Letters from Zambia 16
Nathan wrote:
08-31 - Today went to the mission and got video clips of Fr. Mobe doing phrases that he always does. It was fun and will be great memories to look back on. Came back to Kantende to find Quackers most recent two eggs stolen. Broad daylight, makes me think it's one (or more) of the kids in the area. One of g-pa's nephew's kids I'm sure. That family was the one that lived next to me in the roofless house & swept shit into my yard. I hate them. They moved back (despite their house collapsing in the rains) from the fields once harvest was complete. They're building a new house 100' out from Ba Albert's house, so they're the farthest in Chiboboka's village, but still way too close. The wife is such a witch and does nothing but yell at everyone. They also had pigs & brought them back as well. The winds have not died down tonight. Clouds moved in from the west, very strange, and the humidity came up. At 1930 (an hour after dark) clouds faded away, the moon is waxing. Too pissed about the duck eggs to crawl into bed.
09-01 - After a horribly windy night (I didn't sleep much with the tarp on the roof flapping - nights are almost never windy) it was a cooler day. Feels a little drier too. Not going to pound out the lengthy dewpoint equations at the moment. Went to Mafuta A today & had an excellent talk about Moringa & did a mock compost pile next to Mr. Michelo's garden. Before hand we talked of moringa & pros and cons of cross-pollination of vegetables among other things as we waited for people to arrive. He really is my lead farmer. I had him do the Moringa talk in his garden as he showed everyone his 4" high, one month old baby-moringas. He has 10 & is very proud of how fast they are growing. The idea of measuring their growth rate hit me while listening to him talk, he thinks it's a good idea. I had given him some of my marigolds to transplant into his garden for natural pest control. The beds of rape with marigolds are less eaten by pests than those without. He's excited about all the vegetable ideas I have, staking tomatoes, pinching the suckers, getting seeds from cabbage, growing cucumbers vertically, etc. Everything I learned from grandpa Seidl & mom. We decided to go to the Chief and set a meeting to discuss JFM. It's the last thing I can think of. Got back to Kantende at 1530 to find Bob in my insaka. Huge surprise. They've been drumming at St. M for two days constant, some celebration until Sunday. He's tenting it here tonight before our departure tomorrow for the escarpment. Now at 1900, the kids are still being noisy. Not a bad day, could have been much worse.
09-04 - Yesterday afternoon we returned home from our camping trip. Sat. morning we started walking to Funda turnoff at 0630 in hopes to catch Fr. Mobe there at 0730 for a ride to Katembula. We got there at 0740, missed him by 10 minutes so we sat and waited for a truck to go by. Three hours later we hopped on some maize sacks and were on the way to Katembula. From there we walked another 6 km down the road to where we were told a path would take us the way we wanted to go. After a half hour of following smaller paths we got to the outcropping. We thought it was an escarpment so we tried to find a way up the backside - it was more like a jagged mesa. A half hour of climbing brought us to the largest flat area, but beyond a narrow valley was the peak. we made the peak around 1430 and the wind slackened off, the tiny sweatbees were forming annoying clouds around our heads. There are two cement survey markers at the peak, one dated 1951 the other 1958, both under the British government. We were above everything as far as we could see. we both took pictures but they don't fully capture the depth of the horizon. We pitched the tent in a pocket just below the monuments. After dark a cool ssw breeze started and blew all night, some rocks blocked the brunt of the wind but the tent bending to the gusts kept us from sleeping much. It was beautiful up there, we expected to run into a few snakes (puff adders, gabon vipers, etc) but didn't see one. I did spy a back entrance to a cave that faced out on a cliff. I heard the squeaking of bats & certainly smelled their guano but wasn't able to get close enough to the edge after sunset to see any exit. Off to the east we saw the red light of the celltel relay tower and the celltel tower off to the west at Lufwanyama boma. A large fire was brilliant to the nnw and headlights illuminated the road off to the north. Pretty cool. The wet season would be dangerous to go there between snakes, grass, and lightning - we saw plenty of lightning strike signs. There were small cacti up there too, between 6" & 2'. The next morning we departed just after 0730. We had a pretty good idea of which way down would be the easiest and made it back to the road in 45 minutes. I got GPS points & took pictures. From the road we walked the 6 km back to Katembula & had tea with a guy Bob met a while ago - Brian Nonde. He's young & cool & has a tuk shop called "BN's Shop." We waited and waited for a truck to go by but didn't find one until 1400, but only going to Funda turnoff. So we walked the 6 km back to Kantende and got there at 1530. The boots were killing me, sore calves & a few blisters. My thighs still hurt this morning. I'm almost surprised that I survived that trip, it went so much better than I thought it might. Officially GPS put the elevation at the highest point at 1412 meters. The path from the road was 1260 meters. Kantende is at 1242 meters. We're pretty sure the topo map doesn't reflect this mesa. You can clearly see it from the road, so if/when you come back, we'll point it out on the road. So today is more of a rest day than anything. School's open today but rumor has it teachers are striking, met several going to town yesterday from St. M. Rumor has it Mrs. Banda has 2 tin sheets for me from town (I asked for 4, I'm still two short). Mulenga is back from Kitwe, his mother, it turns out, is fine. My duck is up to 3 eggs that have not yet been stolen, my chicks are down to 11. wind is really kicking up.
09-05 - Mulenga delivered some mail from St. M last night, one from Cally and one from you. Also yesterday Mrs. Banda came by with 2 students carrying my 4 tin sheets. Cost a shit load, but I finally have enough to cover the house, getting them permanently installed will be another matter. Somewhere around k600,000 spent on the project, that should be all it takes. This morning Quackers laid her 4th egg that has not yet been stolen. One of the guys from Kantende's VRMC just stopped by to start copying what I've done in Mafuta, it's working. This guy is a Community Health Worker so has already shown he is serious, one of the only ones in K VRMC. We did not visit his fields during your visit. So we set a date to go to his village to discuss soya milk making. I spent a little time this morning prepping the 2nd gate to go on the insaka, I'm just not quite sure how to attach it, it's too heavy for the hinges I bought. While going to the escarp/mesa we had txt contact with Eston. The CD wants to come for a brief site visit on her way up to Solwezi's meeting. They'll most likely be coming on the 11th and then Bob & I will hop in with them - free ride! So I'm hoping to tie-up some loose ends before then around the house. Also, Bob sent a note last night summoning me tonight to St. M for Fr. Mobe's going away dinner. He most likely leaves this weekend. So I'll go there for dinner & spend the night. Tomorrow Bob wants to go to town; he needs an ATM (Solwezi has none) and we both have a package slip from the P.O., he'll come back Thursday & drop at Kantende. // 2100ish. Just got back from Bob's from dinner at the Mission with Fr. Mobe & Fr. George & the two seminarians Brian & Collins. An interesting night. Food was fine, had two kinds of wine. Good conversation with Fr. Mobe, truly will miss him. Bob will be taking this letter and another to town tomorrow. Bob just went to the tent outside leaving me the bed. Writing by candles, on the wrong side of my hand...hope you'll be able to read this. I'm off to bed. Take care. N
08-31 - Today went to the mission and got video clips of Fr. Mobe doing phrases that he always does. It was fun and will be great memories to look back on. Came back to Kantende to find Quackers most recent two eggs stolen. Broad daylight, makes me think it's one (or more) of the kids in the area. One of g-pa's nephew's kids I'm sure. That family was the one that lived next to me in the roofless house & swept shit into my yard. I hate them. They moved back (despite their house collapsing in the rains) from the fields once harvest was complete. They're building a new house 100' out from Ba Albert's house, so they're the farthest in Chiboboka's village, but still way too close. The wife is such a witch and does nothing but yell at everyone. They also had pigs & brought them back as well. The winds have not died down tonight. Clouds moved in from the west, very strange, and the humidity came up. At 1930 (an hour after dark) clouds faded away, the moon is waxing. Too pissed about the duck eggs to crawl into bed.
09-01 - After a horribly windy night (I didn't sleep much with the tarp on the roof flapping - nights are almost never windy) it was a cooler day. Feels a little drier too. Not going to pound out the lengthy dewpoint equations at the moment. Went to Mafuta A today & had an excellent talk about Moringa & did a mock compost pile next to Mr. Michelo's garden. Before hand we talked of moringa & pros and cons of cross-pollination of vegetables among other things as we waited for people to arrive. He really is my lead farmer. I had him do the Moringa talk in his garden as he showed everyone his 4" high, one month old baby-moringas. He has 10 & is very proud of how fast they are growing. The idea of measuring their growth rate hit me while listening to him talk, he thinks it's a good idea. I had given him some of my marigolds to transplant into his garden for natural pest control. The beds of rape with marigolds are less eaten by pests than those without. He's excited about all the vegetable ideas I have, staking tomatoes, pinching the suckers, getting seeds from cabbage, growing cucumbers vertically, etc. Everything I learned from grandpa Seidl & mom. We decided to go to the Chief and set a meeting to discuss JFM. It's the last thing I can think of. Got back to Kantende at 1530 to find Bob in my insaka. Huge surprise. They've been drumming at St. M for two days constant, some celebration until Sunday. He's tenting it here tonight before our departure tomorrow for the escarpment. Now at 1900, the kids are still being noisy. Not a bad day, could have been much worse.
09-04 - Yesterday afternoon we returned home from our camping trip. Sat. morning we started walking to Funda turnoff at 0630 in hopes to catch Fr. Mobe there at 0730 for a ride to Katembula. We got there at 0740, missed him by 10 minutes so we sat and waited for a truck to go by. Three hours later we hopped on some maize sacks and were on the way to Katembula. From there we walked another 6 km down the road to where we were told a path would take us the way we wanted to go. After a half hour of following smaller paths we got to the outcropping. We thought it was an escarpment so we tried to find a way up the backside - it was more like a jagged mesa. A half hour of climbing brought us to the largest flat area, but beyond a narrow valley was the peak. we made the peak around 1430 and the wind slackened off, the tiny sweatbees were forming annoying clouds around our heads. There are two cement survey markers at the peak, one dated 1951 the other 1958, both under the British government. We were above everything as far as we could see. we both took pictures but they don't fully capture the depth of the horizon. We pitched the tent in a pocket just below the monuments. After dark a cool ssw breeze started and blew all night, some rocks blocked the brunt of the wind but the tent bending to the gusts kept us from sleeping much. It was beautiful up there, we expected to run into a few snakes (puff adders, gabon vipers, etc) but didn't see one. I did spy a back entrance to a cave that faced out on a cliff. I heard the squeaking of bats & certainly smelled their guano but wasn't able to get close enough to the edge after sunset to see any exit. Off to the east we saw the red light of the celltel relay tower and the celltel tower off to the west at Lufwanyama boma. A large fire was brilliant to the nnw and headlights illuminated the road off to the north. Pretty cool. The wet season would be dangerous to go there between snakes, grass, and lightning - we saw plenty of lightning strike signs. There were small cacti up there too, between 6" & 2'. The next morning we departed just after 0730. We had a pretty good idea of which way down would be the easiest and made it back to the road in 45 minutes. I got GPS points & took pictures. From the road we walked the 6 km back to Katembula & had tea with a guy Bob met a while ago - Brian Nonde. He's young & cool & has a tuk shop called "BN's Shop." We waited and waited for a truck to go by but didn't find one until 1400, but only going to Funda turnoff. So we walked the 6 km back to Kantende and got there at 1530. The boots were killing me, sore calves & a few blisters. My thighs still hurt this morning. I'm almost surprised that I survived that trip, it went so much better than I thought it might. Officially GPS put the elevation at the highest point at 1412 meters. The path from the road was 1260 meters. Kantende is at 1242 meters. We're pretty sure the topo map doesn't reflect this mesa. You can clearly see it from the road, so if/when you come back, we'll point it out on the road. So today is more of a rest day than anything. School's open today but rumor has it teachers are striking, met several going to town yesterday from St. M. Rumor has it Mrs. Banda has 2 tin sheets for me from town (I asked for 4, I'm still two short). Mulenga is back from Kitwe, his mother, it turns out, is fine. My duck is up to 3 eggs that have not yet been stolen, my chicks are down to 11. wind is really kicking up.
09-05 - Mulenga delivered some mail from St. M last night, one from Cally and one from you. Also yesterday Mrs. Banda came by with 2 students carrying my 4 tin sheets. Cost a shit load, but I finally have enough to cover the house, getting them permanently installed will be another matter. Somewhere around k600,000 spent on the project, that should be all it takes. This morning Quackers laid her 4th egg that has not yet been stolen. One of the guys from Kantende's VRMC just stopped by to start copying what I've done in Mafuta, it's working. This guy is a Community Health Worker so has already shown he is serious, one of the only ones in K VRMC. We did not visit his fields during your visit. So we set a date to go to his village to discuss soya milk making. I spent a little time this morning prepping the 2nd gate to go on the insaka, I'm just not quite sure how to attach it, it's too heavy for the hinges I bought. While going to the escarp/mesa we had txt contact with Eston. The CD wants to come for a brief site visit on her way up to Solwezi's meeting. They'll most likely be coming on the 11th and then Bob & I will hop in with them - free ride! So I'm hoping to tie-up some loose ends before then around the house. Also, Bob sent a note last night summoning me tonight to St. M for Fr. Mobe's going away dinner. He most likely leaves this weekend. So I'll go there for dinner & spend the night. Tomorrow Bob wants to go to town; he needs an ATM (Solwezi has none) and we both have a package slip from the P.O., he'll come back Thursday & drop at Kantende. // 2100ish. Just got back from Bob's from dinner at the Mission with Fr. Mobe & Fr. George & the two seminarians Brian & Collins. An interesting night. Food was fine, had two kinds of wine. Good conversation with Fr. Mobe, truly will miss him. Bob will be taking this letter and another to town tomorrow. Bob just went to the tent outside leaving me the bed. Writing by candles, on the wrong side of my hand...hope you'll be able to read this. I'm off to bed. Take care. N
posted by nathan at 00:53
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