Zambia World Wide

On the morning we were leaving, Jan was up very early. It just before sunrise and has she had no wish to disturb the rest of us, went for a walk around the edge of the dam. A few hundred yards from where we were camped, she came across a grass hut, just outside the hut there was a Zambian lighting a fire. Jan stopped to talk to him and he said that he was a fisherman and had lived there for many years. To the side of the hut was a piece of land that the fisherman had cleared to plant his crops, maize, groundnuts, cassava and other vegetables he would need. While Jan was talking to him she noticed two dugout canoes, one was down near the water and the other which was only partly made was near the hut. Jan asked if he was making a new canoe, he said yes when he was not fishing he would make canoes and sell them. Jan asked if he would show her how they were made, he said ok and if she wanted she could take a film, he had noticed that she was carrying a camera. Jan stopped for a while and watched as the man worked on the canoe, as he worked he explained what he was doing and why. Although the tools and method he used were very basic, it was apparent that a lot of skill and patience was necessary in making the canoe. The canoe at the water’s edge was submerged in the water, when Jan asked why it was submerged in the water. The fisherman explained that when a canoe was not in use it was always kept submerged to prevent the wood drying out and cracking. This would stop any leaks and lengthen the life of the canoe. By the time Jan returned to the camp we were cooking breakfast and packing, ready for the return trip home. The trip back to Kitwe had it’s moments as Keith’s pickup broke down twice and although we were able to find and fix the faults. The time taken meant we did not arrive home until quite late in the evening.

Around Zambia there are many places of interest which are unknown to many people. The maps that were available at the time were poor and showed very little detail apart from the main towns. Apart from the maps there was also very little information available, most of the information we picked up was by word of mouth. One place that we went to on a number of occasions was known as the Sunken Lake. Leaving Kitwe we would drive towards Ndola, then take the Luanshya turn-off and after approximately 400 yards would turn left onto a dirt road. From that point it would take about two hours of driving on dirt roads before arriving at St. Anthony’s Mission. “When I speak of dirt roads, I don’t mean loose dirt, many are constructed using Laterite which is compacted and levelled, other’s are simply dirt tracks” therefore not all dirt roads are bad to drive on, many are just very dusty. It is not possible to drive to the lake so we would park at the mission and then walk to the lake along a narrow bush track. On most occasions the lads from the mission would act as porters and carry our gear to the lake for us. They were a very friendly crowd and nothing seemed too much trouble, I think they enjoyed seeing and talking to people from outside of the mission. Although we were never asked, we always made a donation to assist with the upkeep of the mission. It was our way of thanking them for their assistance and also for allowing us to park at the mission where we knew we could safely leave the car.

The lake was like an oasis in the desert, after walking through the dry arid bush, we were confronted by green vegetation and water of the deepest blue which was crystal clear. It has been said that the lake is bottomless, many people over the years have tried to find the depth but to knowledge none have succeeded. The area is volcanic and the lake appears to be the crater of an extinct volcano. It is very rugged around the edges and there are not many places where it is possible to enter the water. Whatever time of year we went the water was always cold, which was nice to swim in as generally the days were hot and after such a long dusty drive and walking along the bush track, it was a relief to dive in and cool-off. After we had been for a swim we would light a fire and have a braai in the shade under the trees. It was a long drive but we always found it worthwhile, there are not many places where you can take children and play around in the water without keeping a sharp eye on them, most rivers and lakes have crocodiles in them, so it is nice to take them to a place that is safe. It was not just the swimming that we enjoyed at the lake, as there were an amazing variety of trees and shrubs around the edges of the lake and it was nice to spend time walking through them. While walking round the lake we would also see a large variety of lizards and birds, it was as if they felt safe from predators there. As I have said we went there on many occasions through the years and I can’t ever remember seeing anyone there apart from those who lived at the mission. Perhaps it was the drive that put others off, however we enjoyed the peace and quiet there. Standing at the edge of the crater and looking into the water was quite amazing as we saw many varieties of fish which could not be seen from the surface of the lake. It is not always necessary to travel great distances to find places of interest or beauty, as in most countries they can be found on your own door-step. Unfortunately most take time and effort to find, and all too often people don’t have the time or sufficient interest to look for the places around the counties where they live.