Looking forward to
- No internets to waste time on
- Tropical fruits
- Few cars
- A simple life
- Working at something meaningful
- Living in an entirely different culture
- Gardening
- Keeping bees?
- Being with my love
- Not being a wage slave
- All of my dearest friends
- My family
- Running water
- Knowing the language
- Diverse foods
- Hot showers
- The library
- Lack of parasites
- Low numbers of bugs and other pests
- Ability for affection in public
2 comments:
Hello Doug,
Sounds like a real adventure you are heading for! Having spent most of my adult life in the Sub-Sarah, (mostly in Tobago, and Suriname)I'd like to give you some pointers on dangers specific to the region in general. So with no further adoo...
First let's start with the Bees. The African kind are called "Killer Bees" for a good reason. They have been known to run down and devour an Elephant in less than one minute. Word to the wise: keep away from them.
In the Zambian rain forest there is a very dangerous type of low hanging red colored fruit (the name slips my mind at the moment). If you bump them they will explode and kill you.
Near the top of the volcanoes in the Gorilla habitat there is a kind of tree-snail (I forget its name) that likes to bite people while they sleep. Your tongue will swell and you won't be able to talk for a week. So if you have something important to say you should say it before you go there.
Monkeys of every type are troublesome. They are drawn to anything shiny, and have eaten 90% of Zambia's canned food reserves. My advice: keep your doors locked at all times and avoid the subway system in Lusaka.
In Northern Zambia there's a certain bird that looks like a Stork that likes to lay its eggs in people's beds while they are away at work. (You'll notice Zambians peeking under your sheets all the time - this is what they are looking for...) If you don't remove the egg within in 24 hours, the bird will claim the bed as it's own and you will have to sleep outside with the scorpions
Throughout Zambia there is a kind of a big tree that is prone to falling over for absolutely no reason. It is a major cause of death and the reason that Zambian life insurance is so expensive. I can't exactly describe what it looks like so it is a good idea to give all large trees in the country a wide berth OK :).
Every year a third of Zambia's population falls into some sort of well, and because decent ropes longer than a man's arm are few and far between, it can take up to a week out.
The other kind of hole that is also very dangerous are called "caves". In Africa these are especially dark and tend to be packed with either sleeping Hippos, or large herds of Kangaroos. Believe me you don't want to mess with either so just keep out of the caves.
A word on animals : In general all African animals that have teeth should be considered dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. If you see one you should make an effort not to notice it and especially avoid smiling because this is seen as a sign you want to fight or mate. Turtles, although not really having teeth, should also be considered dangerous because you can trip on them and fall down a well.
Well, that's all I can think of for now. I will post more as they occur to me, or when I finish my research. In the meantime if you can get your hands on a book called "One Thousand Things to Avoid Seeing in Africa Before You Die" by Sir Albert Ruck, I highly recommend it.
Cheers!
AfricaXpert
Hello Doug,
I really enjoy reading about your adventures. Please keep on going and keep safe,
Tatie Talou
Post a Comment