MARS (Most Amazing Race - Senior edition ) began this weekend with the celebration of Edith's (Ronda's mom) 80th birthday. For those of you that followed last years "Most Amazing Race" you will remember that this is our fun way of copying the TV show and creating an adventurous trip (feel free to check out www.MostAmazingRace.com ).
This years adventure started with a big birthday celebration for Edith in Milwaukee, WI. Dinner was at one of Edith's favorite restaurants...Yen Ching Chinese.This was followed by a day of shopping, fun, and an overnight trip to a bed and breakfast in southern Wisconsin with Linda and Joy (Ronda's 2 sisters).
The adventure will take a brief break, but will continue in August, when Edith and Joy will travel all the way to Africa to visit Ronda and Gil in Macha, Zambia!
On the Monday after arriving in Lusaka and staying at Sue and Joel Bolthouse's B&B at Chilongolo, We went to a location near Lusaka where we had hoped to be able to go on a game drive. However, ther was a conference being held at the Protea Safari Lodge and all the game drives were booked.
So..... we had a relaxing dinner and went for a walk on the grounds of the Lodge. We encountered a female kudu nibbling the brush next to the children's play area and also several hartebeast resting in the grass in the shade. These critters were all used to people being in the area, so they did not run away.
The next day, the Dittmers left for Canada, taking a 7-foot carved giraffe along with them.
Flying Mission was able to schedule a flight out of Macha for us on the Saturday morning after the departure party. This being done even with the shortage of avgas in all of southern Africa. It pays to have good friends in the right places.
Lee and Ruth were scheduled to take a BA flight out of Lusaka International on Tuesday morning and had wanted to also take a flight in a small plane; So, FM accommodated us all.
Many of the Dittmer's friends from Macha came to the ABFA aerodrome to see the volunteers from Canada off on their next leg to Luaska.
As the plane rose and circled Macha everyone waved "goodby" and we could see the village in the distance and even the workings at the new site for MICS.
The Friday night before Lee and Ruth were to leave for Lusaka/Canada, a taco party was held at the Macha B&B. Friends from the Mission Hospital and from MIAM were all present. One of the local mid-wife/nurses made matching outfits for the two of them. Fun was had by all. And later, Lee and Ruth sang songs for us with Lee playing Harmon's guitar.
During the break between 1st and 2nd terms, we had some welcome visitors from the "south". Actually they originate from the "north", but are teaching at TDS in Botswana, which is south of Zambia.
Grace, Rosie and Lydiah (all from Kenya) came to visit us in Macha. Their arrival was a very welcome event. Mid Sakala and Ronda rode into Choma with Mid's husband, Ben, riding in Sakala's truck. After doing some shopping, they waited for the bus from Botswana bringing the three ladies. After a quick transfer from the "big bus" to the "Macha Express", they all bounced their way, for 2+ hours, to Macha on the "Choma-Macha Expressway" (all 70 km. of it).
After a night of rest, a tour of MICS was in order, followed by a bun and Coke at the VCC cafe. We all also had the "Macha Tour" in the back of Sakala's truck, including the ABFA airstrip, the area being cleared by hand for Flying Mission's hanger and refueling, and the area where the new school is under construction. Grace tried her hand at breaking rocks for making the concrete for the foundation and everyone studied the plans of that the "host house" will look like.
We were sorry to see them leave, but they did go to Victoria Falls on their way back to Botswana.
P.S. Their trip from Kasane was made more exciting when the bus left them behind at a "Hoof & Mouth Control Barrier".
