Zambia to Malawi

Apologies, apologies, apologies….Im so behind on my journal!  Right, where did I leave you last….oh yes, we were on our way to Chimfunzi. Well, we arrived at the chimp orphanage and I was very disappointed to find out that the public are not allowed access to the chimps at all – no touching, no photographs of them with you, no feeding….in essence a “glorified” zoo! Driving all that way (over 300kms) was not going to see me leave without having any decent photos, or some kind of contact with the chimps – enter “Peter” (Im calling him Peter to protect his job in the event that someone from Chimfunzi reads this journal J).

There are three rows of fencing that separates the chimps from the public, which becomes very challenging when you’re trying to take decent photos, and the fencing becomes the key focal point that your lens picks up.  After begging and pleading and waiting until the larger groups of tourists had left, I was permitted by ‘Peter’ to go up to the single electrical fence that separates the chimps from the outside world. What a wonderful experience! Even though the electric fence was there, a brave and cheeky chimp put his hand underneath the bottom wire and tapped the ground for my attention with his index finger, and then withdrew his hand and looked at me with his deep brown eyes.

I reciprocated and mirrored his actions by putting my hand under the fence and tapped the ground as he had done with my index finger (praying that he wouldn’t grab my hand and try and pull me through the electric fence – Im in need of a hair colour right now, not a perm!!). This went on for a while until he eventually left his hand under the fence for me to touch, with his index finger pointing out. I nervously tapped my index finger on his and then put my hand on the ground in the same position as his. He lifted his hand and tapped his index finger on mine….we were making physical contact. It was an amazing moment…contact with wild animals are always more spiritual and moving than those of domesticated ones. I was so chuffed….but it got better!

On our way back to the camp we saw a chimp sitting on the roof of one of the cages. Grace, is a small 2 year old chimp who still resides in the same cage as her parents. She’s small enough to fit through the bars and have the freedom to walk around the outside of her cage, but never goes very far as she enjoys the comfort of the cage and parents. Needless to say, I was advised that if I could convince Grace to climb down from the roof I could touch her. With a few minutes of coaxing she climbed down the outside of the cage and gingerly took my hair in her hands, then she came down lower and decided it was important to inspect me for ticks and fleas, and before I knew it she had her arms wrapped around me and was tickling my neck. She was lovely.  A rough, wiry feeling coat with rubbery hard fingers and a cheeky face….I just wanted to take her home! 

After spending some time with her I headed back to the camp with Slug (we were staying on the camp site of Chimfunzi that night, as we had to leave the next day to head back in the same direction we’d arrived from….all in all a 600km drive to see some chimps!!)

During the time we were there we met an international Christian band by the name of “Vinesong” and were invited to their concert the next evening in Kitwe, a town that Slugs mother had lived in as a teenager. I kept wondering if it was just a coincidence or whether this was Gods divine intervention. Needless to say I grabbed the chance of going to a local Zambian church, while I think Slug was a little more hesitant.

The next day we arrived in Kitwe early and found a lovely bed and breakfast to stay at for the night. We met John Watson, the leader of the band and the rest of the team at the church, and were met at the door like celebrities! We were ushered into a room at the side of the church and given coffee while we waited for the band to get ready. The Bishop arrived and we were greeted with hugs and smiles by this larger than life character. He asked us about our travels and then we were escorted to the front of the church and were seated on the front row next to him and the band. Several other musicians were playing that evening – well known Zambian bands were there that were known not only in the community but had their music played on national radio stations and had released well known CD’s. The evening was spectacular – a gospel band vibe pursued and people were clapping and dancing away. Other than the band and ourselves there were no other white people to be seen and we were formally welcomed by the Bishop and introduced to the congregation.

The evening ended with an invitation to join the band for dinner, which we gladly accepted. The message given by John and the Bishop to the congregation was moving and thought provoking, and as the tears ran down my face I realized that our ‘hic-cup’ with the law that had delayed our trip to Chimfunzi was meant to have been.  The warmth, sincerity and ‘homely’ feeling that this congregation offered us was so humbling. Isn’t this what life is all about? Don’t we all want to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of peace and acceptance and a sense of love?  People are what life is about – without each other what do we have?

4^th September

Its 7 weeks today since we left CT – in some ways its gone by very quickly and in other ways I cant believe we’ve experienced so much in such a short period of time.  Malawi is lovely – probably because it has this “beach” kind of feel to it. There is nothing modern at all about the places here. Everything is built very basically – no signs of luxury at all. A simple wooden plank of wood, nailed with two wooden brackets are used as shelves in the buildings, hose pipes with a  nozzle makes a completely acceptable shower. Tiles are rarely seen and hot water is a treat, but it gives you a sense of truly being in Africa. The more I compare the countries I have visited to date with South Africa, the more I see SA as a first world country, with its sky scraping buildings, marble tiled pristine shopping malls, up market restaurants, luxury cars, pristine landscaped gardens and beautiful homes. I really do appreciate everything I have been blessed with in my life. The people I have encountered these past few weeks have very little, and yet they are eager to share with you what little they have. We have been invited into the local peoples homes, shopped in their markets and haggled and negotiated prices, eaten in their local township restaurants, and danced and sang with them.  Its been an experience that I thank God for, and Im still at the beginning of my journey.

During the time I have been travelling I have had days that are have been emotionally very tiring and draining, and others that I’m so ecstatically happy I think I could burst. There have been the making of new friends and the realization that there are “reasons, seasons and lifetime” relationships. “Reason” relationships are those whereby a person is sent into your life at a particular time to help you through a particularly tough or challenging time. Then there are “Season” relationships, whereby people are sent to you for a definitive period of time – be it several weeks, months or years. These relationships are usually longer lasting than “reason” relationships, but once the season has passed you either out grow each other or one or both of you move into different directions of your respective lives, and the relationship just dies a natural death.

Then there are “Lifetime” relationships. These are relationships that no matter where you go, what you do or where you end up in your life, the relationship will endure for the rest of your life. These relationships I have discovered are the most precious of all, these are the ones that need to be nurtured, fed, watered and pruned. They need to be taken care of and protected, and like all seasons, they will endure the elements of winter, spring, summer and autumn. 

The sad thing about these relationships is if one perceives that the relationship is one of a “lifetime” and the other see’s it as a “reason” or “season”.  This I have discovered is where hearts get broken, losses are suffered and pain is endured. Time is so precious. If you love someone - tell them, if someone hurts you - let them know about it, and if you’re not happy then talk about it and don’t bottle it up….after all, what have you got to lose?  You cant lose something that was never yours.  Life is so short and so precious – have no regrets – life today as though it were your last, for tomorrow it may be.  Cherish the people in your life that you love. Don’t let pride and ego get in your way…..don’t wait until its too late. Our lives are short – regrets should not be plentiful.