Museums are open windows into a country’s past. The unassuming building in Livingston that housed the Livingston Zambia History Museum showcased a perfect narrative of their land and people, from early man to the modern day.
“Sympathy is no substitute for action.” -David Livingstone.
The story of David Livingstone’s travels throughout Africa, from searching for the source of the Nile river to his missionary work, relationship with the people of Africa, and his crusades as a believer in anti-slavery were inspiring. The museum has hundreds of hand written letters preserved in glass that you can pull and read the explorer’s thoughts.
The British invasion and attempted colonialism of Africa is a story of morbid fascination. The museum details out a timeline of this, from the initial invasion to Zambia’s eventual freedom from Britain.
I marvel at the tenaciousness of early explorers, and dream of how I might have handled a life such as this. Could there still be places to explore, wonders to discover? Perhaps I just need to hop onto a motorbike and find out….
“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
