BLOG 10 - The best one yet!!

This past week was great – I got to travel to Kasama to meet all the Peace Corps people working in the Northern Province of Zambia, I learned all about public transport, I got to hang out with some of the IPs outside of work and the rainy season has officially started.

Meeting at the Peace Corps people who work in this area was great because for 2 days we got to hang out with people who spoke English, who understood what it was like to live in the middle of nowhere when you are used to the States, and people who know everything about traveling throughout Africa. The compound that the Peace Corps owns in Kasama is incredible and they have generously offered Daniel and I to stay there whenever we need to, even just for a break from Mwange. We already have some trips planned with people and plans to have a big Thanksgiving Day celebration in November at the compound!

Getting to Kasama was another experience…we biked our regular 2 hours to the closest town and got to stay with one of the Red Cross Clinical Officers, who was a very fun and gracious host. Then, we walked to the bus an hour late, knowing it wouldn't leave on time and waited over 2 more hours until we finally left on our 5 hour journey. Three words to explain the trip: DUSTY, BUMPY (I'm talking several feet off the seat), and CRAMPED. But, I've been told this little bus was one of the best people have ever seen. Luckily, we randomly saw a lot of the IPs from Mwange in Kasama and we talked them into giving us a ride back! Getting to know the IPs well has proven to be very beneficial. Above is a picture of the rolling hills...


To saw the rainy season started with a bang is an immense understatement. I would say that it started with a hurricane…or at least as close to a hurricane as you can experience this far away from an ocean. The rain and hail was coming from every direction and the lightening was louder and more ferocious than anything I've ever experienced. I felt like I was in the middle of the storms I've only seen on TV. They say that they've never seen a storm like that before…so hopefully they don't continue to be that crazy. Besides bringing a rain coat everywhere I go now, we are just beginning to experience how many huge bugs there are in Zambia. (I thought I'd already seen the largest bugs possible, but I was wrong!) I have no heavily reinforced the bed net around my bed and am hoping to be sleeping with less bugs in the future!

Here's a picture of my side of the room and my beloved bed net:)



xoxo