Kalimba Reptile Park

This afternoon, we visited Kalimba Reptile Park, which is located about 45 minutes from our house.  

Kalimba has several snakes including a python and mambas, but our favorite thing was the crocodiles.  

We saw crocodiles in a variety of sizes.

And, we saw some of the largest crocodiles enjoying a lunch of chickens.

We got within a few feet of many of the large crocodiles.

After seeing the animals, the girls had a fabulous time playing at the playground.  

We had a lot of fun at Kalimba and I am sure that we will go again!

My First Time Driving in Lusaka

This morning, I did something that was both exciting and terrifying.  I drove for the first time in Zambia!  Since we first started talking about moving here, I have been dreading driving in Lusaka.  They drive on the wrong side of the road and I read in multiple sources that many of the drivers are a little crazy.  

For the first two weeks that we were here, Mark's company lent us their driver.  On the weekends, Mark has been driving our car (a Toyota Prado).

This week, the girls and I have mostly stayed home. Yesterday, we needed to run some errands at the mall and hired a taxi (with a driver recommended by a friend) for the afternoon.  I was thankful that the taxi driver was available to drive us as the traffic around Manda Hill shopping center can get a little crazy!

Today, the girls had art class, which is only about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from our apartment and on the main road near us.  I did not want to pay a taxi for such a short drive, so decided to drive it myself.  The girls and I loaded up into our car and headed to art class. 

While it was scary at first, driving in Lusaka was not that bad.  I am still not ready to drive in the busy parts of town and it feels weird to drive on the opposite side of the car and the road, but I feel confident about driving near our house.  

Lunch at Revolucion Mexican Bar and Grill

For lunch today, we decided to try a Mexican restaurant here in Lusaka.  Having moved from Texas, we like our Mexican food and we are accustomed to eating at Mexican restaurants on a regular basis.  We saw that Revolucion Mexican Bar and Grill had 4 out of 5 stars on Trip Advisor (and is one of the few Lusaka restaurants with any reviews), so we decide to try it.  They do not have a website, but you can see their Facebook page here.  

With the tropical trees and the Mexican decor, I felt like I was dining in Mexico.

We did not expect the food to be as good as what we got in Texas, but we were still hopeful for good food.  As it turned out, the food was mediocre; not bad, but not great either.  

We had chips and salsa,

chicken burritos,

pork tacos,

and meat and cheese quesadillas.

I was told by another American that the Revolucion has great margaritas and is a wonderful place for happy hour, so we might have to try that sometime.  We have also heard that there is a very good Mexican restaurant, owned by a Nicaraguan, close to our house.  The next time we are craving Mexican food, I think that we will try it.