Morning has Nearly Broken Everything!
Trip Start
May 29, 2007
1
29
41
Trip End
Jul 18, 2007
Lilongwe,
Malawi
Monday, July 2, 2007
When my feet moved from the bed to the ground, they were immediately submerged in liquid. This was not a good awakening. It's like wearing flip-flops on an early summer morning and deciding to walk in dew-soaked grass. You know how it is.
I walked around a bit to gain my bearings. The entire floor of our room was wet. I frantically began picking things off the floor and placing them onto the bed. My suitcase, my shoes, the power strip, and some other items were all wet on the bottom. I took the sheets off the bed and began mopping the floor in a primitive fashion.
After a bit of thought during my janitorial work, I realized why the floor was wet. Aaron was in the tub. That was why. Here's what happened:
Aaron filled the tub with too much water. Instead of draining the water out, he sat. As a result, gallons of water spilled onto the floor and, in turn, seeped under the door and into the bedroom. Not a pleasant way to start the day. He exited the bathroom and I immediately accosted him.
Phil: Did you not realize that you were spilling water all over our hotel room?
Aaron: I noticed a little splashing, but didn't think anything of it.
Phil: Are you serious? You soaked everything on the floor!
Aaron: Yeah... I didn't realize
Phil: Whatever guy. (I was upset, but didn't want to get into it at this ungodly hour)
Our ride was to arrive at 7:00 to be ready for a 7:30 departure from the safari office. The driver arrived at 7:24. We arrived at 7:39. Lucky others were late as well.
Eleven of us travel were traveling. Many were medical students on volunteering trips as well. Other than the medical students, there were two older gentlemen named John and Nigel. John was a surgeon from the UK and Nigel was a businessman from Scotland. Introductions were made, the Land Rover was packed, and we departed for Zambia.
While en route to Zambia, Aaron and the jolly British fellow Nigel engaged in an interesting conversation. The award for the least manly conversation of the trip goes to Aaron. This was the conversation between him and Nigel:
Nigel: So I read that the Spice Girls are getting back together.
Aaron: Finally! (With genuine enthusiasm)
Nigel: Yes, that's correct.
Aaron: Won't it be difficult for them with Victoria living in Los Angeles and all?
Nigel: Um.....
Aaron: I guess Becks is on the road all the time anyway.
I'll exclude my snide remarks to Aaron about this unmanly conversation.
Our next stop was the Zambian border. Without conflict, our crew left Malawi and entered into the jungles of Zambia. The roads in Zambia were different compared to the Malawian roads in which we had grown accustomed. Twenty kilometers into the foreign country, the smooth tar road turned to dirt. If not for the rugged driving ability of our Land Rover, my head may have become a permanent part of the vehicle's roof. We were driving through a 'grand canyon' roads. I napped for a good bit of the drive but I was able to capture some video footage of the rock driving.
An instrumental by the name of 'Trumpeter's Holiday,' played by my mp3 player, supplied the ideal soundtrack as we bounced down the rocky road. The rumble of the wheels hummed a perfect bass line for the playful notes of the trumpets.
We greeted our less than primitive campsite at 3:00pm. The site was on the side of the Luangwa River. This river borders the South Luangwa national park. The site was surprisingly nice. It even had a pool. The tents were two-person and quite cozy. Our guide told us that wild animals come through the campsites including elephant and hippos. Very Nice!
We chose tents, threw our bags inside, and immediately visited the pool. Shortly thereafter dinner was served. A delicious feast of spaghetti and garlic bread came to us at 6:30. With dinner came conversation, with conversation came beverages, and with beverages came sleep.
Tomorrow morning will be our first game drive! I AM IN ZAMBIA! The journey is still unfolding. More to come.
