FYI.... the blog is a day behind due to limited e-mail access

Woke up to dogs barking and chickens crowing, but slept sound and felt rested.  Had a basic breakfast of toast, jam, and corn flakes, showered and then we were off to the mall with Mark and his kids, Nala (9) and Lily (7).  Carmen had picked up Holly early to go to the health board for her interview and to get our physicians licenses.  What an unexpected experience – the fancy mall in Lusaka.  It could have been in any Chicago suburb, although the stores were different.  Modern pop (Maroon 5, etc. playing over head), and a grocery store that could have been Jewel.  We ate at coffee shop and had a traditional American breakfast.  We window shopped and left after Carmen and Holly came back.  Then the other shocking thing …..seeing the condition that the majority of Zambians live in – squalor, cinder block shanties on the side of the road…..the “beauty salons”. The single lane road with slow moving trucks with pedestrians and bicyclists 2 feet from death.  2 boys pushing a water barrel, women with jugs and bags on their heads, numerous police checkpoints, the smog and brushfires. Mike pointed out one of the truck stops that was implicated as a source for the spread of HIV. Mark was very informative and answered all the questions I had about Zambian life, politics, schooling, etc.

                Stopped at the Fig Tree for lunch which is a Bright Hope sponsored project.  Had a chicken sandwich with fries and a vanilla milkshake.  Mike had been talking about the milkshakes for some time.  We then had another couple hour drive to the Forest Inn for dinner and our overnight stay.  Shared a room with Mike again with 2 geckos climbing on the wall.  The place is right the middle of a little forest, saw some bats and heard an owl.  Dinner was okay, and we started to talk about the hospital and the challenges we will face to help get it working.