Kondwani's Dilemma

Getting a bike was one of my top priorities after I arrived in Zambia. I wanted to be able to get out alone sometimes, to experience the essence of the town through my own filters.

WayiWayi is about a 30 minute walk to the heart of Livingstone, and most people who want to go to town take a taxi. It cost about 10 kwacha or one dollar. Like New York City, taxis are everywhere…everywhere there is pavement... which is only on the main roads. Unlike New York, many of the taxis are not registered or identified as such. When you are walking or riding on the street you hear a constant barrage of short horn toots behind you, as taxi drivers see a potential customer and announce their availability. You can't really be sure if the horn is directed at you asking if you want a ride or if the driver wants you to move so they can avoid the many potholes.

Lawrence and Agness's son, Kondwani, was asked to come home to Livingstone from Lusaka (the Zambian capitol) to help out around the house while Lawrence was in Norway. He has been my helper extraordinaire, helping me get oriented, and has been like gold, teaching me the ropes of the Livingstone “system”.

Kondwani was able to get me the bike I wanted, but it needed work so he took me to a “bike shop” at a street market in a section of town called Maramba. This part of town is what we in the US call the other side of the tracks. A white person does not go anywhere in Livingstone outside the many tourist lodges and resorts without being noticed, and more so in Maramba. The population of Livingstone is consistently friendly, but people look out for themselves. In any business transaction they will assume foreigners have money to burn, so I was very appreciative that Kondwani was with me to negotiate a good deal in the bike repairs.

When we were done Kondwani told me he needed to pick up some things at the market that his mom had asked for. He asked if I wanted to come with him or hang out at the bike shop. It seemed like a curious question since our business at the shop was finished (and frankly, being left alone there made me a little bit uncomfortable). But I thought I should ask him what he preferred.

Kondwani is very honest, and his reply made me smile. “Well, when you are with me, the merchants want to charge twice as much.”

“I’ll hang out here, or take a ride on my new bike.”

Kondwani

Maramba bike emporium

Emporium patrons