Back in Lusaka Again.

We are back from Livingstone and sitting around in Lusaka getting organized and I am preparing to depart. Jeremy has decided to leave early as well. We spent about three hours Wednesday just getting boarding passes and making sure we could leave tomorrow. Everything in Zambia takes a lot of time (you have the watch, Zambia has the time). Other than that things are a bit slow here, as I am packed. Lusaka itself is worth a comment or two. It is a small city by US standards probably about the size of Canton, Ohio. However it make up for it in energy, and it is very, very busy downtown. I think the atmosphere in town is contributing to everyone's nausea as it is chock full of diesel smoke from all the taxis and trucks. Also, as mentioned before, Zambia has considerable air pollution from charcoal smoke for cooking. Also Zambians seem to set the countryside on fire regularly, which we have jokingly referred to as "Zambian landscaping".

Driving here is crazy and it takes getting used to with all the traffic circles in town and since this is a former British colony we are all learning to drive on the left side. It can be a white-knuckle experience.Few people here have cars so the roads are dominated by trucks and taxis (little blue minibuses). The sides of the roads are crowded with people walking and biking, hundreds of people. Everyone here has a cell phone and the cellular advertising dominates the city (Zain being the most popular phone advertisement). Previously no one here had any form of personal communication so they love their cell phones as much as an American adolescent.

One of the more tragic, and noticeable, things about Lusaka is the lack of an elderly generation. Lusaka has a very high HIV/AIDS infection rate and it has devastated the population. The average life expectancy is around 38 years old, making me one of the older people. Outside of Lusaka we can easily notice that the majority of the population is below 5 years old. There are lots of children and not many old folks.

The climate here is dry, very dry, and almost desert like. We are here in the middle of the dry season so there is no need to worry about the weather. It is clear and sunny every day. We are only at 10 degrees south so we are very close to the equator so it is plenty hot. However, it can get cold in the tent at night (around 50 degrees). We see dust devils almost every day stirring up the dust. Trees are deciduous and some species have lost their leaves for the dry season, so it looks like winter (which technically it is). However many trees here flower during the dry season so there are a few bright reds and purples that stand out.

Mosi-oa-tyna

"The Smoke that Thunders" - Victoria Falls


Livingstone, Zambia. Well I thought I would never curse paved roads, especially after the dirt road to Mansa. However, the great north road to Livingstone left me saying, "What is so great about it?" During the latter half of the six-hour drive here we were either swallowed in dust from a detour (zero visibility at times) or we were dodging potholes in the asphalt that would have damaged the land cruiser. No sampling on this trip down, and no stopping at the roadside stores (although we don't really see any).


We arrive in Livingstone and get to camp on the lawn of Jolly Boys Backpacker lodge. A crazy place to find in Africa, it is crawling with Aussie and European 20 somethings on vacation. They lounge around the pool (yes pool) and in various areas with chairs and cushions. It is like being on vacation in a fraternity house. In the afternoon we arrive at the falls and are too late to see the water, as the staff wants to go home on time. They will not let us into the park even though it is open. We proceed to the vendors that line the road to the falls (about twenty stalls). They all promise to give us "closing discount", "Sunday discount", or "50% off price, I promise you". We all try our hand at bargaining with these guys who are a shrewd as an Arab camel trader.

On day two here we go to see Victoria Falls, however due to dry season low water it is only flowing at the southern end. Still very impressive, but in the wet it is a curtain of water that flows over a quarter mile cliff face. We still get some great pictures complete with a morning rainbow in the mists and some group pictures walking around the falls. Also now we can say we have been to the Falls. We pick up a couple of live Coelatura spp. while walking above the falls and put them on ethanol.

Later today we are going to return for a "sundowner" at the falls and finish everyone's shopping list for people at home. Tomorrow we resume sampling on the Kafue River and hopefully our success with hold out again. This will be our first major sampling on the Zambezi River (other than the few from above the falls). After that we will again be in Lusaka for a day and then I am heading home.

Lake Bangweulu

"Crocodile warning beaches are the best beaches......Because no one is in the water."
-Dan Graf, Zambia 2008

Following Kasama we head west to Lake Bangweulu with a short overnight in Mansa. We took a minor road to the west towards Mansa. A minor road in Zambia is unpaved, but we are assured that it is still better than any roads in Congo. A third rate road in Zambia appears to be a wide foot path. We spend seven hours on dirt roads, with the dry season we are all covered in a layer of dust. The Land Cruisers also take a beating and doors and latches begin to freeze up from the dust. We stop for the night in Mansa and get a shower and some Italian food, Zambian style.

Most things in Zambia don't work or are intermittent therefore you just print a menu with every possibility. There was an extensive menu at the restaurant but with every order the waitress told us that they were out of this, and out of that (as I recall they were out of chicken......... 1/2 the menu). Most of us settle on pizza, Jeremy orders Cordon Blue and it arrives as chicken fried steak.

We wake and after a quick resupply and a frustrating 30min at the internet cafe‚ we leave town. By 10am we are at Samfya and Lake Bangweulu. The lake takes up most of the north western portion of upper Zambia. It is a large lake with an associated wetland that is huge, probably many times the size of the lake. This is the home of the illusive Shoebill Stork, but at this time of year we will not see any, they are deep in the wetland. This is also very close to where David Livingstone died while looking for the headwaters of the Nile River.

The water in the lake is clear and very soft, mussel shells are decalcified when the organisms die. Some dead shells we find are only the periostracum (outer protein coat) and little shell is left, the exact opposite of what happens back home. We ask a few locals about crocodiles in the lake and they tell us that this time of year they go south, but most guide books warn that the place is crawling with crocodiles. Luckily we don't see any. Along with the help of some locals we find nine Mutela hargari, and Lake Bangweulu is the type locality for this species. Finding live individuals was one of the goals of the trip so all consider this a success. We have enough for molecular work and for soft tissue anatomy. We also find more Coelatura spp. here and we collect enough for the population genetics work.

We are finished by about 3pm and have enough time to set up camp on the beach and process samples without using headlamps (a first for the trip).

Some News from Zambia

Sampling for Mussels in the Chambeshi

After arriving in Kasama, Zambia we had some days for field sampling freshwater mussels. It is much harder to get around here than I first thought and took five days just to get here, get organized and get to the northern half of the country. We headed out a dirt road to the east of Kasama, which took about four hours to go 110Km. We arrived at Mbasuma Ranch, which is a river crossing village with a small ferry. Everyone was excited to see us and after the usual greetings of "Good Morning" and "How are you?" we asked about mussels "Lwili" in the river. About ten to fifteen men were interested in helping us for a few Kwacha each. They seemed to know where to sample and found plenty of three species we were interested in, enough for me to sample nearly sixteen from each and hopefully get some population estimates with enough other sampling locations. Dan and Kevin are happy to get soft tissues for these as no one has described soft tissue anatomy for any of these. In addition, they have described the local Mutela species as a new taxa. When we ask if there are crocodiles in the river, the answer is a firm "Oh, yes" and a few gestures suggest that we should stay within a few meters of the ferry, we follow the suggestion closely. Afterwards it is time to talk with them and hand out a few tic-tacs for the kids who are a big hit. Most of the adults assure us that the children in the area (which are the majority of the population here) have never seen white folks before. So the experience is a lot like being the mayor or president. Everyone stares and wants to interact with us.

The next site is on the way home and I think the whole village nearby (which has a church sponsored school) comes out to see what we are doing. A young boy helps us sample, and we all get in the water and there are no hints about crocodiles or schistosomyosis. This kid dives down into the water and is a great swimmer he collects lots of mussels, but not nearly as many as we found earlier. Again we are a big hit and are surrounded by kids while we are packing the truck, everyone stares and cheers for us. Amazing that most people here can speak to us in English! One kid asks us where we pray, and suggests that we should be catholic. He then asks Kevin, "Will you sponsor me, sir?", we are not sure what this means but many here are orphans and he might have been asking for a quick adoption. Kevin gives a few Kwacha in response. We then have a long trip back on dirt roads for four hours, dinner and camping at a nice lodge in Kasama. We wake up to the best continental breakfast....homemade toast, butter and jam, with big cups of coffee grown on the Inn's property!

This trip is one of the many highlights of the trip a real "Africa" experience for all.

By Curt Elderkin

Jeremy Web Page Still not Updated...

For those of you checking my Africa link off my homepage, I haven't had a chance to update it while in country (and probably won't). I am fine and am having the time of my life.

By Jeremy T.

Zambia So Far..... (We're all still alive)

Wow so much to tell and so little time! Luckily, we had no problems with our long flights to Zambia and we have arrived with no problem. My first impression of Zambia via Lusaka was the heat. When we first landed it was cool but by the time we reached our first campsite the temperature was scorching. Most of the trip so far has been driving North to our sampling sites, and we have made some night stops in between. We made our first sampling trip yesterday and had some exciting results. Thankfully, the locals are willing to help us and this cuts down on time spent in the mud, because the locals either just tell us or go get some mussels for us. The local people are so curious to see us that we draw a crowd wherever we decide to sample. Yesterday kids were just touching my skin because it was so different from my own. So far we've seen some waterfalls and today we are heading to Kasanka National Park. We all want everyone at home to know that we are ok, we miss them, and that we are having a wonderful time. I have taken plenty of pictures but due to the poor internet connection here you will have to wait until I return to the states to see them. Until next time.....

2 days til takeoff!!!

Wow only two days until takeoff and I still can’t believe that I’m going! I have been so busy between work and school that I haven’t had very much extra time to post or even pack. But now that packing is done and I’m back at school reality is finally starting to set in….and I’m so excited. I can remember asking my mom back in November if she would let me go, and since I’m going you know she said yes. I still think that she’s going to worry but I guess that’s expected.
Luckily, I love to fly so I’m looking forward to the 17+ hour trip to and from Zambia. The movies on the way there aren’t too stellar, but the ones on the ride home look promising. Since I don’t sleep well on planes I’ll be watching movies, reading books, and working on three weeks worth of make-up work for my college courses so the movie choices are of great interest to me. Once we get to Zambia though I’m looking forward to collecting. If Dan doesn’t want to go in the water that’s fine because I’m more than ready to go! Except I’m not bringing the snorkel gear ; )
Besides collecting though, I’m naturally looking forward to seeing the wildlife, Victoria Falls, and the people in Zambia (I’m desperately hoping to see elephants and hippos in the wild). I should get to see a lot if we’re going to be camping for most of the trip. Hopefully, I won’t have any trouble with my camera so I can take a ton of pictures.
As far as I can tell I’m as ready as I’ll ever be!! I have all my shots, my two duffels are packed, my carry on looks like a movable pharmacy, and I said goodbye to the fam. Now I just have to survive 4 plane rides and 3 weeks in the African wilderness….How hard can it be?

The decision...

When Kevin asked me earlier this year if I was interested in going to Africa with him, I had to spend some time to think about it. My first thought on an exotic trip is “hell yes I want to go,” but with two kids and this trip not being my typical three night jaunt, I had to really ponder my decision. This trip will be my first time off the continent, and I have a bazillion questions (e.g., Departure tax? What’s that?). I sat down with my wife and we talked about everything possible, but in the end, she told me to go. I must admit, it was a harder decision than I thought it would be. Now I am ready and feel more comfortable with her support (she’s the best wife ever).

There are two things that really interest me (other than the diversity of animals and the fact that it’s Africa). The first is the African bush factor. I spent 18 months in the bush of Alaska and it was amazing, especially the nighttime sky. Even in rural Kansas the nighttime sky was polluted by city lights, but in Alaska, there were millions more stars and they all danced, glittered, and fluttered (not to mention the Northern Lights), and they seemed to be a lot closer. I am curious to see what the stars are like in Africa.

The second thing that interests me is the deadly animals. I am deathly afraid of snakes and in Africa, there are a few that could cause more harm than the typical Illinois garder snake. Everyone has told me not to worry about snakes, but to watch out for hippos and crocs; to me that is a no brainer. Comparing Zambian critters to those of Alaska, hippos are like moose and crocs are like bears (follow me on this)… hippos/moose appear to be these cute, cuddly herbivores that you want to pet and give a big noogie but are actually bad mo-fos that could charge and put a serious lickin’ on you, and crocs/bears like to hang out in water for a free meal and have big, razor sharp teeth (I can’t think of anything else to compare a reptile and mammal). However, in Alaska, there were no black mambas, spitting cobras, or puff adders.

Snakes or no snakes, I am looking forward to this trip. I get to meet new people, collect a few cool critters, and see some amazing sights.

Back to the Upper Congo

This trip to Zambia is my fourth to Africa in as many years — fifth, if you want to regard Egypt as part of Africa rather than the Middle East. In 2005, I was part of a group that visited various sites in the Zambezi Basin of southern Zambia. Kevin, who will be with us this year, was on that trip. In 2006, I went to the Lower Congo with Kevin and a bunch of other folks. And last year, I went to Zambia by myself to work with my colleague Alex. That 2007 expedition to Zambia focused on the upper-most part of the Congo Basin, but the water was high enough in the month of May to thwart much of my intended sampling. This year (starting the week after next), we will be covering many of the same sites, but at low water — and with a substantially larger group.

Because I have done this before, I have a pretty good idea what to expect: I know where to get supplies, I know the condition of the roads along our route, and I know which local beers I like and which I will use only in a pinch. Mosi: Great nights, great mornings, great beer. Hopefully, we will be able to find some of the mollusk species that have eluded us in the past, like Mutela hargeri and Etheria elliptica. I have lots of shells, but I want some soft tissues!

In addition to Kevin, we will be joined by a bunch of first-timers: Anthony, Curt, Jaci and Jeremy. While each of these people is at a different stage in their scholarly development — from undergraduate student to professor — they are all share the trait of having never sampled tropical African rivers and lakes for freshwater mussels. I am hoping that they are so eager to get wet and lay their hands upon the shelly beasts that I won’t have to. I can just sit on the shore and hold the money.

I am not looking forward to the long days of travel it will take to get from Tuscaloosa to Philadelphia to London to Lusaka, but that is the price to be paid for pushing back the frontiers of malacological knowledge.

Preparation for the Trip to Africa

This trip was organized by two well traveled mussel biologists from Philadelphia, PA (Dan) and Champagne-Urbana, IL (Kevin). The original idea was to sample, collect, and describe species of freshwater mussels from tributaries of the Zambezi and Congo Rivers that drain out of Zambia. Luckily due to some nice folks at NSF and TCNJ I can also participate. We will be there for the dry season to sample during low water conditions, and we will be in country for about three weeks. There are four other biologists involved in the trip including myself. This will be my second trip across the ocean, and my first trip to Africa.

There is much to learn in the next few days and even more to pack. I have an amorphous collection of camping gear, clothes, shoes, and books to get together, not to mention all the little items that I always forget. Luck for me there is a good packing list, and many suggestions online.

About 10 days till departure and man are my shoulders sore! Too many shots in too little time. I took the advice of my travel companions and got the Yellow Fever and Meningitis shots (thanks all!). All is well, but ibuprofen is involved. That makes a total of eight shots in the past few months!