On the road to Mozambique

From Joburg I made my way north to Botswana, first stopping in Gabs (Gabarone, the capital). But, as it was pretty expensive in Botswana, those of you who know me well wouldn't be surprised that I left Botswana as quickly as possible - but not without making a stop at the Okavango Delta and doing a walking safari.

As I missed the daily bus north to the Zambia border, I ended up hitchhiking for my first time ever. After an hour or so a guy picked me up. He was driving from South Africa to Zambia in a new car, only to sell it in Zambia for a large profit. After we crossed the Zambezi River, which was flooded, on a small ferry, I was off to Livingstone, a town very close to Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls

The falls were incredibly full, and it's almost like walking into a hurricane as you make your way onto the island in front of the falls. I rented a rain coat, but it didn't matter, as I came back soaked to the bone. As the wind blows, the mist clears and you get a great shot of the falls. But i doesn't last long, and I had no time for a picture.

There are permanent rainbows above the falls, and every time there is a full moon the park stays open at night (even thought there are no lights and few railings!) so that you can see lunar rainbows. Completely by accident, this happened to be the day that I was there. So I came back at night, willingly got soaked again, and saw the lunar rainbows. That night I stayed up late, so I could see the lunar eclipse.

On to Zambia

Then it was off to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to visit Friday, a friend who was my roommate in Brazil for the World Council of Churches assembly. I met his wife and two month old son, and got to see and learn about their life in Zambia. It was great to be there first hand, learning from them, as Friday is very active in the Church and is a leader in the fight against AIDS, political corruption, and many other important issues.

Malawi Next

From Zambia I went to Malawi, to see Lake Malawi, one of the great lakes of Africa. I met three Americans there who are teaching in Malawi for an extended period of time. They offered me a ride and asked me to stay the night, so I did. I was really excited to see some of the work they are doing, as it could not be in a more needy country. Malawi is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and has a literacy rate of only 20%. Almost everyone did not even speak English, which is an official language.

One of the guys, named Bill, was a missionary in Malawi for three years several decades ago, and when he and his family got back to the states they were often criticized, being called 'nigger lovers' and other names. This was especially hard for his kids, who were only in Middle School. But now he has returned, by himself, to teach again.

Jeff is a 36 year old, and is a professor at a teachers college. He gave up a lot to come to Malawi, and many people told him he must be crazy. A long term relationship even ended as a result of his decision. But he had long felt called to do this, and so here he is for at least two and a half years.

Ted is retired, but is now back, working as a teacher at a University. I went with him to see the college, and met several students. As I talked with one, she told me that she had just triumphed over a long and life threatening bout with malaria, one of the leading causes of death in Africa. This is a disease that is always around, as there is no vaccine or sure, and even the best preventative measure may not be enough to stop the spread of the disease. But, for short term workers/travelers, there is effective medicine you can take (which I am!).

To Mozambique

After my short time in Malawi, I was off to Mozambique in a small combi, packed with about 21 people (originally designed for 13). Even though we went by the main highway, there were incredibly few cars, and always hundreds of people walking on the road. Sometimes you couldn't see a building for miles, but there were still people walking on the road. We passed people spending their day cutting patches of grass with machetes, and others sitting at their small food stands, where even if they sold their entire stock they might make only a dollar. Rarely did you see a house made with cement and all the buildings seemed to have roofs made of branches.

Not much changed on the Mozambique side.