Best vacation in my life/Zambia Safari experience

Safari Photo Album here

I just returned from Zambia! It was a vacation without my husband. It does not mean we were fighting. I missed him so much. My husband and I were planing Safari in Zambia with his son from CA. Zambia is the next country from Malawi. The border is just 90 minutes drive from Lilongwe.

BUT! My husband got a very important proposal letter due the end of this month, it was not good time to talk about hippos and elephants at all. We decided to go without him. Poor Jim, he kept working even weekend.

It was my most unforgettable vacation. Because I love animals and I excited every single moment in the bush. The destination was South Luangwa National Park. It took us 5 hours drive included border paper work and a picnic lunch. We stayed at bush camps for 4 nights and a lodge for 2 nights.

I am not a camping person. I was afraid of staying "Bush Camp." BUT! Bush camp tents that harmonize with nature made me so relaxed and healed. Over the hence which made of dried straw, there were elephants and monkeys! How could I stay calm?

We had 4 hours morning safari and 4 hours evening safari. We did walking safaris in the morning starting 6 am. We walked through the dried river which has plenty of water during rain season. August, there was not much water left in the river. It looked like beautiful sandy beach. I loved seeing elephants foot prints on the sand. They were round shape, big ones and small ones.

We were so spoiled. Food! They were unbelievable! They provided excellent food for us. The first night, they set up our dinner table in the dark dried river bank under the stars. That was so beautiful setting and heard animal foot sounds and death cries. Did a leopard kill an impala and a hyena steal it? Our imagination was endless.

Here is one video I taped from inside of my tent over the hence. We called this elephant "Stanley." It was 1m distance between us!

Hey, I am back form Zambia!

It was funny to realize when I came back home, we went to a restaurant for dinner. Driving back to home in the dark, I noticed how my town (Lilongwe) was bright! There were so many lights in the dark like Hong Kong night view like a juery. I was in a completely dark bush for a week. Even Lilongwe (my home) looked so bright for me.

Zambia is the animal kingdom and the only place we could walking safari. We did driving safari with a escort guy who has a rifle all the time and a guide. We stayed in 2 different bush camps for first 4 nights. I was little afraid to stay in "CAMP" but it was not camping camping type of accomodation. It was unbelivavly designed

A biggest paper bag ever

91 cm x 45 cm! Have you every seen this big paper bag?

A small child could be in it.

I bought a straw bag today. The store put it in this huge paper bag and a guy carried it to my car!

I was looking for a paper bag like this but I could not find any in this country. I want to use this paper as a wrapping paper for overseas package.

It will be perfect!

By the way, this is the first time I bought a personal staff like a bag, cloths, shoes, etc. in this country other than second hand.

Ah, shopping makes me happy!

もと隊員

マラウイで生活して８ヶ月目に入っている。　１日１４〜１５時間も働いてヘロヘロになっている主人に申し訳ないほどだが、ここ、マラウイ生活は結構楽しい！　日本人が多いこともその要因の１つに違いない。　月に１度のアジア婦人の会も半分は日本人だし、洋裁教室も日本人の先生だし、お買い物ツアー（地元のマーケット）なんかも日本人どうしてつるんで行く。　

でも日本人が多いから楽しいぞ！　というのは間違いなんだな。　５０年近くも生きてると、同じ日本人でもグループが見えてくる。　

1. 日本にいる日本人女性
2. アメリカに住んでる日本人女性
3. パリで出会った日本人女性
4. アフリカで出会った日本人女性　

私の中ではこうグループ分けできる。

＃４について述べたい事がある。　アフリカで出会った日本人女性−−−−−ここマラウイで出会った日本人女性、すっごく素敵な人が多いのです。　以前に青年海外協力隊のボランティアをしていた人たちが今は結婚してご主人の仕事で赴任している方が多いようだ。　以前に協力隊のメンバーだった人には『元隊員！』　という形容詞がつくことが多い。　この言葉を聞くたびに私の頭の中ではウルトラマンの中にでてきたかっこいい制服をきた『隊員』の姿が目に浮かんでしまうのだ。　

その元隊員の人たちというのは、皆、専門分野を持っている。　たとえば家庭科の先生だったり、体育の先生だったり、栄養士だったり、看護士だったり・・・・。　皆、プロフェッショナルなのだ！　皆さん今でこそ専業主婦のふりをしているけど、いざ何事か起こりでもしようものならパッとエプロンを投げ捨てて、隊員に早変わりするのではないかと想像してしまうような雰囲気があるのだ。

このプロフェッショナルの人たちは以前に発展途上国に派遣され、２年とか３年とか頑張った経験のある人たちである。国によっては電気や水もないような所に派遣されちゃったりすることもあるはずだ。　

そういう経験を経て、今は専業主婦になってる人たちなのである。　何が違うってフットワークがモタモタしてない！　自立してるのです。　ご主人を頼らない。　人間関係が気持ちいい程スッキリしてる。男っぽいとさえ思える程さっぱりしてる。が、皆、料理が上手だったり、洋裁が上手だったり、器用な人が多い。　

日本以外の場所で出会う日本人にいくつかタイプがあることに気づいた私だけど、アフリカにいる日本人とは良い友達になれそうな気がする。