Tuesday June 17th
9:40 Get to minibus station to pick up kids
10:30 Bus finally arrives. See excited faces in the window.
10:50 Kids witness Shoprite for the first time
12:30 I get hungry, go to forage for food. Take 2 kids with me.
12:35 I find meat pies and shwarma. Kids find a big screen TV and the World Cup.
14:30 Board bus. Kids ask every 10 minutes if we are there yet for first hour.
22:00 I feel sleepy and irritable. Kids asleep in positions I didn't even know existed and definitely don't look comfortable.
Wednesday June 18th
02:00 Bus rolls into Lusaka. I am exhausted. Kids are suddenly awake and very excited. I am worried.
2:15 Kids are now back asleep. We are allowed to sleep on the bus.
5:15 I wake. Kids are very awake and have to pee.
6:40 Fight through complete chaos at the bus station to buy tickets for next bus ride to Livingstone.
6:50 Buy tickets and fight my way back.
7:20 Everyone pees before getting on the bus.
8:30 Bus leaves. Kids excited.
8:50 Kids have to pee.
11:00 Kids have to pee again.
12:30 And again. I buy lunch.
13:30 Start to nap.
13:40 Kids wake me up.
14:25 Make it to Livingstone.
15:10-16:00 Sit awkwardly with kids and counterpart.
16:00 First encounter with electric kettle. Water is already hot when you want tea. Amazing!
16:30 Show girls how a shower works. Chaotic watery chaos ensues for the next two hours.
19:00 Go in search of a Nshima dinner.
20:20 Nshima takes too long. Napapa and Emmanuel fall asleep at the table.
21:30 Everyone make it to bed. Kids are suddenly awake.
Thursday June 19th
6:14 First sounds I hear waking up: "Ba Heidi likes to sleep" eer actually the Bemba equivalent to this.
7:45 Take girl's to Shoprite.
8:20 Girls take another shower.
9:00 Begin to cook breakfast for 7 people.
9:50 Send for my counterpart.
10:00 Miss free shuttle.
11:00 On our way to Victoria Falls!
11:00-13:00 Kids explore, get wet, see baboons, bungee jumpers, and learn about nature.
13:30 Make lunch
15:00 Head to the crocodile farm where kids learn about turtles, crocodiles, and snakes. It is also the kids first encounter with a play area.
17:00 Make an American dinner for the kids. Hamburgers. It's a hit.
19:00 Kids get to make nshima for some Americans. Kids are very happy to have made contact with nshima that day.
21:00 Bedtime.
Friday June 20th
6:35 Wake up.
7:15 Girls shower.
8:40 Shoprite...again.
9:00 Make breakfast. I got more of a rhythm today.
10:00 Find out kids aren't at all ready like my counterpart claimed they were.
11:10 Girls left sink on and I find our room has turned into a small lake.
11:40 Check out and move to next hotel. Apologize for lake.
11:45 Kids set eyes on the play area. And move with lightning speed towards it.
12:30 Watch as lions and cheetahs try to hunt the children through the fence as we try to learn about them.
13:45 See elephant while driving down the road. Elephant ears, although large, are no where near the size the kids imagined they were.
14:00 PLAYTIME!!!!!!!!
17:30 Hunt for nshima dinner.
Saturday June 21st
7:00 Showers
8:00 Breakfast
8:30 Play
9:00 Play
9:30 Play
10:30 Watch in amazement as my counterpart translates almost the entirety of the museum.
13:00 Hop on bus. Will reach Lusaka at 18 hours.
18:00 Still on bus.
19:00 Still on bus.
20:00 STILL on bus.
21:00 Yup, still there.
22:00 Finally reach Lusaka. Head to guest house for some sleep. Kids suddenly wake up.
24:00 Go to sleep.
Sunday June 22nd
6:30 I'm the last to wake up. Help kids shower.
8:30 Go to mall and forage for food.
9:00 Take kids on the escalator to the second floor. They really enjoy it.
9:05 Take kids on elevator down. Little girl screams and tries to pry door open. The rest of the kids like it.
9:10 Head back to guest house.
12:00 Take kids to get ice cream for the first time. I think that is the coldest thing they had in their entire life. And they have no idea how to eat it.
13:00 Kids and counterpart get on bus to Kasama.
13:10 I'm relaxing at the guest house.
