vocabulary errors....

Moments of Panic

Today we are helping our 17-year-old son pack and prepare for his first solo trip to Lusaka. This is a big step and as readers of my blog you know that this trip is not without peril but every little chick must leave the nest at some point even if it means falling straight on their head.--Not that this is going to happen!

Part of his preparation is gathering important papers and documents like passports and debit cards. Even though this feels like home it is still a foreign country and we must carry our passports.--Only one problem. His passport is new and didn't have the visa stamped in it. Where, oh where is the old one that showed his valid visa. Nowhere to be found! We hunted and searched and researched. It is gone!

Thankfully Tom was able to drive down to the village center where miraculously he found the immigration official (he was drunk out of his gourd--but at least he was there) and the passport got the all important stamp.

When Tom and Timmy came back Timmy announced that his dad had gotten into a 'big fight' in the boma. Have no fear. No blows were exchanged but words like "over my dead body" were exchanged. I was a very good wife and just said, "Did you at least get the passport stamped?" And he had so I decided not to worry about the argument. Turns out it was the immigration official flexing his muscles and trying to show his power. TIA!*

As Timmy decided what to pack he picked up his dad's old fanny pack and said it would be perfect for his important papers. I gasped with horror. Panic! and then my eyes fell on the blog I was reading by Chris Jordan over at AlphaMom about mistakes kids should be allowed to make. Right there in black and white: Let them wear the clothes and hair they want. Yikes! "Heed this", said the Lord.

"But, Lord Jesus, it's a fanny pack!"

"What is that to thee?" 

"Ok, Lord, I'll hold my tongue."

Moment of panic and argument averted.

Speaking of panic. Last month we took friends out to our little slice of paradise for a boat ride and Troy wanted to take his seven inch buck knife--to ward off crocs, I presume. Our friend offered to carry it on his belt and he did. Right up till the time he needed to use the restroom. Remember, out here we don't have nice public toilets. This is what we use.....

So, our friend undid his belt and watched in horror as the knife slid right off and.......PLOP!

Tom and a couple guys gathered around the tiny hole poking with sticks and brainstorming possible solutions, but to no avail. That knife met a watery, and awfully smelly, end.

Our friend felt awful and has promised to replace the knife. Then, along came Troy's birthday and lo and behold, a guest to his party presented him with a new little knife. This guest had no idea about Troy's old knife--he had outgrown this one and thought Troy would enjoy it.

Talk about panic--that's a thirteen year old boy and a large knife!

I will stay calm and breathe....

*This Is Africa