7 hour bus journey today from Lusaka to Chapata, a small village in northeastern Zambia. As I was preparing to pitch my trusty tent, a pickup truck rolled by and offered me a lift to South Luongwa, the national park I was headed for. Two hours of the bump & toss on a horribly rutted dirt road across rural Zambia. He was a white South African, mid 20’s, dirty hands, barefoot. He didn’t say a word. His silence made me a bit apprehensive so I tried to break the ice with the usual barrage of predictable questions. His answers were short quick fragments, as if he was worried someone was charging him per word uttered. After 20 minutes, he stopped abruptly and got out to fumble in a box in the bed of the truck. He returned with two cold beers and a smirk. He chain smoked a local African blend and I was impressed with his dexterity at shifting gears, juggling a beer, and firing up a smoke. Eventually, after 4 trips to the back of the truck, he loosened up to the point where I couldn’t get him to shut the hell up. He dropped me off at the park entrance gate and wished me well.
On the journey, we had passed a sign which was hand painted on a wall of an old crumbling structure. It was so classic that I had to stop and write it down so I could relay its eloquence here:
“Welcome to the African Doctor, Dr. Pawanga- International Traditional Healer from Mbala
We cure diseases such as STD’s, TB, mental ill, sores, stomach pain, pain in limbs, impotence (manhood expansion), body protection, love & marriage charms, lucky & business charms, recovery of the stolen items, job finding & promotion, and hemmoroids.
Don’t forget that the origin of modern hospitals is in the traditional herbs. Call Dr. Pawanga 097-893860 ”
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