Urbanite

Today I finally ventured to downtown Lusaka. After a morning hacking code poolside at the lodge, I grabbed a cab at the crossroads to take me for a brief tour of the city before heading into the office. The proprietress had urged me to take along someone from the staff, either Everisto or Cheapo, for company. Very kind, but no thanks.

More Rhodes legacy: Lusaka started as a train stop along the way from Cape Town to Cairo. The main street was named in reference to the intended northern destination when the depot grew into a city, sometime in the 30's.

The cab dropped me off on Cairo Road and I sauntered on up the sidewalk. Lusaka is just like every other poor city anywhere -- crowded, dirty, and maybe a little cranky (I walked around two street fights). There wasn't much to see, and what was there wasn't particularly Zambian. Of note was that I blithely strolled in and out of shops, while Zambians were stopped at the door to have their bags checked. Big me, special me, touring on the monorail. After picking up a cell phone SIM and exchanging some money for the weekend, I hopped in another cab to head to the office.

It's probably just a city-mouse/suburb-mouse issue, but all the previous cab drivers were friendly but talkative as a Finn. George had a lot to say, happy to discuss politics, my impressions of Zambia and the work I was doing here. While conceding some of the local nuttiness, George is pretty pleased with the overall improvement in Zambia, especially the freedom to say what you'd like and pursue opportunities. He was also pleased to hear that Zambia would have a more sophisticated health information system than the U.S. when our project is completed.

Electrified

Electrified
Originally uploaded by Kolleggerium.

In addition to flora, fauna, and people, I'm snapping more photos of the ubiquitous compound walls, which range wildly in construction and augmented security features. They are most of what I've seen of Lusaka, and I'd hate to forget the subtleties of my surroundings.

Revolution!

The youth of Zambia have united under a common political front, the Operation Youth for Parliament (OYP), declaring a nationwide revolution and demanding a 30% representation in the government. Representative Cornelius Mweeta stated that, "Today we are saying no to misrepresentation, no to mismanagement, tribalism and sectarianism approaches. Today makes a new Zambia in which youths will take a center stage in running the affairs of the country. We want people who exactly understand what it means to be unemployed."

So, I'm busy writing a letter to the editor addressing the OYP. Because really, how often do you get the opportunity to poke a stick at passionate young revolutionaries?

Street Cred

More and more, Zambia feels just like home. In Baltimore you can hail a hack cab by gesturing down at the street rather than up in the air. Here, you just nod your head or wave at passing cars that issue an inquisitive toot-toot. While getting in, say where you're headed and add "ndzidigati," which is Nyanja for "how much," to get a little street cred. That's right, much like in Baltimore, I blend in really well here.

This morning's ride from the lodge cost us 50 pin, shorthand for 50,000 kwacha, or K50,000. Why pin? As inflation was rocketing, the paper currency hadn't kept up, so people would pin together smaller bills into 1,000 kwacha sets.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls
Originally uploaded by Kolleggerium.

Though there is much work to be done through the week, this weekend I will adventure on my own. There are two good options: bus ride off to Victoria Falls to see the, um.. falls, or fly to Luangwa National Park to live in a tent and embark upon a foot safari. Partly because it is dry season, my inclination is to forego the falls and the comforts of the Sun International hotel for wildlife and roughing-it. Opinions? For those of you who insisted that I shouldn't bother coming back without a photo of Victoria Falls, please note that I've already satisfied that requirement.

Lusaka, Zambia - Kaingo Lodge

Kaingo Lodge
Originally uploaded by Kolleggerium.

Home for the next two weeks is a fine bed-and-breakfasty lodge on Leopard Hill Road in Lusaka. Like most residences in town, Kaingo is walled and gated, to keep out the wildlife. On the trip from the airport yesterday, our hardy SUV took a detour through the Kalingalinga compound, a shanty-town of crowded single room cement block homes and businesses. Disparity? Check.

South Africa - Smoker's Lounge

Fellow travelers Paul and Jon
Originally uploaded by Kolleggerium.

And so the safari begins... my companions Paul and Jon stepped off the plane in Johannesburg and headed straight for what Paul calls, "the coolest airport smoker's lounge in the world." Fine, I'll have a beer.

It's been an almost insufferably long flight, mitigated somewhat by Angelina Jolie being on the plane. Apparently we have a love of Africa in common. Not that we chatted much, she was too busy trying to kill her husband. But I feel like we had a moment.

Rhodesian

My youngest dog, Tiberius
Originally uploaded by Kolleggerium.

My youngest dog Tiberius is part Rhodesian Ridgeback, a breed originally domesticated in South Africa by the Hottentot tribes. The breed is one of many things bearing the name of British colonial financier Cecil Rhodes, most commonly recognized in association with the scholarship that gets you to Oxford. He also got a country named after him, later split into Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe).

Cecil made lots and lots of money in Africa, having founded the DeBeers mining company (y'know, DeBastards at DeBeers). His personal aspiration was to conquer Africa for Britain, since the British, "are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race." Anybody want a diamond?

I'll be content to get a martini named after me -- "Yes, I'll have a Kolleggerian please."

Preflight Friday - Martial Law

For those special occasions when an entire community's day-to-day assumptions have been completely compromised, it's not such a bad thing to suspend civil rights and liberties, deferring to the good ol’ reliable military until things get back to normal. Travel has that same sense of suspended rules about it, without the need for much gun pointing. My last few days have shifted from usual routine to self-imposed martial law. Done with preparation and planning, I’m already coasting, already gone.

Preflight Monday - the Gathering

Gathering things, things meant to travel, traveling with things across the world to Africa. What, and how much? For this trip I don't want to bring anything, I'd rather leave everything.

But this is a professional trip. Along comes a suitcase of clothing, mostly casual professional with a few articles of croc-hunter; computer equipment (sadly of the PC variety); high-octane meds -- Malorone, my antiprotozoal and malarial prophylactic of choice, and Ciprofloxacin, an all-purpose anitibiotic; a formidable arsenal of miniature toiletries; an empty duffle bag (large enough to fit a few small children or whatever else I decide to bring back); and a Canon PowerShot S2 to capture all the world that I am sure to forget.

When I was about 8 years old, I realized that my power of recollection wasn't to be trusted. I was more likely to remember a friend's story about an adventure than my part in making it memorable. My best friend Bill Connolly appreciates this aspect because he tends to repeat stories and jokes which, to me, are fresh every time. Anyway, while I've learned to compensate for my poor memory, at the time I was traumatized. Nights were spent sleepless as I wrestled with the shortcoming. Finally, I realized the solution. I rolled out of bed, trundled downstairs and appealed to my parents that I needed a camera. Blinked at and blinking back, I returned to a comfortable sleep.

The new camera will do the real gathering for this trip, supplemented by this blog. I will hunt, and I will gather.

Corner Brick

Corner Brick
Originally uploaded by Kolleggerium.

All in all it was, all just bricks in the wall.

Whatever. I just needed a test photo to post from flickr.