Zambia - 22 to 30 April 2007

Hi all,

After Chobe we made our way to Kasane to take the Kazangula ferry to Zambia . At the point where the ferry crosses into Zambia , the Okavango river meets the Zambezi and it is also the only place in the World where four countries meet ( Namibia , Botswana , Zambia and Zimbabwe )- it was a special moment to behold. Sjoe, what a busy border crossing, with so many trucks and vehicles wanting to make the ferry crossing and so many touts offering their services to ease our passage through the border. We relented and made use of their services and for a small fee our border crossing time was drastically reduced and we made our way to Livingstone, our first stop in Zambia .

We stayed at a campsite called Maramba River Lodge and whilst frolicking in the pool that afternoon, one of the other guests on the deck called us to observe a crocodile slowly swimming up the river. There were also signs all over the campsite urging visitors to be aware of crocodiles and hippos are known to graze in the campsite too. Just in case we had forgotten, a reminder that we are in the heart of Africa . The following day saw us taking in the splendour of the Victoria Falls or 'Mosi-Oa-Tunya' as it is known in the vernacular, 'The smoke that thunders'.

Although some of us have been to Zimbabwe in the past and viewed the falls from there, the vistas from the Zambian side is so much better, and with the rivers being in full flood, the falls were most awe inspiring. We spent about 6hrs at this, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, getting thoroughly drenched and taking dozens of photos. It was a beautiful day which culminated in us having dinner at an African restaurant where the lovely waitrons go on their knees cupping their hands when patrons arrive and depart. The following day we headed off to the hustle and bustle of Lusaka . We arrived at about 5pm and got caught up in the peak hour traffic - crazy.

We spent the next few days at a campsite called EUREKA where we met one of the characters of the trip thus far. In addition to being a fountain of information on Southern Africa , he was an entertainer of note. He is a Namibian named John, and he had us all in stitches for hours with his funny anecdotes and his manner of expressing himself in Afrikaans. If you are reading this John 'Dankie swaar, maar jy het gejok oor die paaie in Malawi'. Dean and Vanita went out and celebrated their anniversary with a delectable dinner at an Indian restaurant called 'Bukhara' where they met Archie and Solomon, two locals from Lusaka who provided great company and many a laugh as they watched the last part of the semi-final cricket between South Africa and Australia - enough said. Lusaka is truly a bustling African city especially along Cairo Road , and here we were confronted with smiles, laughter, greetings and assistance wherever we went. Some G/R's even tested their stomachs with tasty local 'cuisine' in Lusaka's hectic street market - what an eye opener! Once again, the photo of Madiba on the vehicles sparked off a lot of interest and commentary.

We also visited our second South African Embassy in Zambia where we once again presented ourselves and promoted the Nelson Mandela bay leaving behind some promotional material. Dean met with a Mr Teddy B. Ceke, a political counsellor. Eddy also got his soccer ball which he is taking around the world to the various soccer unions, signed by a representative of the Zambian Football Association. Our next port of call was Chipata, via the Luangua Bridge, where we stayed at a campsite called Mama-Rula's, owned by Afrikaans speaking Zimbabweans, who were great hosts and very helpful as Deans vehicle needed some handy man work. The roads were so bad between Lusaka and Chipata that both Dean and Gary suffered cracked rims which were repaired in Chipata. A hectic excursion to South Luangwa NP surprised us with with an idyllic setting along the river- filled with crocs & hippos, where we stayed for two days. The highlight though was an informative guided game drive at sunset & into the night, winding through the park. The next night was our last night in Zambia , which some of us spent in Chipata and the others at the Park.

Until next time,Ciao for now.