Friday night last week we went over to my friend Elisa’s for dinner.. Adam brought steak to BBQ and a new friend Vanessa who owns a lodge. Vanessa invited us all up to her place to stay over Saturday night.. we are always looking for fun stuff to do over the weekend.
I made a bean salad and roast potatoes. Elisa made amazing grilled eggplant with olive oil and garlic... we had a great dinner with a few bottles of red and then we decided we should go to the only bar that stays open late in Siavonga.. it’s a locals bar that has a DJ on the weekend.. IT WAS FUN!
We walked in at midnight.. it was definitely an experience obviously when you’re 1 of 4 white people in the bar you attract attention. People we’re friendly and wanted to dance and gave a good time, there was no tension or uneasy feeling.. we had a great time... just danced and had fun.
We set out Saturday to find Vanessa’s inn at around 1 in the afternoon.. it was supposed to be 1 and a half hours away. The main roads in town are paved.. just outside of town they are gravel and out in the bush they can be sand, mud/clay or gravel.. but they are bumpy and uneven. We got turned around a few times and made a few U turns to make sure that we made our way to the right place.. an hour into the trip we got stuck in the mud..
We all got out of the car to assess the situation and knew we were in trouble.. the sun was blazing down on us and we were 5 people in total.. not enough to push the car out of the mud ourselves.. and we were in the bush.. no one around, no cell phone signal and no idea of what to do..
So Adam bravely got into the mud and started to dig the tires out.. we went to search for some locals and it took a while but finally found some people with enough English they understood our problem and were going to help get us out..
2 hours later after pushing the car from the back, and the from the front, forwards and backwards, putting stones and wood under the cars wheels WE GOT OUT!
We had just over an hour before the sunset and we needed to find Vanessa’s place or we were going to be driving in the bush after dark.. that’ s not a good idea! We finally found the sign to Vanessa’s place, the road leading to her place is steep, rocky and you question whether or not it’s actually a road.. but we followed it anyway and made it to her inn.
We arrived and it was more beautiful then I ever imagined.. her place is called Vanessa’s Place. It's listed in the Brandt Zambia guide book under "Village Point" If anyone needs her contact details let me know.
She is on a lake.. and as far as the eye can see it's water and green lushness around you. She has a gorgeous open air kitchen.. everything is cooked over wood. An outdoor dining area.. a bar, a few sitting areas all quaint and cozy, all with outdoor fire places. We had a drink and she has her staff were already hard and work preparing for dinner. We hung out and enjoyed the view. They showed us to our rooms. They are incredible.. open air.. cabins that were built by Vanessa and her husband. The showers are heated by firewood, which meant I had my first hot shower in 3 weeks. Her place is tranquil and filled with the best nature has to offer; it’s beautiful and romantic.. I definitely want Bob to come and visit this place with me.. I had a few moments where all I wanted was him and to have everyone else disappear... But we had an amazing dinner and retired to the boemer which is a concrete structure that’s open air with a very big fireplace.. continued our cocktails and enjoyed the fire.
Usually Vanessa charges 200,000 kwatcha a night per person and that includes dinner and brunch the next day.. which works out to $40.00 a night an amazing price or $80.00 a couple per night.. She charged us much less because we brought our own food and drinks..
On Sunday we did a bush walk so that she could show us how a real village works.. the village held 1 chief who has 4 wives, lots of kids, dogs, goats and chickens.
They showed us how they collect water, dry the fish they catch, mill their own grain. They were happy and very welcoming people. It was a really nice experience.
A fantastic weekend! This will be my last week at work before our holidays so I’m just trying to get as much done as possible before the break.
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