Monday, February 20, 2006

Just the good bits, going by and made it.

1. It’s raining and the sides of the truck have been rolled down, so it’s a bit stuffy inside. One by one we fall asleep. But Wayne and Anne wake us up to look out at a lively market full of women selling tiny heaps of tomatoes and garlic and pineapples and melons and roasting corn and bicycles. A short time later we are all asleep again.

2. Sitting in the bar at the campsite watching the Luanaga river slip by under the setting sun and hearing hippos grunting and moaning. The make a huh-huh-huh noise, a bit like fat cartoon villains.

3. When asked for a Beautiful Thing, Wayne says: ‘We’re here.’ We’ve made a border crossing today and travelled 310kms, jolting down miles of dirt road, followed a mud track covered in vast puddles through the bush. For the last few days rumour has come back that the park has been inaccessible; and this last bit of road might have been impassable.


Salima, Malawi to Wildlife Camp, South Luanga National Park, Zambia

Book treasure, worn and speaker.

1. Finding treasure in the Oxfam bookshop. I only popped in to look for a card. 2. Bettany doesn't wear makeup out and about, but noneth...