So the day arrived when it was finally time to leave Kaoma and head for Mongu. It’s been a weird day, as I lie here now in Mongu it seems like weeks since I left Kaoma, we‘ve had a day almost beyond my abilities of description but I will try my best. The day started with a bit of a lie in, for the first time since we arrived we hadn’t a plan for a day other than go to Mongu. After breakfast and a final pack we headed down to Leonard house to play with some of the babies before we left. When we got there, there weren’t many children around but pretty sound we heard the “Makua” call and kids came running towards us. One little girl came running towards me with arms up waiting to be picked up. I picked her up and I couldn’t put her down for ages. She was so cute and giggled so much when we played “hidey boo” with the kids inside the orphanage window. Eventually I put her down by putting her and a load of other kids on the merry go around. After the merry go round she wanted a go on the 2 person swings. I put her on there with another kid and pushed them back and over. Each time they came near my I tickled them it was so funny listening to them giggle. Eventually we decided we better go and say bye to the kids up at Judith house. Some of the kids there are so funny and we had them up on our shoulders and were chasing them around. All the while some of them had my camera and they took loads of cool pictures. One kid whose name we’ve never learned, but is always the first to come running to us, had hurt his eye and looked like Idi Amin in the Last King Of Scotland. Soon it was time to head for the bus so we packed our cases onto the minibus and Progress drove us to the bus station. We had asked if our bags were included in the ticket price but when we arrived at the bus station a guy asked us for kw40000 for our bags we said no and explained our tickets included it which he seemed to accept. Then about 5 minutes later another (Bob Marley wannabe) came in and asked us for kw50000 for the bags (what a chancer). We eventually ended up paying the 40000 or €6 which was lucky as they really had to squeeze our bags in as the bus was already full. The bus journey was fairly uneventful apart from the worst Kung-Fu movie of all time being shown on the TV. The acting was atrocious, the fighting was so badly choreographed and the sound effects were from like something from a shitty Casio keyboard. After about two hours the bus pulled into Mongu bus station and it was immediately apparent that we were in a much bigger town. The minute we got off the bus about 50 guys came towards us offering taxi’s (fuck off I’ll decide when I’m ready). We spent time collecting our 8 bags and eventually negotiated our taxi fare. The taxi’s took us to the Chesire Homes rehab centre for sick kids where we met Sr. Cathy (who turned out to be the friendliest most chatty person ever) who is so Irish she could be on post cards (and I say that in the most patriotic way). The complex was really really nice it was so much more developed than Kaoma. It’s a bit outside the town on a wide open road. The guesthouse was about 10 minutes walk along a wide open road away so she loaded the open back of the truck with our bags. It was then we noticed the truck only had 2 seats. There were however 3 chairs sitting on the open air back with our bags. She asked if we minded sitting there (minded it has been something I’ve wanted to do since arriving in Africa, travel on the back of the truck).I sat on a chair and we took off, as she rounded the corner my chair with me on it tipped on to legs and nearly fell off the truck. Once on the open road it was so cool. The wind in your hair and everyone staring at us. When we arrived at the guesthouse we couldn’t believe our eyes it was unbelievable. It was like a 5 star hotel (well almost). There was a massive kitchen and a massive sitting room/dining area. We all have our own room and I have a large double bed in mine. Me and Jamie have a bathroom shared between us (with a door in from each room which could lead to nasty sights if we’re not careful). All the other rooms have 2 or three beds in each. We kept thinking if the people who donated money for us to come here could see us now, they’d ask for their money back. Then Cathy asked if we’d like to go to the supermarket to get some food (supermarket I thought, she means small shop that like to think they’re a supermarket). I couldn’t have been more wrong, it was a full scale supermarket (complete with bored looking checkout girls). It was amazing they had everything. I filled my basket so high I was like and American hick in a gun store. There was every type of chocolate (oh joy) and I bought way too much (I bet your as surprised as George bush when he got elected). I spent over €30 (a fortune here). It was absolute heaven I hadn’t had cooked ham in a month. We went home (on the back of the truck it so cool riding down a highway and thru town on the back of a truck) and enjoyed our food. We then sat down and watched “Date Night” while I washed down my chocolate with two Mosi beers (whats new says you) ah life is good. Goodnight.
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