What a contrast today has been! It's the weekend so no PC installations (or building work for the others) but instead we visited a large craft fair in the grounds of the Dutch Reformed Church. As well as a multitude of people selling their crafts people were selling vegetables, flowers and there were stalls selling food and drink. Much haggling went on and I came away with some bargains - I have to admit that Mannie (the pastor's son) helped me so I'll make sure he benefits from the savings that he made for me today so he can get more books for college.
After lunch we had free time, and while some people stayed at the base to chill out the rest of us visited a modern shopping mall (a South African enterprise) to chill out in the air conditioning (it's around 35 degrees in the shade)! Some people stocked up on chocolate and biscuits, and the rest of us had a relaxing coffee and cake (not that we could have been hungry!).
The visit to the mall really showed the contrasts that are here in Zambia – only about 10% of the population can afford to shop somewhere like that, and a lot of the people who I saw/heard were obviously not Zambian (Japanese, Indian, Zimbabwean, South African, American, and of course us). One sight reminded me of a shot in Slumdog Millionaire – a handfull of very scruffy, dusty boys were standing in the Mall at the foot of the escalator. They weren't there for very long, and I wondered where they had come from (maybe they didn't really come from anywhere in particular if they are living on the street) and how they were moved on; I'll never know.
The evening finished with a splendid sunset!
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