Off The Road

Picture this: six Irish natives cramped aboard a night-time, shackled, poorly lit, twelve hour long cross-country bus, eager to land on this new terrain. Our eyes drooped as the murmurs of prayers buzzed in swarms amongst passengers, mainly families or old men, perhaps having just returned from the country's main hospital, or more likely, having just departed the city of Lusaka for the rural wonder of Mongu in which we were to spend three weeks residing. Our sleepiness converted to deliriousness as our bus became a mobile fog machine....indoors. In a back corner seat, a basket to my right and three children to my left, it dawned on me that smoke was ascending from my seat. Here I was, a fresher student wide-eyed for travel and adventure and freedom, ready to take on the world and already it seemed the world was ready to take me. My panic amplified as we filed out of the bus with no source of light to us all- literally, not even a torch or a working phone to boot- only to realise we were in the centre of A WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. Richie, our leader, had previously travelled Mongu and mumbled the sanctuary was likely a six hour drive from civilisation...I my eyes darted. Elephants snored five metres from the road beside what looked like a fruit tree, dog-like creatures squinted from a safe distance, zebras flicked their ears and tongues , craning their necks in our directions. I should have been in wonder but instead I was horrified, fearful my remaining days on this planet would remain challenged with these physically superior creatures."What's happening...what's happening..."....this was it. A middle aged woman chuckled "Say you're prayers girl, God will take you tonight!". The entire group erupted into fits of laughter, my fellow travelers included. Suddenly I eased, and a smile crept upon my face. The air was warm and light. The road was dirt and lined with razor sharp, thick, long blades of grass that led to the jungle of animals, some sleeping by us, some peering in curiosity. I gazed up to a sky brighter than any light, the Milky Way a god amongst a brilliance of stars filling the black of the night. This was my first day, this was a sign of the beauty to come. My serene smile grew tiresome as I plonked myself beside the bus...only to realise the vehicle was propped upon not four, but three wheels! My head nodded downwards to view a pair of paws at my feet...The transition hours from day one to two most certainly seemed like a tricycle of hairy affairs...