Fire

Burning is big in Zambia. In August many farmers burn their fields. The burning gets the ground ready for the new planting season and it also gets rid of snakes - poisonous black mambas and spitting cobras to name but two. Some people burn their yards as a precaution, as well, because no matter who starts the fire each person is responsible for protecting their own home and fruit trees from the flames. And it is easy for the fires to get out of control. We saw a lot of fires as we went to and from town - both day and night. But the fire we witnessed as we walked around Kasupe has its own story.

We were walking through Kasupe seeing the tomato farms, the sewer creek, the women carrying water and learning about the area. We came to a hill and a couple members of our group decided to wait at the bottom while the rest of us continued up for a bit. Off in the distance we saw a person burning the dry grass around his hut and trees. From one tree hung a bunch of white things - charms - denoting this to be the home of a 'healer' (witch doctor). We walked a bit further and then stopped and talked with our guides. The fire in the distance was getting bigger. Then suddenly our guides said we should go back down the hill because it looked as if our path would be cut off by the flames. As we headed back down the hill the fire grew and got extremely close. We ended up running down the rest of the way to our team members who had stayed at the bottom. It was a scary experience but an amazing memory.