So after the beauty and wildlife of Mfuwe and the majesty of Victoria Falls, it was time to go to "the site". Throughout our trip The McPhee's referred to where they live as "the site". I knew what they meant but I had no idea what to expect.
The Site is the Barrick copper mine near the village of Lumwana, Zambia. It is an hour plane ride from Lusaka to Solwezi. From there it is about a 45 minute drive to the site. Once you get through security it is about 15 more minutes to the part of the site where Ian and Colleen live.
The best way to describe it is sort of like a military base. It is a self-contained village where people live, work, shop, go to school and socialize. Everything you need is pretty much there. The houses are a mix of pre-fab single family and duplexes. Each has a nice outdoor space and garden. Some of the residents have created beautiful areas to sit outside and enjoy the eternal springtime. Lumwana is blessed with gorgeous weather year round.
I expected it to be loud and dusty. And it was once you got into the real mining area. But in the community of homes filled with "nationals" and "ex-pats" it was strangely quiet and idyllic. Of course, many folks were away on holiday while I was there.
It is cut off from the rest of the world and I had the sense the entire time that nothing happening in the "real" world could touch me there. Sometimes the electricity goes out and you never knew when you would have Internet. But it never mattered.
I spent almost every minute lounging on the patio nursing my stupid foot and visiting with neighbors who stopped by for coffee or tea. I felt as if I had been transported to a different century. And I loved it. I never heard a phone ring or saw a plane fly over head. Occasionally, a truck would go by.
It is a simple life there. The social life revolves around the community that has been created by the jobs at the mine. If Coll needs something from the store she hops on her bicycle and is back in short order with whatever she was out of. They don't have a car. They don't need one. It was so soothing to realize that very little is really needed, when you get right down to it. All the comforts are there but there is nothing extraneous.
We were joined on New Years Eve by several neighboring families. We had food, drink, fire and fireworks. I am not usually a big fan of New Years hoopla. You can have Times Square and Ryan Seacrest.
I'll take a Lumwana New Years celebration at "the site" any time.
Next - The Story of "Ellie"
The Site is the Barrick copper mine near the village of Lumwana, Zambia. It is an hour plane ride from Lusaka to Solwezi. From there it is about a 45 minute drive to the site. Once you get through security it is about 15 more minutes to the part of the site where Ian and Colleen live.
The best way to describe it is sort of like a military base. It is a self-contained village where people live, work, shop, go to school and socialize. Everything you need is pretty much there. The houses are a mix of pre-fab single family and duplexes. Each has a nice outdoor space and garden. Some of the residents have created beautiful areas to sit outside and enjoy the eternal springtime. Lumwana is blessed with gorgeous weather year round.
I expected it to be loud and dusty. And it was once you got into the real mining area. But in the community of homes filled with "nationals" and "ex-pats" it was strangely quiet and idyllic. Of course, many folks were away on holiday while I was there.
It is cut off from the rest of the world and I had the sense the entire time that nothing happening in the "real" world could touch me there. Sometimes the electricity goes out and you never knew when you would have Internet. But it never mattered.
I spent almost every minute lounging on the patio nursing my stupid foot and visiting with neighbors who stopped by for coffee or tea. I felt as if I had been transported to a different century. And I loved it. I never heard a phone ring or saw a plane fly over head. Occasionally, a truck would go by.
It is a simple life there. The social life revolves around the community that has been created by the jobs at the mine. If Coll needs something from the store she hops on her bicycle and is back in short order with whatever she was out of. They don't have a car. They don't need one. It was so soothing to realize that very little is really needed, when you get right down to it. All the comforts are there but there is nothing extraneous.
We were joined on New Years Eve by several neighboring families. We had food, drink, fire and fireworks. I am not usually a big fan of New Years hoopla. You can have Times Square and Ryan Seacrest.I'll take a Lumwana New Years celebration at "the site" any time.
Next - The Story of "Ellie"
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