July 13
Early Saturday morning we checked on our patient from last night who will forever be known as “Spinach Lady”. There were a few concerns, most notably her persistent dehydration and anemia, but overall she was holding her own and we felt confident leaving her in Jasper’s care.
The hospital administration has been very gracious toward us and they provided a Landcruiser and a driver for the 3½ hour drive to Kapili. We only had to pay for the fuel. The drive is over a typical Tanzania road, unpaved and, even in the dry season, uneven and innards-crushing bumpy in places. The Landcruiser in Africa is not the posh vehicle sold in the US. These are older style squarish affairs built for durability not comfort.
Kapili is a non-descript small town one step up from a village. As Louise, our hostess described it, “The rest of the world is going to the moon, Kapili is going to the market.”
Lake Tanganyika is the longest lake in the world and the second deepest. Its coastline borders four countries, the longest portion being
Tanzania. Kapili is located at about the junction of the upper two thirds and be bottom third of the lake. A mile or so down the coast from there lies a most unlikely piece of paradise. Conceived, built and operated by 
a wonderful young South African couple, Chris and Louise Horsfall, the Lakeshore Lodge offers everything the discriminating traveler seeks in luxury, exotic accommodations. Built on 55 acres of lakefront property the lodge is currently set up to accommodate about 20-30 guests in addition to a campground up the hill which could be used by many more. The meals are wonderful with most of the food (including livestock) being raised on site. The resident chef puts it all together in delicious and surprising ways. The décor around and in the wonderful open air lodge and living quarters is done in the most simple but comfortable way giving the entire place an air of Zen beauty and harmony. After arriving we spent the afternoon lounging by the lake reading and playing Scrabble. After a sumptuous dinner we hung out at the bar with some other guests and the owners enjoying come very interesting conversation. The next day we took kayaks out to an island about 3 miles out and spent the afternoon snorkeling in the crystal clear water watching an incredible number of species of fresh water fish and lounging on the rocks. It was a gre
at workout.
That evening some interesting people showed up. A woman physician from Chicago named Amy Lehman has taken on the project of building and operating a hospital ship to cruise the entire length of the lake to service the hundred or so villages that have no road access to the interior. As she tells it a foundation has put up seed money for to make a video that will present her project to major foundations to raise the 10 to 15 million dollars that completing and maintaining the project will require. Amy is interesting. She is a thirty six year old divorced mother, trained in surgery, heavily tattooed and an independently wealthy trust-
funder. She brought with her a maritime consultant trained at the coastguard academy and a high powered video-photographer named Ron to document her every move. He also is a walking canvas. I guess it’s possible that she can pull it off but right now the whole project smacks of hubris and narcissism. It will be interesting to follow the story as it unfolds.
After a somewhat raucous night with this bunch we got a good night’s sleep and prepared for our departure after breakfast. Waking up at the lodge to the lapping of the waves surrounded by relative silence is a pleasant experience. I write this sitting at the bar enjoying my second cup of excellent coffee awaiting the delicious communal breakfast to come. I could stay here for a long time but we need to go back. Our driver will call for us around 10:30 and take us back to the work we came here for. Tomorrow is a big surgical day.
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