This past August, ARI staff traveled to Zambia and Malawi, Africa, to visit a total of 23 ARI graduates.
We would like to share with you a series of travelogues written by Steven.
The third day was a full-on day of tourism in Zambia…no, they didn’t go there for vacation…!
Anyway, let’s get started on our trip to Africa!
【An African journey to visit ARI graduates, Day3】
A bit of tourism in Livingstone
This morning jet lag wanted me up at 3:00 AM, but I managed to sleep in until 5:00. Then it was only a 2 hour wait for a beautiful breakfast. Jet lag also messes with your stomach clock, so Kai and I were starving! Today was a full-on day of tourism, and I know what you are thinking. We are just out here having fun and not taking our mission to meet ARI graduates, stated so nobly in the introduction, seriously. BUT… the route just worked out best for us to have a rest day at the beginning.
After this, the schedule is packed. So, this “soft landing” gives us a chance to recover from the long journey and get acclimated to African life, especially the time change. At the same time, tourism is a huge part of the Zambian economy, and its citizens are proud of their world-famous Victoria Falls, extensive safari parks, and stunning nature throughout the country. These places are a must see, according to our Zambian friends, and I am not sure if they would forgive us if we skipped them over! Plus, we got to spend the day with Geoffrey, and he filled us in on all kinds of need-to-know things and interesting tidbits about Livingstone and Zambia.
This morning’s agenda was to see the “Big 5” wildlife. That is rhinos, hippos, elephants, lions, buffalo, hyenas, and cheetahs, and maybe tigers. That is the list we got when we asked which animals exactly were members of “the 5.” There seems to be a bit of confusion!! Any of those would be cool to see, however, when we got to the safari/zoo type of place, whoa, it was expensive. The big attraction is that, for that “exaggerated” price you can actually walk with the lions and tigers. Kai and I weren’t into this, so we decided to go zip-lining instead. Yes, much more to my taste.
We drove out to a dry gorge (not the Zambezi River, as I was hoping) where they were set up for multiple activities, including a “gorge swing” where you jump off the side of the cliff and then swing out over the canyon. That…was a bit much for me. I was already nervous about the zip line. To my surprise, Geoffrey jumped right in and did the first zip as a tandem with one of the worker boys. Then Kai strapped up and took leap, followed by…me! That first step off the edge was stomach-sinking, but then it was sheer adrenal fun. They let us go for free a second time, in “flying squirrel” position, where you are hooked in from the back and you can fly like superman. Even Mebin, the driver, got in on the fun. Although he is a Livingstone native, this was his first zip experience, and he was beaming!
Random Zambia things
On the way back into town we saw elephants roaming in the distance. You could say this is one of the differences between here and most people’s homes. Elephants wander around town, zebras graze at the side of the road (we have the photo proof), and baboons as tall as Kai, walk right up to Kai with arms outstretched, trying to steal his Minute Maid Mango juice out of his hand. Watching Geoffrey watch us get so excited and a bit freaked out at the wildlife, I asked him what his most shocking or surprising experience was in Japan. His reply was the subway, just seeing how everything interconnected and flowed in a complex perfect rhythm and all the trains are on time to the minute!
And now, a few random facts learned along the roadside. The regional Chief Mukuni is the richest chief in all of Zambia. He owns several fancy hotels and tourist attractions in Livingstone as well as massive amounts of land and probably lots of other stuff. Just mentioning this, because there was a huge signboard of him on the corner advising folks to get their COVID vaxes! We passed several boys on bicycles with huge boxes mounted on the back, apparently on their way home from Zimbabwe. They carry veggies across the border to sell for dollars in Zim and get a good price. Then they buy dry goods, like pasta, which are cheap and bring it back. FYI the Zim economy is a wreck after they got struck with hyperinflation, and that is why they use US dollars.
Lastly, we stopped at a gas station, I don’t know how many times, with Mebin putting in 100 Kwacha ($4) at a time. Nobody knows why he did that. Maybe it is because most of the station attendants are young girls!
Guinea fowl and chitenge cloth
Lunch was guinea fowl for Kai – tender and juicy, and T-bone steak for me, dry and hard. Lesson learned – always get what Kai gets!
Then it was time to hit some shops. First off was a big Spar supermarket. Geoffrey used to work for a company that supplied this place. He recommended the Guava juice, and it was yummo! Next up was a clothing shop to get something warmer to wear. We forgot that Zambia is in the southern hemisphere and thus the seasons are opposite. Japan’s summer is Zambia’s winter. Being in Africa, it doesn’t get too terribly cold, but the early mornings are very chilly. It’s a nice reprieve from the boiling summer of Japan, but it would have been good to study our geography first. And while we are on the subject of weather, everyone is eagerly awaiting the rainy season in October or November. The drought of last spring has been devastating and caused hunger in several places. The thing is, they are not sure if the rains will come or not. It’s nerve-racking and a matter of survival.
The last stop was at the souvenir market to pick up a sundress for Kai’s mom and some chitenge cloth for Kathy(An ARI Staff). Kai is on a mad hunt for pretty local chitenge (traditional wraps for women). The sellers were assertive, but not aggressive. Still, it’s hard to enjoy it. If your eye touches any one object for a moment, someone is instantly on the push. “What is that painting of tall people with baskets on their heads?” “You like it? What is your name? Where are you from? Take a closer look. What price would you like to pay?” etc., etc. I guess it’s just the game you have to learn to play. It’s quite normal for the locals. The best item of the day was the painting of one of the venders herself, as a green skinned woman, inspired by Gamora (of the Marvel Comic world).
The last, last stop was the bus station for tomorrow’s tickets and then back to the hotel for some rest and note typing. On recommendation we went to the Zest restaurant with Geoffrey for supper and saw the most amazing menu. We totally went for the game meat, trying out the Impala and Alligator. Geoffrey got Vinkubala, a very Zambian dish of Mopane caterpillars; quite crunchy and tasty. Unfortunately, the Kudu(a species of antelope with large horns) was not available. I wasn’t really sure how I felt eating animals I normally see in a zoo, but I have to admit, they were delicious!
Written by Steven Cutting (Graduate Outreach Coordinator)
Travelling with Kai Shinoda (Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator)
Click here to read the series of articles
Vol.0 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Prologue】
Vol.1 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 1-2】
Vol.2 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 3】<== Now, you’re here
Vol.3 【The African journey to visit ARI graduates Day 4】To Be Continued …
