Soya, protein and some bike ridin’

Grand adventure today. Twenty to thirty km bike ride in search of the elusive soya bean. There’s a big farm fifteen km away that grows them for animal feed. So I’m gonna try and get ten to fifteen kg for my own consumption and cooking demos after community entry (1st three months actually living in my village). Woo protein and food security.

Setting off on my adventure I headed out into the big bad bush. I had all the necessities, water, steri pen, bike tool, rear bike rack that I’d lashed together this morning out of reeds, and my camera. Riding past my school, I started the long incline to the road. Eight km and about two liters of sweat later I crested my final hill and spilled out into the road. A few quick photos later and some hearty chugs of water and I was off… At cruising speed. After doing ten to twenty km a day on sand, I raced along the paved road with ease the ten km to the farm.

I stopped at the gates and shouted a hearty “odi” – hello – I’d been warned the farm was protected by a pair of very unfriendly pups. The assistant manager to the farm came to escort me and together we headed to the storage house. After some fast paced haggling and some friendly banter we settled on ten kg for 45,000 kwatcha…around eight dollars. Then he added a bonus for the purchase and our new friendship. We made our way around the farm before I started off back to Chisunka.

When I reached home I headed straight for the hammer mill. I had all twelve kg made into soya meal. I stopped by the agriculture officer’s place and inquired after some bamboo – for my furniture etc. then made it safe back to my hut. There I studied bemba a little, relaxed and now I’m making pasta with a thick soya meal and fresh tomato red sauce. Hello yummy!


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