Beach Tar on My Feet

Today is a day for some fun under the sun – I am going to the Samfya Beach with James and Dan, two nurses at the hospital.

After the rain stops in the morning, we get into the cab we booked last night and head for Samfya. The town is only thirty-five kilometers away, but it takes the cab more than an hour to get there, thanks to the torn-up dirt road. Samfya, situated at the shores of the immense Lake Bangweulu, is the nearest town to Lubwe. The town itself does not have much to offer, but it boasts a small beach by the lake at the edge of town. Being in a landlocked country, this is as close to going to the beach as people get.

We get dropped off at the beach. I stand under the shade of a tree and whip out the tube of sunscreen and start applying. James and Dan look at me and ask, “What’s that?” “Sunscreen, so I don’t get sunburned.” “You need that?” they are puzzled. Of course, with skin black to a sheen, they don’t really get the concept of sunburn. Having worked indoors almost everyday for the last six weeks, I have already lost my tan. Now standing next to these two guys, I really am a blinding sight.

James rubs sand on his body so he can look like "the white fathers" while I look downright pasty next to these guys

We jump into the warm water for a swim, but not farther out than going waist-deep. The lake is crocodile-infested, but one hasn’t been sighted at the beach for a while now. Some beach goers just sit under the trees while braves souls, including us, venture out for a quick dip in the shallow parts. In the distance, rain clouds are dumping rain at the far end of the lake but appear to stay put, leaving us warm and dry under the sun. Fishermen in their canoes and boats row by. A group of people in a speed boat skim across the open water. A few groups, families, start to come and claim their patch of sand for a few hours. The atmosphere is relaxed; no one is in a hurry. We splash around a little more and decide to walk into town for lunch.

The rain in the distance decides to stay put and let us have the sunshine

Fishermen in their dugout canoes

James and Dan flirt with the waitress at the restaurant by borrowing her powder

Just enjoying a drink after lunch

Second-hand shoes on sale

The tailor waits for business

Barber shop, closed for Sunday

Get your 25-kg bag of mealie meal here

After an afternoon of swimming, sitting at the beach, and horsing around, we pack it in and catch the same cab back to Lubwe. Upon reaching the meeting place, we learn that, while the cab is there, the driver is away and cannot be reached on his phone. It is now dark and too late to get another cab to Lubwe; no one is willing to go to Lubwe knowing that he will not be able to get another fare back to Samfya. We have no choice but to sit in the cab and wait, and wait, and wait…

About three hours later, the cab driver finally appears. Hungry and tired, we start to shake our way back to the village.