#12 February 2, 2024. Lake Mweru

This morning after breakfast we climbed in the bus and began a trip to explore some of the countryside and meet some sponsored children. Geoffrey our driver, James, Newman, Alice and Sister Marjory came along as our Chalice guides.  

The new bus is comfortable, spacious and can accommodate us all in comfort. The scenery along the road is mainly small villages with thatched homes which are perfect for this climate. They are cool in summer and cozy in the cooler season. The rain falls quietly on the thatched roof, rather than noisily on a metal roof. Each home has an outside sitting area (porch) where people can sit outside but still be protected from the torrential rains which fall in the rainy season. They are surrounded by beautiful gardens of maize, groundnuts (peanuts), cassava, beans, types of squash and more. They are all well-kept and the soil is very red and sandy which makes it easy to cultivate. The roads have some vehicular traffic and scores of pedestrian traffic, plus goats, chickens and occasional cows.  Every so often (15-20 km) we pass small towns with small stores crowded along the main drag.

Our first stop was the beautiful Ntumbachushi Falls which is in National Monument Park. As we walked toward the falls the mist from the falls was giving us a natural shower. It would be a wonderful place to be on a hot day with the mist’s cooling water. 

“A series of water pools and rapids culminating in the main falls about 30m high on the Ng’ona River. Situated between Kazembe and Kawambwa where the Ngonga River flows over the Muchinga Escarpment.”

Our next stop was a market in Nchelenge where people were selling local fruit, vegetables, palm oil, sugar, sugarcane, meat, spices and much more. Sister was even able to get a temporary fix for her broken sandal. We then walked up the road which was impassable for the bus, about 400 meters to the home of Rex Musonda, an albino student attending St Mary’s School. Their home was situated in a comfortably spaced neighborhood featuring thatched and metal roofed homes. When we arrived Rex and his family greeted us. They were busy boiling pounded palm nuts to make palm oil. Rex and his sister Irene both have albinism and Rex was happy to receive gifts from his sponsor Patti (John Gillies’ brother in law’s sister). Next stop was to find Evaristo, a student who attended St Mary’s but was now attending high school in another community. He walked us back to the bus to greet all the Inverness County Cares members and Chalice staff. A fine young man. 

We stopped by Lake Mweru and had a delicious lunch packed by our very capable sisters and enjoyed the warm sun and the beach which reminded us of home. The border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) runs through the middle of lake Mweru. We could clearly see the DRC in the distance. 

On the way back to Kawambwa there was lots for us to see. Often there are local markets by the roadside conveniently located near wave humps (speed bumps). We stopped twice to buy artfully arranged tomatoes and at another stop, fresh boiled groundnuts. The last leg of our journey seemed to pass through an area very inviting to termites. We passed many, many towering mounds perhaps 20 feet in height. 

James, Colleen, Sr Marjory, Charlotte, Betty Jane,
Winnie, John Gillies, John MacInnis , Park Attendant.

Ntumbachushi Falls

A cozy village of thatched homes.

The enjoyment of a river swim on a hot day.

A boy and his cows

Beautiful child in the market

Charlotte with market children

Rex's family making palm oil from pounded palm nuts

Sr Marjory, Mulimga cousin to Rex,  Grandmother Agnes, John Gillies,
 Rex's mother Evelyn,  Sister Irene, Rex, Brother, Rex's  brother Thomas

Note the neatly swept yard

Two cuties at the market

Sr Marjory checkout the extraction of
palm oil from nuts by boiling.

Former student of St Mary's Evaristo

Fresh beans at the market

Lovely children

Former student of St Mary's Evaristo and Newman

Sister Marjory getting  shoe repaired

beans

Lunch on the banks of Lake Mweru

Looking across to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Roadside tomato market

Village by the roadside

Groundnuts

Winnie with termite mound in background.