Getting to know Zambia

We're staying in rooms at the Commonwealth Centre which is part of the University of Zambia which is a mile or two from Lusaka town centre.  VSO have arranged for us to be fed and watered daily so it was a bit of a surprise when we all gathered at the dining room at 7pm last night only to be advised that there had been a mix-up and actually there was no dinner arranged for us..!  There was a bbq where we could buy food but I had noticed earlier that they were grilling fish on it so daren't have anything! 
My room-mate Judith is lovely; being a very experienced volunteer who has spent a good few years in Africa, she is struggling to get used to me shrieking at everything that moves!  I opened the fridge in our room and a little cockroach scuttled out ....!  A few more instances like that and she was starting the get the measure of me but when we got into our room and I screamed at seeing a lizard running up the bathroom doors she said, a tad exasperated, Oh, don't you like ghekko's either!!!  I decided to hide my fears in future and fell asleep to the beautiful sound of insects outside in the grass and a rather loud group of singers who were belting out in the Church which backs onto our room.  When I awoke and commented on the singing, Judith said she had not been able to hear it over my snoring!!  I was mortified.  I have come up to do my blog now so that she can catch up on her sleep!!  Am considering gaffa tape over my mouth tonight in an attempt to stem the snoring and let Judith get a decent night sleep! Fingers crossed everybody..!

Today, VSO took us on a bus tour of Lusaka.  We saw the National Assembly building which is covered in copper, as Zambia's biggest export.  We saw where the President lives which has the very unglamorous address of 'Plot One' and we went to the National Museum.  Up until then I had been thinking that Lusaka was a wealthy city as we had seen lots of shopping malls etc however, we then visited what our VSO host called a 'High Density Area' ...it was what I would call a shanty town.  The level of poverty was palpable.  I didn't take any pictures, it seemed inappropriate to do so.

Later we were taken to the home of a VSO volunteer called Alber who lives in Lusaka ....what a warm welcome we received.  A wonderful bbq and lots of lovely people - VSO volunteers from across Zambia had come to welcome us.  I met two ladies who are based in Chipata, they said it is a great place - I just want to get there now as I still geel very much like I am in transit.