Our travels around Northwestern and Western provinces in May 2014 took Samwell, Zach, and I into some of the most remote parts of Zambia we’d yet seen.
We started out in Solwezi, visiting the Peace Corps Provincial house there, but then quickly got off the beaten path, visiting Katie’s village outside Mwinilunga and then following the Zambezi River through Chavuma, up to the Angolan border, down to Lukulu, and finally to Mongu. There were many detours and back-road adventures along the way.
And a lot of time spent on the water. The Zambezi and its tributaries renewed my soul – as did spending 11 days just hanging out with my good PCV buddies, listening to music, sharing stories, and eating at every hole-in-the-wall restaurant we could find. It was a spectacular journey.
Oddly enough, someone was trying to sell water along the Zambezi River.
A typical minibus scene. This playful baby was a key component of our on-board entertainment.
Haggling completed, a local fisherman hands over his catch of bream to the speedboat passengers who’ve bought them.
Breakfast outside our lodge in the town of Lukulu.
Beautiful beetles we found along the banks of the Lunga River.
Walking to the Peace Corps Provincial House in Solwezi.
Homes on the edge of Mongu.
Yep, the hotel had seen better days …
Samwell gazes into the Zambezi Floodplain.
In the spirit of adventure, Samwell drinks his first cup of coffee in over two years.
Neon-colored locust on my tent at our camp site on the Zambezi.
Ah, the joys of sharing the camera with Zambian kids.
Harbor market in Mongu.
Courtyard of the run-down Lyambai Hotel – once a fancy lodge that hosted government officials from all over the country.
Where Mongu and the Zambezi floodplain meet – 25 kilometers from the river’s main channel.
Samwell, Zach, and Katie in an intense game of “Settlers of Catan.” And I thought only the Northern PCVs were addicted to this game!
Me, Zach, and Samwell on the boat to Kalabo. (Notice the guys’ sweet braids – my handiwork from the day before.)
Groundnuts and fried sweet potatoes: my favorite street food.
The market in Mwinilunga.
One of the many impressive termite mounds of Northwestern Province.
Grass homes in the Zambezi Floodplain.
Paddling a heavy load of reed mats to market in Mongu. The mats were piled so high that, at first glance, we thought this was a house boat!
View from our campsite outside Chavuma.
Poling around the floodplain.
Long-beached ship in the Mongu Harbor.
Natural sinkhole near Katie’s village of Mukeya.
Sunset on the Zambezi.
Market on the outskirts of Solwezi.
Boats remain the main source of transport west from Mongu.
Me, soaking wet in the Zambezi River.
Zambezi waters at Chavuma.
Images from our trip around Northwestern and Western provinces, largely following the Zambezi River watershed.
The proprietors of a fantastic little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where we got ubwali and delicious fish for 6 kwacha. We were sure we’d get horribly sick but were just fine.
Check out the satellite dish!
Dugout canoe on the Lunga River.
Narrow alley in Mongu’s market.
Samwell and Zach show off their amazing hairstyles – braided by yours truly.
Woman walking across a dam with a baby on her back and shoes in hand.
A man and his fishing net rest on the rocks. Notice the man is in his underwear – a rare public site in a nation where thighs are typically hidden in public.
Yeah – these guys have got the spirit!
Old meets new.
Kabompo River ferry crossing.
Samwell, me, and Zach, not on safari, but on the Solwezi Peace Corps House back porch.
Zach wrestles a very young Zambian for his carabiner.
View of the Zambezi Floodplain from our hotel in Mongu.
Tree reflection in the Zambezi floodplain.
Start of the journey: Katie, Zach, and Samwell waiting for the early-morning bus from Lusaka to Solwezi.
Katie’s host brother, Alex, cleans fish by the side of the river.
Samwell and Zach doing laundry in the dingy, slightly creepy Lyambai Hotel in Mongu.
Mongu harbor. We were surprised to discover how far it was to the main channel of the Zambezi!
Termite mound, accented by early burning.
This woman sold us groundnuts and the last of her fried sweet potatoes – then kindly consented to a photo.
A young man holds up his catch to attract our boat’s attention.
Villagers watch as we jump the battery.
The Wanderer in Zambia 
Stumbled upon your blog. Love the pictures. We are Katie’s parents who just visited her. In fact, we are sitting in the Lusaka airport right now. Your pictures are beautiful and very recognizable to us. Thank you for the work you are doing in Zambia and good luck to you. Enrique and Patty Otanez
Hi Patty and Enrique! That’s too bad we missed you. We – I and two other PCVs from our intake – just visited Katie’s village in May. It’s quite a beautiful spot, as I’m sure you realized. And Katie’s a great host. (You can see some of our photos in my “West by Northwest Road Trip” gallery on the Home Page, if Katie hasn’t shown you enough already. :+) Hope you had a fantastic time in Zambia.