Change In Plans

Greetings from Singabezi, Zambia, an island in the middle of the Zambezi River.

Through poor planning and miscommunication, we did not file our permanent-residency applications in South Africa before India’s and the kids’ temporary-residence permits ran out. To stay on the right side of the law, we were compelled to pay a small fine and take a brief ‘visa holiday’ outside of the Republic of South Africa.

The rules require that we go to a non-neighbouring country, so the easiest trip was to Livingstone, Zambia. This is just over the border from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

My vision was that we would fly in, get our passports stamped, and go back to Cape Town. If necessary, we could stay overnight at an airport hotel. Fortunately, India saw this as an opportunity to do something fun, so she booked us at this lodge in the middle of the river.

There are five tents and a little central area. The river, which is very high at the moment, rushes past us on all sides. We were told not to let the kids play at the water’s edge, because a crocodile could take them. On the boat ride out, we saw half a dozen big crocs, lazing in the sun.

So we are chilling out, in splendid isolation, for a few days. I use the term “splendid isolation” ironically, because I’m generally much happier being around people. India is happiest out here: she sees nothing ironic about the splendidness. If this is the most significant fault line in our marriage, I think we are doing okay.

Today we went down and walked around Victoria Falls from the Zambian side. As I noted, the river is high, and the falls were absolutely full. The power and noise of a mile of water tumbling 300 feet over the edge of a cliff is quite awesome. We walked down into the gorge, and got completely drenched by the spray. To save a dollar, I was the only one who did not rent a poncho, and my shorts are still damp 10 hours later. Zola laughed hysterically and skipped around in the downpour.

Later in the day, we visited a primary school located next to Tongabezi Lodge. The school feeds all 168 students twice a day, and has a beautiful small amphiteater and a music program. The school has been supported by Tongabezi and by foreign visitors for the last 20 years. What they do, and the success they have had, is impressive. The best part was seeing their computer lab, with 1d kids crowded around four computers, taking a quiz about seed dispersal through a British website. They have fast wireless internet access. This seems like a complete game changer in a school in rural Zambia. The computers were powered by car batteries.

So, here we are on the island. No internet (unlike the school on the banks), no electricity, and patchy cell-phone coverage. I need to learn how to relax, and enjoy a special place. Zola and I are studying hard for his exams, which start next week. Eight consecutive school days of 90-minute exams. It seems like a lot for a 10-year old. He is nervous, but surprisingly focused on studying, and I think we will be okay. More generally, I think we will be okay as well.

Incidentally, we have always like the fact that Zola’s name means “calm, peaceful, or tranquil in Xhosa. Down in South Africa, it is a nice point of contact for him and for us. We found out today that in Nyanja, one of the main Zambian languages, Zola means “to apply lotion.” Our guide thought this was very funny, and I suppose it is.