(Family portrait -- Christmas Day, 2006: from left Will, yours truly, Carole, and Jeff on the veranda of our bush hut on Bovu Island, upriver from Livingstone, Zambia)

We awaken to the sound of a tremendous down pour. Everyone agrees at breakfast that the mopane road will be a quagmire. Will is disappointed because he wants to show us Victoria Falls (this is his second visit to Livingstone) but I am relieved because there has been criticism of my rapid traverse of the road the previous evening. My family has taken to referring to it as "Toad's Wild Ride" but it was all I could do to keep up with the Lodge truck that came out to meet us. There was however a lot of fishtailing and skidding right up to trees etc. but we made it without a scratch (not counting the PTSD among family members). And after all the road is really just a "track" and the mud and sand very deep. It is now clear that their is a dry, alternate route called "the village road" but the Lodge guys didn't go that way. Maybe the mopane road is shorter.

Brett has asked us to move to a new hut to help out some other guests -- the lodge is fully booked which is great. Bovu is the kind of place that you hope will survive forever.

Our laundry is now in Harriet's capable hands -- we were unable to find an open coin laundry (or any other kind) yesterday in Livingstone. Clean clothes are now not going to be a problem. So -- after the quick move -- the remainder of the day brings blessed relaxation. My time is well spent bringing this journal up-to-date.

The gin and tonic seems to be doing a great job warding off malaria so I continue the experiment. Brett's promised goat stew makes a delicious Christmas dinner. He has been working at it all day over a wood fire in a big, black-iron pot. Will and Jeff, sworn vegetarians, consume the meal without hesitation. Ian and Ruth continue to share their hilarious stories with us. All of the guests are suspended in the same enchanted state.

Labels: Bovu Island

¶ 12:34 PM