Ian and I both feel more comfrortable in Zambia than we did in Zimbabwe. The people seem a bit friendlier and it was less intimidating.
This was the first of three very long days of travel. The truck is quite cmfortable but my liver and kidneys have done the jive across Zambia. Whilst the roads are better than Zimbabwe, which isn't hard, they aren't quite up to our standards.
We are learning to use the bush as a bathroom and do the snake stomp to find a discreet spot. Apparently the snakes and scorpions want to see us less than we want to see them, so we stamp our way through the bush. Unfortunately most of the trees are deciduous and our driver forgets the ladies need a bit more cover than the blokes!
Zambia has over 9 million people in a country the size of France. Only 25,000 have internet....I rest my case.
The landscape is very flat for most of this journey but we get to pass villages that are dotted alongside the road. Africans seem to appear out of nowhere and disapear into nowhere. One lady carrying a large water container on her head and a sleeping baby wrapped in a bright cloth across her back appeared out of the bush on a dirt track. No one else could be seen for miles around but she was chatting on a cell phone.
We had a nice camp round just out of Lusaka. We could have a hot shower and I had to ignore the huge spider on the ceiling in the toilet. 5.15 am start for Chipata. This was a long day! We left at 6 amd arrived at 5.30pm. Election results were coming outr so when we stopped at the supermarket wee were told to keep moving and get to the camp ground as quickly as possible. Hot, tired, grumpy and ready for a shower, they had a power cut when we got there so not water pumps fpr the showers. Oh the joys. A swim had to do.
Stopped at a market along the way. Rows and rows of tiger fish were lined up in the sun for sale. I guess they were dried but the smell was fairly potent. I had to resort to the mouth breathing again.
Went over into Malawi today. The border crossing went smoothly but getting there gave us a bit of excitment. The election results were through and the opposition had won. The streets were full and some idiot jumped on the truck cab and another got in (we were still moving at the time) and stole the drivers glasses and sandwiches. The cab is separate so we only new about the guy on the top at the time. A bit of excitement for the tourists.
Malawi is supposed to be the poorest country in Africa but the perception from the truck gave a different story. the houses seemed sturdier and many had crops growing on average size plots. As a write this a lizard about 6 inches long has come to join me! Oh and here is another one..
It is fascinating to watch the Africans go about their business. Water is being pumped or drawn from wells. Kasava is being pounded in large earthern containers and looks like hot exhausting work. Babies are hanging off mother's sides being fed, while they carry on collecting firewood or gardening. The red dirt around their little huts is swept with grass switches. The men sit in the sun! Not entirely true, but the women do seem to do the lion share of the work.
Malawi has lovely scenery and is less littered than Zim and Zam. Apparently the people are very friendly here. After a long day on the truck where our spines were pounded through our skulls, we have arrived at Kande beach.It is stunning here and bordering on a resort...African style. All the couples have upgraded to a chalet, deciding we didn't want sand trailinghrough our tents and our undies! It is quite stunning here.Lake Malawi is the 3rd largest lake in Africa and the 4th largest in the world. Known as the calendar lake it is 365kms long and 52kms wide.
It is getting dark, so must go and have that beer (which I am becoming partial to) and put on some mossy spray.
If we haven't answered any emails it's because I am having trouble getting into them. This keyboard isd about one sentence behind me as I type. We have no cell coverage at the moment eith.
Happy birthday Jan for tomorrow, in case we cant get in touch.
Love to you all
Sue
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