Reflections from Home...

The Dynamic Duo enjoying life out on the road

Now that I have had some down time at home in Canada, I have been able to take the time to read through our old blogs. WOW have we ever come a long way, and WOW have we ever been on a wild ride. Coming back home gives me the chance to take a step back and truly reflect on the affects that my African journey has had on my life. Just to think it was only two short years ago we began our work in Zambia. And it was really only just over 3 years ago that I touched down on African soil for the very first time.

There is just something about being on the road and experiencing new things that charges me on life. I’ve been able to experience history, soak up the culture, and see some of the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve have had to nurse and teach in some of the most extreme conditions and push myself to my so called ‘limits’. Through those times I have experienced my own personal lows, yet also have felt my own personal highs. When I get home and it comes time to describe my latest trip to family and friends, I can never quite seem to explain everything I saw, the people I met, or how I felt at the time. I know all my travels are something I won't ever properly be able to explain. There are words and then there are life experiences, and sometimes those words can never quite do justice to the feeling you had inside while you were there experiencing it for yourself.

With each trip back I feel myself growing further and further away from my old life. Traveling really is all about finding yourself and gaining new perspectives. Personally I’ve grown as much in the past 3 years than I did in my first 24 years on this planet. Sometimes it is hard for people to understand why I travel and choose to work abroad. In my travels I’ve had amazing experiences with people and landscapes. This is what keeps me motivated to travel and nurse abroad, and it is what keeps me out on the road. I miss the road, and I constantly miss the adventure. I need this continuous new outlook on life that traveling brings.

With one of our mentors Fay Karp

I know I won’t be able to keep up this pace for the rest of my life. But for now this means seizing whatever opportunity comes my way and altering my decisions so that I can be out on the road a few months of the year. If fully believe if you really want something bad enough, you will make the proper sacrifices to get there. Lianne and I are the perfect example. For this traveling duo ‘sacrifices’ have meant giving up houses, cars, an income, and potential long-term relationships. While we are away everyone’s life back home still moves forward and we do miss out on our friends and family members’ own life changing events…babies don’t seem to wait for Auntie Jessica and Auntie Lianne to get home! We have been continuously supported by our colleagues, families and friends, and without them would never have been able to achieve a quarter of what we have already.

As our adventures continue, I count myself very lucky to have found the perfect travel mate. Being out on the road with Lianne just makes my trips that much better. When it comes down to it we couldn't be more opposite, but do we ever work well together. In the end we really do balance each other out. I don't know how many times we have been lost, stuck on the side of the road, or huddled in our near flooded tent… in these situations she always has the ability to make me laugh. Life out on the road can be stressful at times....say when you are lost driving around the streets of Maputo!...or say after the chain has fallen off your bike 10 times in one day! We most certainly have taken that frustration out on each other. But the best part is always about thirty minutes later we laugh at how silly that was and how sorry we are to have let it get to us. Now that is an important quality in a travel partner.

Stuck on the side of the road with a flat in Botswana

After 4X4ing (in a rental car) through the mud in Mozambique

Really these past couple of years have only been a launchpad for the future, just prepping us for what is to come. Our organization, Okanagan –Zambia Health Initiative is growing fast, and I have never been more proud of the work we are doing in Western Province. I count my Zambian colleagues as some of my closest friends, and I can’t wait to head back ‘home’ to see them in October. Together we will improve health for the people of Western Province, I have no doubt.

Home Sweet Home in Mongu

With our good friend-Dr. Francis Liywalii

Our greatest challenge will always be how do we top this? How is it that each adventure just keeps getting better and better? One day I know I will probably be tired of the road, but one thing is for certain..I haven’t had that feeling yet. Traveling isn't like a light switch that you can just flick off, it's in you..it becomes part of you. One day I hope to say that ‘I’ve seen the world’, but that day isn’t here yet. In fact, I think it is only just beginning.

Just another African sunset...

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Thank-you Africa for opening my eyes and shaping me into the person I am today.

-JESSICA

Why I Heart ZAMBIA (April 16th, 2010)

We have spent the last two weeks navigating our way through Zambia, and biking my way through has given me a whole new appreciation for this country. Although I have in the past driven all of the roads we have biked across, doing this trip has allowed me to see, hear and feel the heart of Zambia just that much more. Biking allows you the freedom to stop along the way and to integrate with the people. Again, I find myself continually appreciating how friendly the Zambians are…they are the reason why I am here. I have also been able to appreciate the different terrain this country has to offer. In Mongu we are immersed by the Zambezi flood plain and the sand of Western Province…in Eastern Province we got to see the lush, forest filled hills, and in the south it is the farms and sugar plantations that line the route where we cycled. What a beautiful place. Now ok back to cycling those hills of eastern province, they are really hilly! Most times the muscles in my legs sure didn’t appreciate those hills, but sure was a great way to train!

I have enjoyed my time with the other 60 riders on the Tour D’Afrique. Even though we have only been with them 2 weeks it already feels like we are one big family. There is nothing like 60 people all camping together in a bush camp…on the side of the road in Africa…with no running water…no bathrooms…to unite us together! The TDA riders are an eclectic bunch, from many different countries and all walks of life. But it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you come from because ALL of our bike shorts smell bad. If that doesn’t bring you together, than what does in life..right?!

I will never forget our last day of riding as we cruised into Livingstone. We had just spent the last 20 kms on pretty terrible gravel roads. I was having a hard time trying to navigate the dirt and gravel with my small road bike tires. My arms were sore from trying to keep myself stable on my bike, and my hands were cramping from clutching my handle bars so tight and trying not to fall off my bike. I kept thinking to myself ‘Why haven’t paved this road already! Then we came to the crest of the hill, and all of a sudden we are overlooking the town of Livingstone. I look up to see the beautiful mist of Victoria Falls, my motivation to just keep going! There is a reason why Vic Falls is called in the local language ‘The Smoke That Thunders’…the smoke is really thundering right now. Right now in Zambia the rainy season has just peaked, which means the waters of Vic Falls are the highest they are going to be all year. What a perfect way to finish off our bike trip, I will never forget that sight. Also yet another bonus was we hit the smooth pavement, no more gravel roads to navigate through!

Overall I am so proud of myself and my other two musketeers, Lianne and Bill. We have biked long and hard, and done better than we all could have ever expected. (especially after not having been on a bike until last year). Overall my personal lesson learned is that I can really do whatever I put my mind to. Out there on the road I had a few down times when I didn’t think my legs muscles could push myself along anymore. I just kept telling myself to keep going…and I did! The other, more overlying motivation to do this bike ride was for one thing, the Lozi people of Western Province. The more time I spend in Mongu and in Western Province, the more I feel at home. I love being able to nurse in a hospital filled with doctors and nurses with whom I respect. Nothing makes me more proud than to do this bike ride for them. In honour of our tribe living in Western Province, I wore my white Lozi bracelet the whole time while biking. Whenever I had a tough time out on the road, I looked down at my Lozi bracelet and said to myself ‘this is the reason why I am here, these are the people for why I am riding my bike across Zambia..keep pedaling!’ And I did.

Jessica

Oh The Places You'll Go (April 16th, 2010)

I think our experience as a part of Tour D’Afrique has been described by my two friends who have a beautiful vernacular, and therefore I will try to describe the experience from a humorous standpoint.

Firstly I would like to ask who thought I would be able to ride over 1000km in the African Sun??? Exactly…I didn’t either! But we all did it, and we did it gracefully. This time in Africa I have learned many things, but one of the most inspirational being the power of believing in oneself. The three of us really really wanted this bike ride and we trained and we rode hard….and the payout was the completion of a very difficult event. It goes to show that you really can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Secondly, I would love to express my passion for nursing. How we linked nursing with riding your bike across an African country is still mind boggling, but it has been done! I’ve enjoyed spending my time with the two nurses on the tour and learning the art of fluid replacement, rash management, and sadle soreology…..which I may or may not have been a patient of the later ailment.

Looking back it is hard to believe it is over. What is even more surprising is how much I am going to miss it. Who in their right mind would miss waking up at 5 am, packing up the tent again, and applying cream to a very sore bottom only to get on your bicycle to ride over 150km in the hot African sun? I do…and it makes me want to do it over again!

One of the finer memories from this trip was the noises you would hear at night…they were pretty much the typical African sounds, dogs barking, people dancing and playing music, and those darn roosters crowing all night. But wait….don’t those roosters belong to the tour staff?? On a few occasions the local staff who drove the support vehicles bought roosters to eat. However, they often took a few days to prepare the meals and riders patience would slowly be pushed as the roosters kept us up at all hours of the night.

Another favorite memory of mine was day 3 without running water…Not that bad, I know. But 3 days of riding your bike and producing more sweat than you ever have in your life and knowing you have to share a tent, that is a little more challenging. We were quite good at using the sun to “sterilize” your clothes and baby wipes to shower with. But on day 3 we stayed at a camp with a water pump. I will never forget the sheer joy on peoples face as people took turns inching themselves under the water pump for a shot of fresh skin sans salt!

On a serious note, I will truly miss the amazing food. Who would not love 4 solid meals a day with the portion sizes enough to feed a mother pregnant with triplets? The best part was the guilt free feeling that was accompanied by a hard day of riding. I am currently working on shrinking my stomach back down for my return home.

So in closing I want to express how much I have enjoyed the members of Tour D’Afrique, my fellow riders, and my two closest friends Bill and Jessica. I feel quite sad to know that this trip has come to an end, but on the positive side I am left with new outdoor enthusiast friends, stronger relations with my existing colleagues, and a deeper love for Zambia and it’s beautiful people.

I love biking. I love Zambia. I love these times of my life!

Kilimanjaro next year team?

Lianne

The Beginning (April 12th, 2010)

Sometimes I have to ask myself why I decide to do the things I do. In the months and weeks spent getting ready for this bike ride, I most certainly have had the ‘What was I thinking?!!” thought more than just a few times. Probably one of the main reasons for this thought is because until a year ago, I had not been on a bike in over 15 years. Now here we are riding over 1000 kms in just only 8 days, across Zambia. Although we were training in Mongu during the two months leading up to this bike ride, I don’t think anything can really prepare you for a bike ride like this. The days of riding are long, averaging about 150 kms/day, this is a pretty intimidating number for someone like me who has never ridden more than 30-40 kms in one day. (Never mind 5 consecutive days in a row!) Also yet another challenge is the fact that we are after all in Africa, which just in itself can be a challenging experience.

To decide to ride your bike across Zambia is certainly not something I would ever have guessed that I would be doing in my life! But here I am. It is certainly not something that I would ever have done on my own, so thank goodness for my other halves in this, Lianne and Bill. Over the past couple years I have been so proud of all the accomplishments we have been able to achieve with our work in Zambia. I am also amazed at all the things I have been able to do and see all over this continent. There is no way that I would have been able to achieve these wonderful things without Lianne and Bill, we really are like the ‘Three Musketeers’. I couldn’t ask for any two better people to be embarking on such a challenging journey. The best part about the three of us is that you just never know what we are going to do next….and now here we are at it again, with the ‘Three Musketeers’ riding our bikes across Zambia!



In the days leading up to joining the Tour D’Afrique in Malawi my feelings of nervousness and apprehension began to increase as the reality set in that I would soon be riding my bike across Zambia. The same thought just kept rolling in my head…. ‘Can I really can do this?!’ As we hopped on our bikes the first morning and rode out of Lilongwe, I was excited and feeling positive. Then we hit the first hill just outside of town, and my legs were already hurting! That was just the beginning of the mental game I had to play with myself on this trip. I just kept telling myself over and over to push it, and keep pedalling. Positive thoughts and words of wisdom from family and friends back home also helped too!


It didn’t take us long to get into the biking routine out on the road. By this time the Tour D’Afrique and all the riders (who have been here since Cairo, Egypt) are a well oiled machine. The day starts early at 0500, waking up and getting yourself and your tent all packed up. The sun is still not up at that point, so as you look across to the fields, schools, or churches where we are camping along the way, all you see is a dance of headlamps as everyone is packing up for the day. I call them the Tour D’Afrique fireflies! Now normally I am not a morning person, but being on the TDA makes you a morning person. The faster you get out on your bike, the faster you get to the next camp. It also means you get to escape the burning afternoon African sun.
There is no better way to experience a country by riding your bike through it. The TDA offers that chance, and has been the best part to joining this tour. Ok to tell you the truth some of my favourite memories have come from the times when take a rest on the road during our day of cycling. The ‘Three Musketeers’ have been known to stop once or twice at a ‘coke stop’. A coke stop is a TDA created term, by definition it is a local pub or rest stop in one of the villages along the way. Sometimes the cokes are cold, other times not so much…but this is Africa right?! Sometimes it just feels like I am just trying to pedal myself from one coke stop to the other….but I’m ok with it! We have even been known to take a few minutes on the side of the road for an afternoon nap. Together we share our energy bars, and remind each other to keep up on our H2O intake. We take off our sweaty helmets, lie down in the grass and give our bums much needed rest. (those saddle sores don’t take long to develop!) Although I do enjoy the days on the bike, nothing is more satisfying than seeing the orange flagging tape that signifies we have reached the next camp. Another of cycling done! The routine continues when we reach camp, and out comes the tent to be set-up…again. Dinner comes courtesy of our wonderful cook, James and then it is off to bed. Our early mornings mean that when the day of riding is done, we are all in bed at 7pm. I fall asleep so fast, barely even noticing the fact that I have no pillow. This is the time when I reminded how I don’t need much more than a backpack, a tent, and a bike to be happy in this world!

Jessica

Thoughts from Mongu...Written March 15th, 2010

This time around I have been in Mongu since February and have been continuing my training for the bike ride on the ground here. I am glad to have had some time to acclimatize…it is hot! Biking in Africa has been an experience. But I would not have expected anything less! From my time spent living and travelling here, I have realized that doing anything in Africa is always an experience. That is the beauty of this continent.

Six weeks ago I came with fellow teachers, Fay and Lianne, and with nine nursing students from the University of British Columbia-Okanagan, and helped guide them through a clinical placement at Lewanika General Hospital, our local hospital here in Mongu. With funds raised by the students they were all able to purchase ZamBikes to use around town. I will never forget the first day we all went down to the bus station to pick up our ZamBikes. The bikes are quite flashy looking compared to any other bike you usually see on the road here. First, they are brand new (compared to most of the other rickety bikes you see on the roads here) and the other is that they are painted a very bright yellow! We were quite the talk of the town riding those bikes home from the bus station that day. I don’t think Mongu had ever seen a sight quite like it…imagine ten Makuwa’s (the Lozi name for white person) riding through the streets of Mongu all together on bright yellow bikes! It is uncommon in Mongu to see even just ten young female Makuwa’s all standing together, never mind them all riding bright yellow bikes together.



ZamBikes in the Lusaka bus station..on their way to Mongu!

Biking through the roads in Mongu can be a bit dangerous at times (sorry Mom!). The taxis and minibuses drive so fast, barely paying attention to the mass amount of people walking and biking up and down the roads. The roads are also slowly falling away, leaving jagged edges and potholes in the pavement. This means you have to avoid these dangers all at once! The other thing about Mongu is the sand.
Any Zambian can tell you that Mongu is famous for three things…fish…rice…and the sand! This is a very sandy place, and riding or driving around in it reminds me a lot of navigating through snow. You can see how this would be an added challenge; because you are constantly having to swerve your bike tires around so you don’t get stuck!

Lianne and I have been working in Mongu since 2008, and from the beginning we were one of the few female ‘Makuwas’ in town. This means we usually always have people coming up to us to introduce themselves; we can’t help but stand out! But the beauty of it all is even if we’ve met someone just once…they always seem to remember it and now us means we are friends for life! (Just yet another reason why I love Africa) I am constantly amazed at how many people remember my name; even I only shook their hand once. This has also been reflected in my biking experiences here. It seems that every time I hop on my bike and start biking anywhere in town, I have multiple people coming up and saying hello or wanting to carry on full conversations! I can be biking on any road, and will often hear Jezzzzzzzka! Jezzzzka! (That is how they pronounce my name here). Each time I hear my name being called I never know who it is going to be…. maybe it is one of my taxi drivers, maybe it is a lady from the market, or maybe it is a patient’s family member, who knows who it will be next time?

I think my favourite thing about biking in Mongu is that it brings you so much closer to the people and their lives here in this town. You can see the sights, hear the sounds and smell the smells just that much more. My favourite time to bike is around 6pm, when I am out on the road alongside everyone heading home from work. (Most are usually walking or biking home since they can‘t afford vehicles). This is always good time for conversation with the locals, and they are often shouting out a Hello! Or Kimanzibwani! (Lozi saying for Good Evening).
Dusk comes as the sun begins to set; the women are setting the fires in preparation for bathing the children and cooking nshima (the local dish). There is an air of peace and calm, and I get to soak it all in.

This is only just the beginning!

Jessica

bicycle diaries

When I was a kid I enjoyed going for strolls around the block on my banana seated Strawberry Shortcake bike. It was a way for me to occupy my time and spend quality time with my friends and neighbours.

Now that I am almost 25 years old the face of biking has changed for me…or has it? I enjoy taking my bicycle for a stroll down by the river having the air whip at my hair and the beautiful scenery all around me as I take my bike down a new path on the search for a new adventure. When I look back and relate my experience of biking as a child on the banana seat to me on my much smaller seat now, I see the same excitement and joy, the same yearning to find a new adventure!

The beautiful thing about biking is how practical yet versatile it can be. It can fit almost any lifestyle. I enjoy biking to work – it is economic, cuts down on transmissions, and fits with my hippy side of life. I enjoy the exercise – it creates endorphins after a stressful day and helps with the guilty feelings you may feel after eating those Timbits. I enjoy the rush – downhill biking allows me to feel the rush as I manoeuvre my bike through trees and up and down ramps. I enjoy the challenge – pushing myself to bike from Lilongwe, Malawi to Victoria Falls is something I never doubted biking could do, but something I never saw myself caring out. Once again, biking is taking me on a new adventure.

I was recently training for this bike ride in Inuvik, NWT. The one gym in town was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After a shift I would head to the gym and ride for 1-3 hours. I would sit there and watch the gym community at large “climbing Kilimanjaro” on my bike. A month ago I arrived in Mongu, Zambia. Awaiting me was 9 Canadian nursing students, two instructors, and 13 yellow Zambikes. I must admit in the first few weeks the bikese didn’t see much of me. However in the last 3 weeks I have been biking almost daily and remember the pure joy of biking. It has also reminded me how HOT it is in Africa! Nonetheless, I am ecstatic to embark on this journey with my good friends Jessica and Bill. It won’t be easy, but we will do our best to have as much fun and as many adventures as possible!

The Story So Far:

I was picked up from the airport by one of our good friends at Zambikes. As we were driving to their farm house we are passing many people on the road with bikes with loads of charcoal, chickens and dogs racing into the streets, and the craziest traffic. The entire time I was chatting away catching up and it dawned on me that this all seemed perfectly normal and not surreal at all. I knew I was home.

At the Zambike farm I had a chance to try welding. It has been something I have wanted to try for awhile, but Zesco that pesky power company has prevented me from carrying out this bucket list activity. However, this time I was fortunate enough to stick weld and make a zambike….Ok, you caught me, I welded two pieces of metal together and then sanded them which is not quite a bike. I did get a chance to see my bamboo frame and instantly fell in love!

The next day I loaded into a bus and set off for Mongu. It was so good to see Jessica, Fay, and my home! I can not believe it has only been 2 and a bit months since I was here last. To be completely honest I was a little nervous to meet all the students as I didn’t really know them and was coming into the program half way through. I was not surprised to learn that all the ladies are amazing nurses!

My first week started off getting to know everyone and the routines. It was great to see how well everything ran. I feel like I live in a commune with 11 other wives who all cook and clean! It was great to be back at the hospital and work with the midwives. I have to tell you one of my proudest moments in my life. I’ve delivered babies here in Zambia before, but this trip was focused on teaching the students. We would discuss how to deliver a baby, possible complications, and cultural sensitivity in nursing practices. It was the most rewarding moment when one of my students delivered her first baby. I remember how it felt for me, and to see the joy on her face made my heart melt. Teaching truly is one of the most exciting things I’ve done in my career!

In saying that….maternity has not been a happy place the entire time. There have been many deaths, complications, and difficult times for the students and myself. We have had many debriefing moments where we have to end the day with a fanta or mosi (soft drink or beer). Overall, the students have been extraordinarily resilient and try to take each moment as a teaching opportunity.