We made our way out towards Samfya early yesterday morning for our last day of sampling in Luapula. Besides doing snail searches, collecting water samples, and such data we also visited with a butcher in the area to do some research about cattle diseases that are spread via snails (sort of like bilharzia but it effects the cow's liver). The butcher let us look through his records and was very helpful, we found out that in the Samfya area there is usally only 1-2 cows butchered every month (and there are at least 163,609 people in the district). Not very much meat eating going on here (unless it is fish, there is plenty of fish).Other items of note:
1) I found a frog in my shoe again, I have gotten relaxed about checking my shoes so I was in for a BIG surprsie once again! Those little creatures...
2) There was a large bush fire in the Mansa area when we drove back in the evening. You could see the glow of the flames from our home. I am not sure of the damage, the people around didn't seem too concerned and there is no fire department. There has been a lot of burning this year, apparently because people use fire to hunt for rats out in the fields for food. They burn the area to see where the rats run to hide. Apparently people did not grow enough food so they are burning earlier this year.
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