Hiking, museums, and orphans

February 21

I can't believe what good luck we've had! It seems as though everyday we have some sort of activity that we can take part in. The other day, we went for a hike, and then a couple days back, we traveled to an orphanage.

On the 18th, we had the option to go with Rachael on a snake hike. We each took cabs to Liloyelo orphanage to meet at their cafe. We enjoyed coffee, tea, bisuits, and softies (pop) with fellow students, a man from the UN, a priest, and a sister. From there, we traveled in the back of a pick-up truck to the base of a big hill. On the lookout for snakes (which we never found), we hiked up the hill with an increasing entourage of children. One boy, in particular, was deaf and kept taking my hand and leading me up the hill, pointing at especially pretty views. Before we knew it, we reached the picturesque top of the hill. We stopped for photos and then headed right back down.

At the bottom, we crammed back into the bed of the truck and drove off toward the museum. Although it was past closing time, they let us in anyway and we poked around. The museum started with photos of various government officials and a lengthy description of how the government functions. Then, there were all sorts of relics and artifacts relating to food, music, travel, and witchcraft. It was actually really interesting and we had a fun time deciphering our deaf friend's curating.

The next day, we were invited to Kids Alive orphanage for a visit. At the front of our house, a large flat bed truck arrived with just enough room for all of us. We learned very quickly that the sides and back of the truck were held together with just a metal peg. While going over one of the typical oversized Zambian speed bumps, one of the pegs faltered as we all bounced around. We could see Jess in the van behind us laughing at us, not realizing that the integrity of the the bed was quickly failing.

Somehow, in spite of the many TIA moments, we made it alive. We were introduced to the kids and quickly launched into games. Then, we were given a tour of the different buildings in the children's village. We filed back outside and played a number of great games including, 'Duck, Duck, Chicken', 'The Lion is Dead', and 'I Do What I Do'.

By the time we had to leave, the kids were covered in stickers, playing with a new soccer ball, and had all sorts of new toys.

And now it's February 21. Our very last day in Mongu. We're getting our PAFs done and then taking the mini-bus down to the crocodile farm. Lots more fun today and then we board the bus to go back to Lusaka tomorrow morning!