Running Races

Friday, 21st February

I went for another run this morning and stopped to admire the colourful houses dotting the luscious hillside once more. I thought how all the houses here are made of brick and tin, whereas in Zim it's all mud and thatch... a difference that might seem small but is another reflection of the economies, and of how even neighbouring countries in a continent we in the West tend to homogenize as one place can differ greatly. On this run I was joined by some local lads who told me I was walking. One of them started jogging alongside me, but couldn't go any faster despite his cajoles (though he was wearing flip flops, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt).

After beginning work on building an outdoor shower with stones and cement for the lodge, we went into the village again with the boys in the afternoon. Running races inevitably abounded and I found myself a human jungle gym as small children wanted to be spun round and jumped on my shoulders without warning for a ride. I was impressed with their faith in my strength! They showed me an abandoned lodge just down the road. The owners had clearly run out of money so now locals had moved it to squat there. It was even complete with a disused swimming pool and working aircon units - no wonder people had moved in to take advantage solid walls and roofs.

Two of the kids promised to show me something exotic so, intrigued, I followed them to one of the houses. Pulling back a sheet of corrugated iron serving as sun protection, two guinea pigs were sitting in a dried out drain. I guess they were exotic beasts for the Zambians! Despite the heat, they seemed fairly healthy and happy to be picked up and stroked. It was slightly disorientating seeing a common European domestic pet in the land of the Big Five.

On our way home, Sammy pointed out a lemon tree and asked if I wanted to try one. A small boy of maybe 5 years old climbed up the tree and shimmied upside down along an impossibly thin branch with the agility of an Olympic acrobat and passed down a fruit. We had a segment each and, despite looking extremely unripe, it was absolutely delicious; not bitter at all, just a pure, fresh-off-the-tree taste that can't be beaten.