Puff, Stuff and in the Buff

It is August and Kafula’s sports day. The audience laughed every time someone fell over which was pretty often, especially in the under 5 races. The Mum’s race was heroically won by a lady under the influence of at least 5 beers, much to the irritation of the other competitors who had been limbering up all afternoon and stoically refusing the hot dogs

Now and again, Molly and Lawrence entertain. This involves getting other people to bring the cake, and we provide the balcony. Tranquillity reigns...

Maybe because we did not mention the Puff Adder we found on the very same balcony a few days earlier- definitely up there in the most dangerous snakes EVER. It is however slow, so for people coming to stay in September rest assured we had plenty of time to call in the cavalry with big machetes!

Lawrence’s favourite view of Kabwe is this mural, obviously advertising latest Paris fashions in a shop nearby. And the bloke in the foreground was really quite tall.

Lawrence works at Muvi TV – anagram of Music Video no less, which is slightly confusing given the sheer amount of airtime devoted to washing powder commercials. This is their fabulously painted stand at the Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka. Moll’s organisation, now called Restless Development, was also there, under a table in a scout hut- the paint budget was significantly less.

Lawrence is training our dogs to be rescue animals, so he often collapses on the floor to see how long it will take for a response. The dogs generally just maul him, and Lawrence loves it. Molly tries to rise above the whole scene...

But they often interrupt her to get an update on the latest twist in her book Baywatch comes to Zambia in an attempt at an overall tan. Moll looks on, with a smirk as she spies the fishermen on the opposite bank... The best part of the day is a sunset stroll, and at this time of year the sun is HUGE, deep red and you never tire of watching it slip over the horizon.

Kapishya Hot Springs and Shiwa Ngandu

In the words of Confucious (I Think) 'Every great journey starts with one small step'.This long weekend started with a massive long drive up the Great North Road further into the northern wilderness than any of us had ever been...As you can imagine we felt like stretching our legs when we got there.This is Molly and Heather at the start of our little walk to a waterfall nearby the Lodge at Kapishya.

First rule of Bushcraft, wear a sensible hat and look like you know where you are going.

This is actually on the way home, we never found the waterfall and like Livingstone looking for the source of the Nile we were probably never anywhere near it!


Luckily the hot springs were only a few paces away from our chalet so we found them without any bother.

Molly reading a steamy novel in a fascinating natural bath tub.

Apparantly there are monkeys in Japan that spend all winter in some similar hot springs, I don't blame them.

Breakfast on a coal powered oven, was cooked at a leisurely pace.

..and as we waited for the bacon we could drink cups of coffee by the river.

This is the misty river seen from the balcony of our chalet in the early morning.

Shiwa Ngandu is an old house built by an eccentric Englishman in the twenties. It is still haunted by 2 fashion models who are often spotted by the crumbling arch.

Molly and Lawrence on the lawn outside the house. The guide started with the Chapel, Molly thought he said champagne and got very excited!

After such a lush long weekend Molly and Lawrence just had to jump and skip all the way back down to the car and then sit in it for 10 hours to get home.

Morning Glory

We have taken to uncharacteristic early morning strolls to catch the gorgeous sun rises on the farm.

Many towns in Zambia seem to be inspired by the wild west. This is Serenje where some girl scouts were on the march.

The next morning found us in a tree hide, 18 metres up a mahogany tree in Kasanka National Park. Molly was scared of the rickety ladder but she scampered up after hearing some animal rustling in a nearby bush.

Kasanka is famous for bats, elephants, hippos... but most were dressed as puku on the day we went- these lovely looking bambis

We did catch a fat croc having a morning yawn

Marley, our cool guide, let us play with his gun.

Shortly afterwards we braved the bureaucratic jungle of getting married- this is the registry office. Behind the nice lady is a photo of a huge naked white woman on all fours.

Lions, Lawrence and lolling about

Wintertime in Zambia means a trip to the zoo for Molly and Lawrence, which is a bit daft in the land of safaris. But they have a very nice botanical garden for us to pose in...

We saw a warthog doing what warthogs do best?

This monkey is crying out for a spank

And a hungry lioness savaging a bit of something/someone

We checked out ‘Lilyai Lodge’ near Lusaka which is beautiful- we had a coffee and fantasised about being able to afford to stay here.

Then we went to our own farm ‘swimming pool’ on a lazy Sunday afternoon
And got another amazing sunset to finish off a pretty good weekend (except for England NOT winning against USA...)

Larking about the Farm

Hello again...have you noticed that we seem to have quite a lot of time to do this Blog? Zambia certainly allows one time for reflection/navel gazing!
More adventures to report on the farm- we have a resident owl, despite Lawrence’s heroic attempts with netting in the garage. We have found a hammock – twinned with the afternoon ritual of rose wine, Molly thinks she might have African sleeping sickness...

But then she thinks she might have Bilharzia, as we brave the lake now and again. We have taken to bringing children with us, so in the case of a croc attack, we might not be the first to go.

Whilst in the lake last weekend a small boy on the opposite bank serenaded us with some amazing moves whilst his mum went fishing with a mosquito net.

Evening sunset walks are out of this world, the only stress being trying to find the dogs as they disappear into the wild bush, returning with a proud look, but no plunder. How do you teach a dog to ‘heel’? or even to respond to their name? Answers on a postcard please...