It is a pleasure to wander into the garden and pick fresh fruit. Pawpaw trees (papaya) are very quick and easy to grow. Allow the ripe black seeds from a pawpaw to dry for a day or two then plant them in full sun in good soil. You cannot predict whether the tree will be […]
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Fool On The Hill
Psychopaths. They’re all around us. They’re in our homes, they sit down to dinner with us. They loom behind us in the back seat as we drive, our bulging eyes alert in the rear view mirror to the next twist of their unpredictable behaviour. They roam our neighbourhoods in gangs and extort money out of […]
Read the rest of this entry »Mole In The Hole
Groundee Rent AGAIN I use a saying “I may not always be right, but I am never wrong”. Well, it just goes to show you, my far better half did indeed prove me wrong. She is quite good at it, it is rather irritating but there you go, my boundless optimism was misplaced again. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Prince And Pauper
In 1972 I returned to Nairobi to collect my Piper Comanche if not the wiser, at least a much poorer man, as Larry Popp had been justifiably upset about the loss of his Cessna Skyhawk I had hired. And most of all the small profit I had made from the British […]
Read the rest of this entry »Beauty Naturally
TONERS Many people skip the toning step and go from cleansing directly to moisturising. It is your decision but personally I really like toning for two main reasons: toners help in removing the last traces of cleanser or mask and it is a great way to refresh your face on a hot day (it […]
Read the rest of this entry »Up On The Ridge
Sixty years on and whilst it has had its ups and downs, they have mostly been ups and it has maintained its reputation as one of Lusaka’s top hotels. The Ridgeway. Officially opened in 1953, this Grand Lady has had many thousands of people from all walks of life enter her front doors, whether […]
Read the rest of this entry »Boys Will Be Boys
With the current cold spell that we are experiencing in Lusaka, we have to admit that it sounds like a wonderful idea – a day running around in the bush, dressed up in long sleeves and long trousers. It will certainly get one warmed up. Even better though, shooting people could well be a […]
Read the rest of this entry »Music Review
Vested In Love By Marsha Moyo Music reviews are not something that we usually do at The Lowdown, as we don’t feel qualified to undertake such a task. But when Marsha sent us her latest album, we thought about it and realised that music is a personal choice and whilst we might not have […]
Read the rest of this entry »Northern Poles
The Polish Refugees of Mbala By Mary Mbewe The pay cheque is definitely not one of the perks of working for a museum. But there are many other perks, not the least of which is getting to visit and find out about places that hold great historical and heritage value. Due to the poorly developed […]
Read the rest of this entry »Valika Dothi
Ninety four year old Rev. Aston Mhango of New African Methodists remembers that fifty years ago there were still lions and other wild animals that roamed about in Naluyanda area of Chibombo district – known as 6 miles by Lusaka dwellers. In the 70s and early 80s most trees were gone, wild animals disappeared and […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Water Hole
Lusaka residents look set to drastically reduce their water usage, thanks to the brand new pre-paid meters that the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) will be installing this year. This startling initiative has been inspired by a combination of both a public outcry and pilot study conducted by the LWSC in 2007 in […]
Read the rest of this entry »Fighting Soldiers
They are War Veterans, yes, but not as we normally hear of them in this region. They are Freedom Fighters too, but not the Freedom Fighters that fought for Zambia’s independence. These are the men who fought for the freedom that allowed the Freedom Fighters to fight for Zambia’s independence. These are the Zambian’s who […]
Read the rest of this entry »Baby Elephant Walk
When one understands that elephants, like humans, form close family groups, it makes a visit to the Elephant Orphanage Project at Lilayi a heart wrenching yet at the same time heart warming experience. Run by Game Rangers International, the Elephant Orphanage Project had five orphans in their care when we visited them in April. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Shoebills in the Bangweulu
The pre-historic looking shoebill is on many people’s must-see list, and not only birders make the trip to the Bangweulu Wetlands to have a look at this strange creature. It is a long journey into the swamps, and even after hours of paddling, there is no guarantee that you will encounter this elusive bird. However, […]
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