Lusaka again

Midwife in Kanyama with her thank you eye glasses

Looking through the window of the train...

Toasting our big night

Adorableness in Zanzibar

Two weeks with no blogging translates into the fact that I was having too much fun...

Where to begin?

Caleb and I took a canoe safari for 4 days on the Zambezi river.... paddling and floating our way down the river with Zimbabwe on our right and Zambia to our left. We camped on 'neutral territory' islands in between - so as to not have to avoid elephants on our camp site (hippos and crocodiles do travel to the islands, so swimming was sadly prohibited...) Our guide, Kambol (he said his parents tried to name him after the soup brand, but that the person who wrote out the birth certificate misspelled it and the name stuck) was fantastic. He was a one man show, as neither Caleb nor I are particularly expert at canoeing and camping 4 course dinners over a fire) and knew so much about the land and the foliage and the animals that surrounded us.

To the midwives among you - we learned about a type of antelope that can retain their fetus and stop themselves from giving birth for months and months during a drought - and that when born, the baby is not any worse for the extra months inside.... He told me the name, but I've forgotten now.

After we returned from the trip, we spent a few days in Lusaka, and I handed out my thank you gifts to the midwives that participated in my study - safety eye glasses to prevent against transmission of HIV if there are any 'splashes' of bodily fluids. I spent a fun and santa-clause-esque day driving around to all of the compounds in which I worked, dropping off three pairs per clinic. The midwives were very appreciative, and it felt like great closure. I will try to post a picture if the internet cooperates.

Then we left on a trip into Tanzania with some friends. As a train lover, and an over-night-train-lover especially, I had planned for us all to take the train from an industrial town about 4 hrs north of Lusaka (Kapiri Mposhi) to Dar es Saalam. It was supposed to be 44 hours (2 nights)- but ended up being 52 - and the ride became VERY long and greuling. It perhaps was my fault, as somehow I thought that Africa would magically transform into India, and we would be served hot chai by the chai-wallas in the morning and indian food for lunch. Instead, it was chips (french fries) and pink sausage on the menue. Yuck. Ok, sometimes chips are delicious.... but enough was enough after 3 days of fries.

Dar captured my heart in a surprising way in an India-meets-Africa sort of experience. We did get chai there from a local shop, and Caleb managed to put down a whole plate of curry and chapati before 9am, which impressed me. I was content eating a half of a papaya drizzled with lime juice with a spoon - trying to recover from french-fry-overload. The markets were full of colors and energy and men on bikes and mosques and cows and - well - it made my heart soar. If I can say this only once without getting in trouble - it made me wish I had picked a different city to base this study. Ok. That's out. Moving on...

Zanzibar was just pure love. And our lodging for a few days was called "Paradise beach bungalows" - a name that could not have been more fitting. I could go on an on about the turquoise water, the Swahili culture and food, and the joy of relaxing, but I'll spare you.

I'm back in Lusaka now. I have a week to tie things up here: present preliminary results of my project to my hosting organization, finish handing out eye glasses, buy last minute gifts, and say my goodbyes.

People keep asking if I'm ready to go home - and I think I am. I am sad to leave Africa. But at this point I feel like if I was to stay longer without another project or mandate I would be spinning wheels.

And, to continue with the food theme, I can't WAIT for a huge salad.