Martel Madness in Zambia

What a great two weeks! I bid farewell to Mom and Dad early this morning as they departed Kasama for Lusaka after a short visit to my village and Kasama. It was absolutely wonderful to see my parents after 1 1/2 years away! Our adventures included visiting Victoria Falls, safari in South Luangwa National Park, more waterfalls near Kasama with my host family, and a small birthday celebration in the village complete with an enormous nshima feast. The photos are of our time in South Luangwa National Park near Mfuwe, Zambia.

Some highlights of the trip include:

• Dad killing a chicken in the village!
• Stumbling upon an adult male elephant on walking safari and being "stalked" and hiding under a bush about 10 feet from the elephant
• Wearing smelly panchos and walking on a bridge right next to Victoria Falls and getting soaked from the mist of the falls
• Mom and Dad not having luggage for the first 4 days of the trip...
• Taking my host family to Chishimba falls, they'd never seen the falls and probably never would've been able to
• Hanging out with a pride of 5 lionesses on a night safari drive
• Flying in a 6-seat plane over much of the country, and landing on Kasama's dirt runway as the only plane to land in Kasama that day
• Watching a wild dog feast away on a fresh impala kill
• Listening to hundreds of hippos "laughing" at all hours of the day from our tents
• Dad being given a microphone and told to give a speech at a going away party for one of my fellow volunteers who is finishing his service
• Mom's hat blowing off the cliff at Chishimba Falls, and my host family's attempt to retrieve it (unsuccessful, sadly)
• Eating an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for my birthday and my parents' last night in Zambia
• Sharing my quarter of a century birthday with my parents in Zambia!
  

The adventures continue! Now I'm heading back to the village only for a couple of weeks before traveling back to Livingstone to run the Victoria Falls marathon. Eventually I'll get some work done at site again...hopefully! I hope this finds everyone at home well!