Zambia 7-30/9/2015

Vic Falls in the dry season viewed from Zambia

Practice makes perfect!

7/9/2015 Chipata to Bush camp
D76, T3.5, Av21.67, Max62.5, 45584, 9856
Hot and dry
We had a laid back morning with Brett who had a huge night, slowly packed, we headed into the Spar supermarket. Here we met a Dutch couple who were travelling by motorbike.
We arranged to catch up with them at the national park where we were both heading.
The road from Chipata was tarmac, and gently sloping downhill all day. It was easy riding again.
We have had easy riding since leaving the Lake in Malawi. The temperatures are now increasing. Some locals told us that now till the beginning of the rains around November it will get increasingly hot.
There were wells most of the way, located around the many small villages we rode through.
Boab trees are scattered amongst the dry landscape. Charcoal is still for sale in bags along the roadside.
Nearing dark we pulled in off the road and found a campsite amongst very dry grass and trees some way from the road. There are few people about between villages.
Sometimes it is a bit of a concern should a fire break out nearby our camp, it would spread so rapidly in the tinder dry grass beneath the trees.

8-9/9/2015 Bush camp to Croc Valley Camp
D75, T4, Av18.59, Max64, 45659, 9931
The camp had not been disturbed all night. As other blogs have mentioned we are finding that between villages here in Zambia there are plenty of opportunities for camping.
Out on the road the day was heating up fast.
Callum and I had been talking about flat tyres and the few we had had on this journey.
Murphys law kicked in and my rear tyre went down rapidly after descending down into the valley below, where the Luangwa NP lies.
This was repaired, no sooner than doing so it went down .I got a spare tube from my pannier. This had been with me for 10,000 km. Consequently where it had been folded was chafed and had a hole in it .
Cal had to give me one of his spare tubes.
They headed off to wait for me in the village before the park.
I had to go out to the airport to register my Zamtel card. Before doing so, a stop was made at the corner of the main road, where chips, salad and sodas were enjoyed. It was 4km to the Zamtel tower and the little office, if you could call it that.
Here the guy registered my sim card.

I caught up with the guys in Mfuwe, where we tried to buy a tube. All the African tubes out here had presta type valves. Our pumps would not fit the narrow tips.
We headed the couple of km through the town to where the lodges are located.
We had arranged to meet Suzanne and Roland at the Wildlife park camp area.
It was 6km in and was getting late. We decided to checked out the Croc Village camp area. Once in here we were happy with the prices. Up at the bar, we got a call from a table. It was Suzanne and Roland, it was great to see them so we booked the same safari deal as they did.
This included a morning tour, afternoon tour and 3 meals during the day and 1 nights accomamdtion. It was great value for $US100.

We had new safari style tents on concrete slabs for accommodation. Ben and Cal shared one. That night we had a bit of a pool comp together over a few drinks.
Next morning at 0530 we had breakfast and set off about 0600. We had to pay the $US25 to get into the park.
The vehicle was a Landcruiser with a canopy roof and 3 rows of tiered seats. A great viewing platform
In the morning we saw hyenas and a leopard. The afternoon drive saw us excitingly see three lions, which is what we had come to see.
Elephants were common, as were different antelope and of course the hippos in every part of the river that bounds the park.
During the evenings elephants were grazing on trees above my tent. There were branches falling on the tent. I lay there thinking there is not much between me and him. However, the management had an electric strip around the area as a deterrent.
The power was out much of the time in the resort due to the low level in Lake Kariba.
Even in Chipata, there was power rationing some suburbs had it one day and others the next.
Our time was made more enjoyable here in the company of Roland and Suzanne whom we went on both safaris and dined with.

9/9/2015 Croc Valley Camp to Kapi village
D75, T4, Av16.22, Max36, 45734, 10,006
We were up early. I went over tho get the food which had been stored behind the bar.
The monkeys that live around the camp are notorious at stealing food. I had my back turned just for a moment and one rushed in and grabbed my milk powder packet off the table. Then moments later even while I was just standing at the other end of the table, one raced in and stole a packet of soya chunks.
No use telling them to bring it back! We got ready slowly, it had been a relaxing stop here, they even had a swimming pool. It had vertical sides which had to be fashioned on a slope as a hippo fell in and they could not get him out without killing it and cutting it up.
They can now walk up the slope into the pool.
Once packed, we said goodbye to Roland and Suzanne and headed off to the airport where I had to again get my Zamtel card activated.
I asked some South Africans who were travelling in a Landrover Discovery that was fully decked out for touring and camping. It had every imaginable extra.
All this for only $A60,000, at home that would be the price of just the vehicle.
The guy out there at the office by the tower used his name on another sim card which only cost 70c each.
From here, we took the dirt track to Msoro.
All along this track were villages and wells to keep our water bottles filled.
The road was almost flat and had a solid sandy surface, it was almost as good as riding on tarmac without all the traffic.
There were villages every few kilometres. All had some little brick houses but always had the circular huts off the ground for storing the ever important maize and groundnuts. These have to last them through the dry period.
The maize is periodically shucked as needed and taken to the village mill to be ground and made into nshima the staple food here.
Late in the day my tyre had moved on the rim again and ripped the valve off.
I had bought a replacement tube in Mfuwe earlier in the day.
The only tubes available had presta type thin hose type valves, our pumps would not fit these.
Luckily, some guys had a pump, so they inflated it for me.
They really knew what they were doing.
Anyway some 3km down the road the same thing happened. For some reason the tyre is moving around the rim as I ride.
It ripped another valve off.
We had to stop in the now darkness and ask if we could camp in a village. The elders said it was fine.
We had a huge audience of kids under a mango as we ate an adhoc meal of bread and peanut butter tomatoes and noodles.
It was so hot in the evening air we had to camp out in the open.
I looked again at the wheel and glued the rim tape to the rim, thinking it was slipping .
We were in our tents having set them up in the dark and slept well.

10/9/2015 Kapi village to Katete
D68, T5.3, Av12.21, Max33, 45,802 9931
Very hot 30+ degrees and a hot dry nor easter .
As usual, up early, the bike was taken for a ride around the village. Once again, within 500m the valve was on an angle.
The tyre was moving on the rim. To sort this out, elastic glue was placed between the rim and the tyre in an effort to stop this tube destroying movement.
After some 15 minutes I tried again, great, it had worked.
We spent time with the village people before we left.
I met one woman who was about 40 years, introduced me to her daughter who was no more than 26 years. There were four children there, whom three were the daughters, she also had a baby on her back. Another girl there had lost her mum 3 days after giving birth. This family was looking after her.
This gave me a real insight into the young age of people in Africa.
Here infront of me were two women no older than 40 and three generations.
We packed, I gave the people 20 kwacha, they gave us a bag of peanuts that they also grow here.
The men said last years rains were not sufficient. They used the term “climate change” which we have heard a few times here.
Out on the road it was great to know this tyre problem had been solved.
Riding was still easy on the flat hard surface. Villages and wells were every 5 to 10 km.
We stopped to talk to people on many occasions.
The odd boab tree was spotted among the other trees.
The main crops out here are cotton, maize and groundnuts (peanuts).
The day was getting very hot, so about 1200 we stopped under a big mango and had lunch.
Ben and I cooked up a big pasta, while Cal had a tuna salad, we stopped here for a couple of hours. The wind was even hot and dry.
Once on the road again having been through Msoro, the road now became rocky and hilly.
Our average was getting less.
Again, we stopped at every well for water. The villages were now further apart.
My rear tyre started making a noise again, however the valve was still vertical out of the rim hole so all was ok.
My bikes fittings are starting to show signs of wear. The rear derailleur is getting sloppy, the brake levers have worn moving parts and the brake pad arms are also a bit loose.
Both my Power Grip pedals are now very worn and loose. These will most not likely make it all the way.
If possible, things will be replaced on arrival in Cape Town.
The last 20km before the main road and Katete was hilly and rocky. We were all very wornout. I took an energy gel, the first in months.
Getting closer to town my vision was getting blurry, a sure sign that fatigue had set in. We stopped for bread a few km before town.
Finally, we got to the asphalt, it was now dark. The main road, the Great eastern Highway at Katete was narrow with broken edges, getting narrower all the time.
We stopped for dinner of chicken and nshima, then bought yoghurt at a supermarket.
Whilst sitting outside, I put my purse on a seat.
At the Jesnoit guesthouse, I went to pay the bill. The penny immediately dropped. In my wornout state, my purse had been left on the seat.
My debit card was in it. The money was little.
My guard had been dropped and the consequences were paid. Anyway I thought, not bad after four and a half years without losing this kind of thing.
I have another account with a debit card so all is ok.
It has been a long time since I have been this fatigued and physically stressed after a days riding.
It is a time to be very vigilant about belongings.

11/9/2015 Katete to bush camp after Sinda
D63, T3.16, Av19.24, Max40, 45,865 9994
Very hot 30+ degrees and a hot dry nor easter .
It was possible to get a skype connection so my card could be cancelled.
I have been using Zamtel for the internet, or trying to. They have a full signal with internet. A local businessman in town told us they are government owned and are “shit” to quote him.
So, even this morning there is no signal. I will now purchase a MTN card.
Ben had to buy a foam mattress in town and cut it to size as his Exped liteweight airbed has also delaminated.
Cals replacement is already in Africa which is good of Exped.
The asphalt road in town had decaying edges and was extremely narrow. Many locals were riding bikes along the dirt edges.
Leaving town, the Portuguese company building roads in Chapata was also constructing a new section on this road.
So it was great riding on the asphalt side not used by vehicles.
We had a great tail wind all day.
A stop was made in Sinda where we had a slow lunch. Resting during the middle of the day is becoming a good idea now because of the heat. We bought tomatoes and onions for pasta.
The road was a narrow asphalt strip again. Luckily, there were few trucks using the road.
We passed two large maize and cotton handling yards out of Sinda.
It was decided to have an early camp. A village was passed that had lots of charcoal on the roadside for sale. The wood for this came from across the road in the reserve.
Men were seen bringing wood out with carts and bullocks. Water was taken from a well.
Up the road the forest still prevailed. It was easy to find a camp a few hundered metres in off the road.
We relaxed around the camp in the late afternoon. Cal made a shangai from a suitable branch fork he found.
We had another of our somewhat famous pastas, amongst us anyway! We were in bed reading and watching movies by 2000.
Prior to going to bed two guys rode past on bikes, they paid us no attention.
Zambians are like this.
12/9/2015 Bush camp after Sinda to 23km from Nyimba
D76, T3.5, Av19.58, Max50, 45,941 10,070
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
The wind was blowing amongst the trees very early. Some of the deciduous species are now coming into leaf.
We were getting blown along the flat road very fast. The road was bumpy in places. At one point, doing close to 40km/hr, a sound like a rock hitting my back wheel was heard.
Again, I had broke another spoke and again it was on the cassette side.
I am getting very good at replacing spokes and truing the wheel on the roadside.
The glue in between my rim and the trye is working. The tube is no longer moving.
There is still a noise in the back wheel, it is something to do with the rubber in my tyre.
The tyre was fitting in Cairo, so it has worked hard in some rough conditions.
My right pedal is nearly falling off, it too makes a noise.
So, it is a noisy old ride for me at the moment. When my music is going, it shuts these sounds up.
The road is getting completely rebuilt by a Portuguese company who are doing a great job.
Once in Petuake, I finally ditched my Zamtel sim and replaced it with an Airtel card.
So finally got back on the net. Here we rested and ate what was available. The guys cleaned their chains at the gas station.
I still have some Prolube left. Ben and Cal are using handy oil.
Though it lubricates, the dirt and oily grime on the derailleur is so thick and filthy, it has to be cleaned off with sticks every now and then.
From here we had some of the best riding on unopened stretches of new road.
There were wells long the way. Though, the problem is that some of them had foul smelling water.
We stopped at some roadside markets and bought some boiled eggs and some rubber stripping which comes in handy .
The guys are wanting to make a shanghai. All the young boys have them here, they are also for sale in the markets.
We take pot luck when we stop at them .
The last well stopped at before camping had some great water below the pump. We filled all our bottles here and hung out with the kids for a while.
Camping spots were again easy to find. Once away from villages there are few people.
The road crew were still at work at 1730, we rode into a soil dump and the guy said we could camp out the back amongst the trees.
We found a good campsite in here, though it was still windy. Kids were slowly creeping up on us through the trees. Cal ran over and yelled at them, they all scattered.
Dinner was fried potato and a pasta.
13/9/2015 23km from Nyimba to 15km past Kochalola
D86, T4.4, Av18.24, Max56, 46,027 10,157
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
Waking up it was extremely windy and quite cold.
As usual, I am awake before Ben and Cal but we always seem to be ready to leave about the same time, this works well.
I usually have two coffees and my porridge for breakfast. Last night Cal had found a good fork to make a shanghai.
Out on the road, it was dusty, the first part of the ride was on sections of road not yet open to vehicles. We were again getting blown along rapidly. It was onlty 23km to Nyimba, we got there about 1000.
Being Sunday there was not much open. A stop was made at the town supermarket. Here we had yoghurt and bread. Supplies were also bought.
Even though this road links the capital of Zambia with the east of the country, very few vehicles use it.
For us it has been like a freeway through the forests and wilderness, there a few villages and nothing much in between.
The new surface has been a pleasure to ride on.
I said to one of the Portuguese bosses it was so nice not to see the Chinese building something like this.
He had a good laugh and agreed.
We stopped at Kochalolo and had cold sodas and checked out a guesthouse. The roadworkers had fully booked it. They also wanted 40 kwacha to camp which was to pricey for us.
We had not washed properly for a few days. So coming up to one of the first flowing creeks we stopped and had a wash with the locals.
They laughed as we stripped off. We washed some of our clothes as well.
From here the road was all gravel, though very smooth. One blog I was reading mentioned the road was very hilly, this was back in 2011.
This new road is a cut and fill project, so many gullies are filled and the top is cut from the hills. This provides a more rolling type of ride without harsh slopes.
The new section we rode before camping also took a more direct route through the deciduous forests.
We soon came to a track that led off the road and found a good sheltered camp here.
Earlier in the day, my right side pedal had fallen off, just leaving the steel rod that so many people here ride with on the Indian bicycles.
Dinner was fried potatoes and of course pasta. There was a small kitchen fire in the forest some 500m up the hill, someone must have had their home above us.
Just over the ridge above was Mozambique, land borders are quite a novelty having grown up in NZ and now living in Australia where ocean forms the borders.
We are very relaxed about camping here and feel safe. People just seem to live and let live.
Though sub consciously we feel safety in numbers.

14/9/2015 15km past Kochalola to Luangwe Bridge, Hotel west end of town on left
D50, T2.4, Av17.94, Max69, 46,077 10,120
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
As usual, we were not disturbed all night. Though I did get up to scare off a small animal that was making a noise around the camp.
I replaced my pedal with a plastic Indian one that had been bought a week or two ago in anticipation that the original would eventually fail.
We had some fun trying to hit a plastic water bottle with the shanghais before we left.
Cal was the best shot.
The gravel continued on the road.
Then suddenly it became smooth new asphalt. This was riding bliss, few vehicles and gentle hills with a great side to tailwind.
We stopped at a well to top up on water, unfortunately it was foul smelling.
A woman was pumping water for herself. These people must drink this water their whole lives I thought.
Now and again is ok but for ones whole life it can’t be good for you.
We stopped at another small village and bought biscuits. The villages here generally consist of a series of small circular thatched roof huts. Some have plastic sides, many are adobe.
Most have bags of charcoal outside on the roads edge.
All morning was generally overall downhill to the large swing bridge over the Luangwe River.
The first decent body of water we have seen since Luangwa NP.
We climbed out of here for a kilometre and got to the turnoff to Zimbabwe and the busy roadside village of Luangwe Bridge.
We stopped here for drinks and lunch.
In doing so we decided to stay the night. The tidy guesthouse on the left below the road as you leave town was booked.
There is no power here just generators. The owner had his going. We had a chance to recharge all our phones and laptops.
All our washing was done which soon dried in the hot dry air.
Cal and I went down to the river for a swim. He went in but not me. There was weed in the water. Possibly Bilharzia was present. Cal wore his thongs into the clearish waters. We asked if there were crocs in the water. The locals said no.
Women were down on the water’s edge washing clothes in the fading light.
The town was a very busy truck stop kind of place. People were selling dried fish and there were many small restaurants selling food from warming trays. Always a bit dodgy. We found one that looked fresh and had chicken with greens and Nshima.
Cal bought a straw hat and I bought a piece of cloth to put my food out on whilst camping. This will replace a piece of a tent I bought in Calama in Chile two years ago.
It will be nice souvenir of Africa.
We ate at the same restaurant and just enjoyed being in comfortable beds. Mosquitos were not a problem.

15/9/2015 Luangwe Bridge, Hotel west end of town on left to 8km past Rufunsa
D83, T5, Av16.11, Max75, 46,160 10,243
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
It was great to ride off feeling clean and refreshed wearing freshly washed clothes.
The highway was now back to the old original road. Traffic was a bit heavier and the hills started. For the first 35km it was straight up and down.
We got to a small village and had Nshima and fish plus lots of drinks.
Trucks were beginning to be a more common sight on the road.
Finally, we got to the top of a hill and had a nice mixed downhill run into Rufunsa.
Riding one km off the main road we got to the little village and bought tomatoes and onions for the nights camping.
Our water bottles were also topped up at the local well. The water was sweet.
At one corner a brand new semi was over turned. It was carrying hot asphalt to the road works site. They think the driver had been drinking. What a mess.
Soon after Rufunsa we were feeling very tired and pulled in off the road into so deserted land and found a campsite amongst burnt grasses and trees.
The evenings are now getting cooler.

16/9/2015   8km past Rufunsa to Chongwe
D114, T.55, Av16.54, Max64, 46,374 10,357
Nice temps and rolling hills .
Again an undisturbed nights camping was enjoyed.
We were up early. Cal put the billy on for a change. I usually do it as I arise much earlier than them.
We were on the road by 0730 and straight into the hil country again.
The air was still cool so it made our apparent wind very comfortable.
Villages were very small and far apart today. Most small landholders had bags of charcoal out for sale. There was no electricity along the road. Finding cold drinks was difficult.
We enjoyed lunch in a medium size village. Here they were selling oranges and apples, such a treat for us. Lunch was chicken, greens and nshima as usual.
From here the rolling hills continued.
Traffic now was getting heavier.
Late in the day, we knew we were going to make it to Congwe. We were all worn out and stopped again for cold drinks.
On arrival in the busy town, it became apparent there was no electricity in the city and that hotel prices were very expensive.
We decided to first have dinner in the sporadically lit city .
We went back to the Makola Gardens hotel where the guy said we could all sleep in one room. The rooms were huge and had an ensuite and two beds, a single and a double. It was perfect and affordable when split three ways.
There was no electricity here either. Zambia really has an electricity problem. Here too it was load shared.
Ben and Cal slept on the double bed while I had the single bed.
We were all really worn out but felt great after a big days riding.
17/9/2015    Chongwe to Lusaka
D51, T2.4, Av18.24, Max42, 46,3325 10,408
Flat easy ride.
Lusaka 18-20/9/2015
We were lucky to have found such a large room, there were no mosquitos and we all slept well.
The road into Lusaka was flat and easy riding. We stopped for fruit at roadside stalls on the way in.
All of us were out of energy early after yesterdays big ride.
Once we got to the divided road in Lusaka we stopped at a huge mall East Gate and bought a few snacks. I was looking for new reading glasses.
We rode on into town and found ourselves at the Kalulu Backpackers. This place was great at 40 Kwachas per night. We camped by the pool and swam, had meals here as well as,luxuries like hot showers, cold beers and wifi.
Even here in Lusaka, there is some power rationing.
There are huge modern malls in Lusaka, though like everywhere prices are all inflated. For example, bike tubes at Game, a huge Sth African store were 78 Kwacha. The next day we took a bus to the Soweto markets area and found the same tubes for 40Kwacha.
Cal also bought a new spare tyre. Their Schwalbe tyres having been giving them trouble. The side walls are perishing. They bought the tyres from Chain reaction cycles in the UK. I feel the tyres are seconds. They only paid $AU40 for them. Normally they are 80-90 dollars.
We later found out they had bought the Mondail race version by accident .
While here cal has had a dose of diarrhoea and some fevers. The mosquitos were thick here in the evening. It was difficult to rid our tents of every last one.
The days have been pleasant and not overly hot but windy in the mornings.
Lusaka is an easy city to get around using buses.
I bought another set of cheap pedals in case the others fail completely. This will be our last city for sometime.
20/9/2015    Lusaka to 3km past Livingstone turnoff, camping
D64, T3.3, Av18.30, Max45, 46,390 10,472
Great road, flat and a tailwind.
Our stay here in Lusaka was one of the most relaxing. The Kalulu Backpackers comes highly recommended. We had hot water showers, good food, cold beer, a swimming pool, wifi and good company the whole 3 days.
It is also close to the large malls. Here we stocked up on all food.
Lusaka has a nice feel about it.
A disaster nearly occurred in the morning whilst packing, a gust of wind blew my empty tent onto the MSR stove as it was boiling water. Ever so luckily, only a hole was burnt in the footprint and in the floor of the tent . Had Cal not been nearby, it may have caught on fire .
Cal headed off still with Diarrhea. Leaving town Ben could not resist a meal at Subway! We waited for him.
The road was new and very smooth leaving Lusaka.
A stop was made at a supermarket out of town . Here I had bred rolls with sardines and salad. Cal did not feel like eating.
The road continued to be an easy ride with brilliant tail winds. We stopped a t Kefue as Cal was feeling pretty ordinary. Time was spent here looking at a few lodges, all were over priced or the kind of place where you bought a girl for half an hour, one found in a bar. Or for that matter, a guy, one found in a bar!!
We even asked to camp in one derelict hotel but they would not have us.
We topped up with water and headed off. The direction of the highway changed we were now riding into head windwinds. It was only 1600hrs so we had plenty of time to find a camp.
Once at the turnoff south of Kefue to Livingstone. The right hand turn put the wind squarely behind our backs. I bought a lovely papaya and apples at the ladies selling produce on the corner. Cal was now feeling pretty ordinary, having been to the loo a few times during the day.
As usual, here in Zambia as soon as the villages are passed, the countryside is largely unoccupied. A great camp was found amongst some bushy trees. We had to clear the area with our knives before pitching our tents.
Once again, a local walked past and just greeted us. Camping here in Zambia is such a pleasure and we are always left alone. A pasta was enjoyed. Cal took a Ciprol and will complete a short course to knock his diarrhea.
The night was calm.
21/9/2015 3km past Livingstone turnoff, camping to Frogmore Farm
D89, T4.3, Av19.24, Max73, 46,479 10,561
Great road, flat and a tailwind.
Cal was feeling alot better. There was some hill climbing early in the day but this soon levelled out to just rolling country.
There were large flat plains in the landscape now with broad acre cropping seen.
On arrival in Mazabuka, we stopped at the Shoprite Supermarket and had yoghurt as usual.
Cal and I went on ahead. Ben took some time to catch up. We waited, he had accidentally bumped into someone on the road and in the process lost his Clic Stand during the ensuing drama.
We topped up with water before leaving town. By now, it was 1700hr.
We had to ride some 10km out of town before it even looked like we could camp. .
We crossed one stream at Kaleya that actually had water in it and people were fishing in the brackish waters.
A kilometre up the road the only hope of finding a camp was to get over the rail line. We found a left hand turn.
On crossing the rail track, a woman in a car stopped and greeted us. We said we were looking for a place to camp for the night in the bush. She said we could camp at her house. We then followed her for 2km up the sandy road. This led to a large white concrete homestead kind of place. Here Lorrie introduced herself and her two young sons.
She welcomed us into her house and said we could sleep inside.
Her and her husband were originally from Zimbabwe. Brian had a job here with a large fertilizer company.
They were the most hospitable people, we ate well and had a great hot shower and good conversation.
It was a most unexpected and enjoyable evening.

22/9/2015   Frogmore Farm to camp near Chisekesi
D73, T3.4, Av19.09, Max41, 46,552 10,634
Great road, flat and a tailwind.
We woke up after having slept in the most comfortable of beds. They had huge roomy mosquito nets over the beds. Often the nets feel very claustrophobic at night as they are so close to my body.
Lorrie cooked us the best breakfast had for months. We enjoyed bacon and eggs what a treat!
We said our goodbyes and got out on the road about 0900.
It felt great to have rested and eaten so well. I rode off ahead and we caught up a few times. Then on stopping at Muzoka, the guys seemed to take forever to get there.
When they finally did arrive, they were with another cyclist Pascal from Brittany in France. He too had been riding for a few years and had ridden through Asia.
It was so nice to see another cyclist, he had commenced his ride in Addis Ababa.
We all got on well. Here we had lunch and continued on till we got to Cheseki and the turnoff that was the short cut we were going to take earlier.
Here we bought veges for the night and stocked up on water.
Out of town, we found a treed area and rode off the road into here to camp.
There were huts scattered amongst the vegetation. On setting up our camp, an old woman came over to chat to us. She could not speak English of course. She was happy for us to camp here.
Pascal was very like minded being a long distance rider.
We shared one or our pastas for dinner.

23/9/2015 camp near Chisekesi to camp near Choma
D88, T4.19, Av20.36, Max51, 46,640, 10,722
Rolling easy riding, good road
We were awake early, the lady came over to say hello, we gave her some bread and fruit, she was happy.
Ben was up and out of his tent early and spewing. I replaced the pedals on my bike with some aluminium ones bought in Lusaka.
On leaving, Ben was feeling a bit better though not 100%.
Out on the road he travelled for 15km then felt ill again. He and I were together and we decided it was best for him to hitch a ride to Kalomo.
However, the truck that picked him up was going only as far as Batoka.
On our arrival there, Ben was feeling much better, here we stopped for one of the best chicken and Nshima dishes yet. The chicken was fresh out of clean frying oil.
We stopped here to avoid the heat of the day for a couple of hours.
We ended up camping in a large open burnt paddock with green grass sprouting. A bushy mound gave us protection from the road.
Another pasta was enjoyed. I had a bad case of diarrhoea. Hopefully, my body would naturally purge the bacteria causing the problem. The nights are still warm though the need to climb into the sleeping bag arises in the early mornings before first light .

24/9/2015 near Choma to Zimba
D109, T5, Av21.74, Max44, 46749, 10,831
Easy riding
The camp was undisturbed all night. After camping for a few nights in areas burnt, we were now very dirty, from the ash on the longer grass.
I awoke to a flat tyre, which was repaired. My diarrhoea had subsided, thankfully. Out on the road riding was very easy again. The landscape was still the same. Just smallish trees and burnt grass.
On arrival in Kalomo we stopped at the Spar supermarket and enjoyed yoghurt and some fruit. We rested here for some time before leaving and topping up all our water bottle
25/9/2015 Zimba to Livingstone
D82, T4, Av20.28, Max52, 46,830, 10,913
Hot and mostly gently downhill
It was great to be on the road feeling clean. I had also cleaned all my riding gear. The road immediately started going gentle downhill.
The surface was great and a good shoulder was always present. The truck traffic was not to heavy. Many were from South Africa.
We stopped at the 40km mark for an orange and whatever we had to eat.
There were no places to eat all the way from Zimba to the outskirts of Livingstone.
Once in town we ate at a place that made us wait forever and when the food did arrive, it was minute portions.
We have to remember we are now in a tourist town.
After much looking about for accommodation we settled on the Zambezi Ultima Lodge. They had a huge two room 3 bed apartment like lodging without a kitchen. We got a good deal here and the four of us fitted comfortably into the room. Two on the double bed and one in the single and one on the floor.
Cal had already picked up his airbed from the post office. Exped were great to have sent it here so promptly.
26-27/9/2015 Livingstone
Zambezi Ultima Lodge with Pascal
The lodge was so relaxing with large trees and a quietness. Here in Livingstone, like much of Zambia, power was rationed. Our period without electricity was from 1400 to 2200 hrs.
The lodge had wifi but it was not working for the first day.
We took a trip to the Vic Falls. It was 10 Kwacha each in the cab and $20US to get into the park, or 190 kwacha. Locals paid 7 kwacha.
Once in the park we walked to the viewing points. Here on the Zambia side very little water was falling over the ledge due to it being the dry season and the power station nearby had block further flow.
It was still however very fascinating. We had more enjoyment with the local baboons and elephants in the park.
We ate out whilst here. Breakfast was provided by the lodge.
I found some more aluminium pedals for the bike. These will suffice as spares. These were found at the Malumba markets.
The one indulgence we all enjoyed, at the time anyway was eating fried chicken at the Hungry Lion in town. It was a fry up, if there ever was one.

28/9/2015 Livingstone to camp past Kazangula
D97, T5, Av18.61 Max 53, 46927, 11,028
Pascal decided to stay on for a few more days. It had been enjoyable riding with him, he had recently ridden in central Asia. I was grateful for the information he handed on to me about visa applications and other cultural tips.
We stocked up at the local Spar supermarket and were pleased to be leaving town .
The days are still hot and very dry, at night though it cools off and makes for good sleeping.
The road was still in good condition with little traffic. We got to the Kasungula turnoff and headed down to the Zambesi where the trucks cross into Botswana and onto Johannesburg.
As we got closer the line up of trucks waiting for the ferry across the river commenced. In fact there were trucks everywhere in this somewhat of a shanty town. Here we had the worst meal of chips ever. They were inebible, they were that oily.
We found another place to eat and enjoyed a great chicken and nshima dish.
We stopped here for a good break. It is now extremely hot between 1300 and 1500.
Though, after 1500 it cools down again very quickly and becomes pleasant to ride.
We topped up on water across the road from the T intersection on the main route. Riding on we found a camp some 10km down the road.
It took a while to find an area that gave privacy and wasn’t all charred from fire.
At night before camping we fill 2x6l bladders and another 7 1.5 litre bottles. This gives us ample water for cooking and a flannel wash. There is always water to spare in the morning.

29/9/2015 Camp past Kazangula to camp near Mwandi
D88, T4, Av18.43 Max 46, 47,015, 11,116
We were up early and carefully moved the bikes out through the thorny trees to the road.
The road was still very flat with a good surface. There were some villages along the way but unlike other countries, none had small shops.
Traffic was light as usual.
The Zambesi was to our left all the way though anywhere from 3 to 10km away. There were signposts to lodges along the route. Many signs indicated they were fishing lodges with pictures of the infamous Tiger Fish drawn upon them.
We rang one to check the camping prices, these were quoted in US dollars. These were exclusive places for wealthy travellers and fisher people.
As we were thinking about lunch, we came to the turnoff to Mwandi, a village on the Zambesi. Here we spent time with fishermen building dugout canoes on the river and had a swim all be it very quickly the locals assured us there were no crocs in the area. Just the thought of such a death was enough to see us only venturing thigh deep in the brownish waters.
Many deaths occur on the river when fishermen have their canoes over turned by hippos who then literally bite the victims in half. It is so ironical that they are vegeterians. Once again,another reason the hippos and crocs live in harmony together.
Leaving town we stocked up on water ant the village hand pump. The water here had a bad odour, that of dirty pipes anyway the locals were drinking it as did we.
We found a great camp in unburnt grasses before dark. As soon as a community is passed, it is possible to camp almost anywhere in the scrubby landscape. Most trees are less than 10m tall.
Mosquitos are becoming less of a problem.
This whole trip so far has been remarkably insect free. Pasta was enjoyed for dinner.

30/9/2015 Camp near Mwandi to Grootfontein, (riding and bus)
D53, T3, Av18.43 Max 46, 47,067, 11,169
With only 53 km to ride, we would be at the border crossing in good time. Again it was flat easy riding. Before getting to Sesheke we crossed the Zambesi river. It was a long curved bridge that spanned 3 main channels of this huge river, even in the dry season. We arrived in Sesheke and ate, then headed the 3km to the immigration.
It was a quiet border crossing, getting stamped out of Zambia was a five minute job. It was a similar process in Katima Mululo in Namibia.
We changed some Kwacha for Namibian dollars and got 1.2 for a kwacha, which was quite good.
In Namibia the Rand can be used, the exchange rate is 1 for 1. The Rand can be used in both countries but the Namibian dollar only in Namibia. This explained why Ben got some South Africa rand in his money the street dealer gave him. These guys were right outside the Zambian immigration office.
Once through immigration with a two month visa we spotted an Intercape bus. They were going to Grootfontein.
It was too late to catch them so we rode into the local gas station and saw another bus with an enclosed traier waiting. It too was going to Grootfontein. For 1000 ND we loaded the bikes in the trailer and headed off.
I don’t take buses or other transport unless it is life threatening or there are no other options. In this case, Cal and Ben have realised we won’t be riding into Cape Town, as they have run out of time.
It was their call to take the bus. The Caprivi Strip we went through was full of signs warning drivers about elephants and antelope.
The driver had a spotter with him to look for animals as we were travelling very fast. The road was dead straight, flat and little occupied.
During the night we were stopped at an expensive roadhouse setup for a ten minute toilet and eating stop.
I had such a great sleep on the way over then south to Grootfontein. We arrived here at 0100 in the morning and slept in the local gas station.

7/9/2015 Chipata to Bush camp
D76, T3.5, Av21.67, Max62.5, 45584, 9856
Hot and dry
We had a laid back morning with Brett who had a huge night, slowly packed, we headed into the Spar supermarket. Here we met a Dutch couple who were travelling by motorbike.
We arranged to catch up with them at the national park where we were both heading.
The road from Chipata was tarmac, and gently sloping downhill all day. It was easy riding again.
We have had easy riding since leaving the Lake in Malawi. The temperatures are now increasing. Some locals told us that now till the beginning of the rains around November it will get increasingly hot.
There were wells most of the way, located around the many small villages we rode through.
Boab trees are scattered amongst the dry landscape. Charcoal is still for sale in bags along the roadside.
Nearing dark we pulled in off the road and found a campsite amongst very dry grass and trees some way from the road. There are few people about between villages.
Sometimes it is a bit of a concern should a fire break out nearby our camp, it would spread so rapidly in the tinder dry grass beneath the trees.

8-9/9/2015 Bush camp to Croc Valley Camp
D75, T4, Av18.59, Max64, 45659, 9931
The camp had not been disturbed all night. As other blogs have mentioned we are finding that between villages here in Zambia there are plenty of opportunities for camping.
Out on the road the day was heating up fast.
Callum and I had been talking about flat tyres and the few we had had on this journey.
Murphys law kicked in and my rear tyre went down rapidly after descending down into the valley below, where the Luangwa NP lies.
This was repaired, no sooner than doing so it went down .I got a spare tube from my pannier. This had been with me for 10,000 km. Consequently where it had been folded was chafed and had a hole in it .
Cal had to give me one of his spare tubes.
They headed off to wait for me in the village before the park.
I had to go out to the airport to register my Zamtel card. Before doing so, a stop was made at the corner of the main road, where chips, salad and sodas were enjoyed. It was 4km to the Zamtel tower and the little office, if you could call it that.
Here the guy registered my sim card.

I caught up with the guys in Mfuwe, where we tried to buy a tube. All the African tubes out here had presta type valves. Our pumps would not fit the narrow tips.
We headed the couple of km through the town to where the lodges are located.
We had arranged to meet Suzanne and Roland at the Wildlife park camp area.
It was 6km in and was getting late. We decided to checked out the Croc Village camp area. Once in here we were happy with the prices. Up at the bar, we got a call from a table. It was Suzanne and Roland, it was great to see them so we booked the same safari deal as they did.
This included a morning tour, afternoon tour and 3 meals during the day and 1 nights accomamdtion. It was great value for $US100.

We had new safari style tents on concrete slabs for accommodation. Ben and Cal shared one. That night we had a bit of a pool comp together over a few drinks.
Next morning at 0530 we had breakfast and set off about 0600. We had to pay the $US25 to get into the park.
The vehicle was a Landcruiser with a canopy roof and 3 rows of tiered seats. A great viewing platform
In the morning we saw hyenas and a leopard. The afternoon drive saw us excitingly see three lions, which is what we had come to see.
Elephants were common, as were different antelope and of course the hippos in every part of the river that bounds the park.
During the evenings elephants were grazing on trees above my tent. There were branches falling on the tent. I lay there thinking there is not much between me and him. However, the management had an electric strip around the area as a deterrent.
The power was out much of the time in the resort due to the low level in Lake Kariba.
Even in Chipata, there was power rationing some suburbs had it one day and others the next.
Our time was made more enjoyable here in the company of Roland and Suzanne whom we went on both safaris and dined with.

9/9/2015 Croc Valley Camp to Kapi village
D75, T4, Av16.22, Max36, 45734, 10,006
We were up early. I went over tho get the food which had been stored behind the bar.
The monkeys that live around the camp are notorious at stealing food. I had my back turned just for a moment and one rushed in and grabbed my milk powder packet off the table. Then moments later even while I was just standing at the other end of the table, one raced in and stole a packet of soya chunks.
No use telling them to bring it back! We got ready slowly, it had been a relaxing stop here, they even had a swimming pool. It had vertical sides which had to be fashioned on a slope as a hippo fell in and they could not get him out without killing it and cutting it up.
They can now walk up the slope into the pool.
Once packed, we said goodbye to Roland and Suzanne and headed off to the airport where I had to again get my Zamtel card activated.
I asked some South Africans who were travelling in a Landrover Discovery that was fully decked out for touring and camping. It had every imaginable extra.
All this for only $A60,000, at home that would be the price of just the vehicle.
The guy out there at the office by the tower used his name on another sim card which only cost 70c each.
From here, we took the dirt track to Msoro.
All along this track were villages and wells to keep our water bottles filled.
The road was almost flat and had a solid sandy surface, it was almost as good as riding on tarmac without all the traffic.
There were villages every few kilometres. All had some little brick houses but always had the circular huts off the ground for storing the ever important maize and groundnuts. These have to last them through the dry period.
The maize is periodically shucked as needed and taken to the village mill to be ground and made into nshima the staple food here.
Late in the day my tyre had moved on the rim again and ripped the valve off.
I had bought a replacement tube in Mfuwe earlier in the day.
The only tubes available had presta type thin hose type valves, our pumps would not fit these.
Luckily, some guys had a pump, so they inflated it for me.
They really knew what they were doing.
Anyway some 3km down the road the same thing happened. For some reason the tyre is moving around the rim as I ride.
It ripped another valve off.
We had to stop in the now darkness and ask if we could camp in a village. The elders said it was fine.
We had a huge audience of kids under a mango as we ate an adhoc meal of bread and peanut butter tomatoes and noodles.
It was so hot in the evening air we had to camp out in the open.
I looked again at the wheel and glued the rim tape to the rim, thinking it was slipping .
We were in our tents having set them up in the dark and slept well.

10/9/2015 Kapi village to Katete
D68, T5.3, Av12.21, Max33, 45,802 9931
Very hot 30+ degrees and a hot dry nor easter .
As usual, up early, the bike was taken for a ride around the village. Once again, within 500m the valve was on an angle.
The tyre was moving on the rim. To sort this out, elastic glue was placed between the rim and the tyre in an effort to stop this tube destroying movement.
After some 15 minutes I tried again, great, it had worked.
We spent time with the village people before we left.
I met one woman who was about 40 years, introduced me to her daughter who was no more than 26 years. There were four children there, whom three were the daughters, she also had a baby on her back. Another girl there had lost her mum 3 days after giving birth. This family was looking after her.
This gave me a real insight into the young age of people in Africa.
Here infront of me were two women no older than 40 and three generations.
We packed, I gave the people 20 kwacha, they gave us a bag of peanuts that they also grow here.
The men said last years rains were not sufficient. They used the term “climate change” which we have heard a few times here.
Out on the road it was great to know this tyre problem had been solved.
Riding was still easy on the flat hard surface. Villages and wells were every 5 to 10 km.
We stopped to talk to people on many occasions.
The odd boab tree was spotted among the other trees.
The main crops out here are cotton, maize and groundnuts (peanuts).
The day was getting very hot, so about 1200 we stopped under a big mango and had lunch.
Ben and I cooked up a big pasta, while Cal had a tuna salad, we stopped here for a couple of hours. The wind was even hot and dry.
Once on the road again having been through Msoro, the road now became rocky and hilly.
Our average was getting less.
Again, we stopped at every well for water. The villages were now further apart.
My rear tyre started making a noise again, however the valve was still vertical out of the rim hole so all was ok.
My bikes fittings are starting to show signs of wear. The rear derailleur is getting sloppy, the brake levers have worn moving parts and the brake pad arms are also a bit loose.
Both my Power Grip pedals are now very worn and loose. These will most not likely make it all the way.
If possible, things will be replaced on arrival in Cape Town.
The last 20km before the main road and Katete was hilly and rocky. We were all very wornout. I took an energy gel, the first in months.
Getting closer to town my vision was getting blurry, a sure sign that fatigue had set in. We stopped for bread a few km before town.
Finally, we got to the asphalt, it was now dark. The main road, the Great eastern Highway at Katete was narrow with broken edges, getting narrower all the time.
We stopped for dinner of chicken and nshima, then bought yoghurt at a supermarket.
Whilst sitting outside, I put my purse on a seat.
At the Jesnoit guesthouse, I went to pay the bill. The penny immediately dropped. In my wornout state, my purse had been left on the seat.
My debit card was in it. The money was little.
My guard had been dropped and the consequences were paid. Anyway I thought, not bad after four and a half years without losing this kind of thing.
I have another account with a debit card so all is ok.
It has been a long time since I have been this fatigued and physically stressed after a days riding.
It is a time to be very vigilant about belongings.

11/9/2015 Katete to bush camp after Sinda
D63, T3.16, Av19.24, Max40, 45,865 9994
Very hot 30+ degrees and a hot dry nor easter .
It was possible to get a skype connection so my card could be cancelled.
I have been using Zamtel for the internet, or trying to. They have a full signal with internet. A local businessman in town told us they are government owned and are “shit” to quote him.
So, even this morning there is no signal. I will now purchase a MTN card.
Ben had to buy a foam mattress in town and cut it to size as his Exped liteweight airbed has also delaminated.
Cals replacement is already in Africa which is good of Exped.
The asphalt road in town had decaying edges and was extremely narrow. Many locals were riding bikes along the dirt edges.
Leaving town, the Portuguese company building roads in Chapata was also constructing a new section on this road.
So it was great riding on the asphalt side not used by vehicles.
We had a great tail wind all day.
A stop was made in Sinda where we had a slow lunch. Resting during the middle of the day is becoming a good idea now because of the heat. We bought tomatoes and onions for pasta.
The road was a narrow asphalt strip again. Luckily, there were few trucks using the road.
We passed two large maize and cotton handling yards out of Sinda.
It was decided to have an early camp. A village was passed that had lots of charcoal on the roadside for sale. The wood for this came from across the road in the reserve.
Men were seen bringing wood out with carts and bullocks. Water was taken from a well.
Up the road the forest still prevailed. It was easy to find a camp a few hundered metres in off the road.
We relaxed around the camp in the late afternoon. Cal made a shangai from a suitable branch fork he found.
We had another of our somewhat famous pastas, amongst us anyway! We were in bed reading and watching movies by 2000.
Prior to going to bed two guys rode past on bikes, they paid us no attention.
Zambians are like this.
12/9/2015 Bush camp after Sinda to 23km from Nyimba
D76, T3.5, Av19.58, Max50, 45,941 10,070
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
The wind was blowing amongst the trees very early. Some of the deciduous species are now coming into leaf.
We were getting blown along the flat road very fast. The road was bumpy in places. At one point, doing close to 40km/hr, a sound like a rock hitting my back wheel was heard.
Again, I had broke another spoke and again it was on the cassette side.
I am getting very good at replacing spokes and truing the wheel on the roadside.
The glue in between my rim and the trye is working. The tube is no longer moving.
There is still a noise in the back wheel, it is something to do with the rubber in my tyre.
The tyre was fitting in Cairo, so it has worked hard in some rough conditions.
My right pedal is nearly falling off, it too makes a noise.
So, it is a noisy old ride for me at the moment. When my music is going, it shuts these sounds up.
The road is getting completely rebuilt by a Portuguese company who are doing a great job.
Once in Petuake, I finally ditched my Zamtel sim and replaced it with an Airtel card.
So finally got back on the net. Here we rested and ate what was available. The guys cleaned their chains at the gas station.
I still have some Prolube left. Ben and Cal are using handy oil.
Though it lubricates, the dirt and oily grime on the derailleur is so thick and filthy, it has to be cleaned off with sticks every now and then.
From here we had some of the best riding on unopened stretches of new road.
There were wells long the way. Though, the problem is that some of them had foul smelling water.
We stopped at some roadside markets and bought some boiled eggs and some rubber stripping which comes in handy .
The guys are wanting to make a shanghai. All the young boys have them here, they are also for sale in the markets.
We take pot luck when we stop at them .
The last well stopped at before camping had some great water below the pump. We filled all our bottles here and hung out with the kids for a while.
Camping spots were again easy to find. Once away from villages there are few people.
The road crew were still at work at 1730, we rode into a soil dump and the guy said we could camp out the back amongst the trees.
We found a good campsite in here, though it was still windy. Kids were slowly creeping up on us through the trees. Cal ran over and yelled at them, they all scattered.
Dinner was fried potato and a pasta.
13/9/2015 23km from Nyimba to 15km past Kochalola
D86, T4.4, Av18.24, Max56, 46,027 10,157
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
Waking up it was extremely windy and quite cold.
As usual, I am awake before Ben and Cal but we always seem to be ready to leave about the same time, this works well.
I usually have two coffees and my porridge for breakfast. Last night Cal had found a good fork to make a shanghai.
Out on the road, it was dusty, the first part of the ride was on sections of road not yet open to vehicles. We were again getting blown along rapidly. It was onlty 23km to Nyimba, we got there about 1000.
Being Sunday there was not much open. A stop was made at the town supermarket. Here we had yoghurt and bread. Supplies were also bought.
Even though this road links the capital of Zambia with the east of the country, very few vehicles use it.
For us it has been like a freeway through the forests and wilderness, there a few villages and nothing much in between.
The new surface has been a pleasure to ride on.
I said to one of the Portuguese bosses it was so nice not to see the Chinese building something like this.
He had a good laugh and agreed.
We stopped at Kochalolo and had cold sodas and checked out a guesthouse. The roadworkers had fully booked it. They also wanted 40 kwacha to camp which was to pricey for us.
We had not washed properly for a few days. So coming up to one of the first flowing creeks we stopped and had a wash with the locals.
They laughed as we stripped off. We washed some of our clothes as well.
From here the road was all gravel, though very smooth. One blog I was reading mentioned the road was very hilly, this was back in 2011.
This new road is a cut and fill project, so many gullies are filled and the top is cut from the hills. This provides a more rolling type of ride without harsh slopes.
The new section we rode before camping also took a more direct route through the deciduous forests.
We soon came to a track that led off the road and found a good sheltered camp here.
Earlier in the day, my right side pedal had fallen off, just leaving the steel rod that so many people here ride with on the Indian bicycles.
Dinner was fried potatoes and of course pasta. There was a small kitchen fire in the forest some 500m up the hill, someone must have had their home above us.
Just over the ridge above was Mozambique, land borders are quite a novelty having grown up in NZ and now living in Australia where ocean forms the borders.
We are very relaxed about camping here and feel safe. People just seem to live and let live.
Though sub consciously we feel safety in numbers.

14/9/2015 15km past Kochalola to Luangwe Bridge, Hotel west end of town on left
D50, T2.4, Av17.94, Max69, 46,077 10,120
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
As usual, we were not disturbed all night. Though I did get up to scare off a small animal that was making a noise around the camp.
I replaced my pedal with a plastic Indian one that had been bought a week or two ago in anticipation that the original would eventually fail.
We had some fun trying to hit a plastic water bottle with the shanghais before we left.
Cal was the best shot.
The gravel continued on the road.
Then suddenly it became smooth new asphalt. This was riding bliss, few vehicles and gentle hills with a great side to tailwind.
We stopped at a well to top up on water, unfortunately it was foul smelling.
A woman was pumping water for herself. These people must drink this water their whole lives I thought.
Now and again is ok but for ones whole life it can’t be good for you.
We stopped at another small village and bought biscuits. The villages here generally consist of a series of small circular thatched roof huts. Some have plastic sides, many are adobe.
Most have bags of charcoal outside on the roads edge.
All morning was generally overall downhill to the large swing bridge over the Luangwe River.
The first decent body of water we have seen since Luangwa NP.
We climbed out of here for a kilometre and got to the turnoff to Zimbabwe and the busy roadside village of Luangwe Bridge.
We stopped here for drinks and lunch.
In doing so we decided to stay the night. The tidy guesthouse on the left below the road as you leave town was booked.
There is no power here just generators. The owner had his going. We had a chance to recharge all our phones and laptops.
All our washing was done which soon dried in the hot dry air.
Cal and I went down to the river for a swim. He went in but not me. There was weed in the water. Possibly Bilharzia was present. Cal wore his thongs into the clearish waters. We asked if there were crocs in the water. The locals said no.
Women were down on the water’s edge washing clothes in the fading light.
The town was a very busy truck stop kind of place. People were selling dried fish and there were many small restaurants selling food from warming trays. Always a bit dodgy. We found one that looked fresh and had chicken with greens and Nshima.
Cal bought a straw hat and I bought a piece of cloth to put my food out on whilst camping. This will replace a piece of a tent I bought in Calama in Chile two years ago.
It will be nice souvenir of Africa.
We ate at the same restaurant and just enjoyed being in comfortable beds. Mosquitos were not a problem.

15/9/2015 Luangwe Bridge, Hotel west end of town on left to 8km past Rufunsa
D83, T5, Av16.11, Max75, 46,160 10,243
Nice temps and close to a tailwind all day .
It was great to ride off feeling clean and refreshed wearing freshly washed clothes.
The highway was now back to the old original road. Traffic was a bit heavier and the hills started. For the first 35km it was straight up and down.
We got to a small village and had Nshima and fish plus lots of drinks.
Trucks were beginning to be a more common sight on the road.
Finally, we got to the top of a hill and had a nice mixed downhill run into Rufunsa.
Riding one km off the main road we got to the little village and bought tomatoes and onions for the nights camping.
Our water bottles were also topped up at the local well. The water was sweet.
At one corner a brand new semi was over turned. It was carrying hot asphalt to the road works site. They think the driver had been drinking. What a mess.
Soon after Rufunsa we were feeling very tired and pulled in off the road into so deserted land and found a campsite amongst burnt grasses and trees.
The evenings are now getting cooler.

16/9/2015   8km past Rufunsa to Chongwe
D114, T.55, Av16.54, Max64, 46,374 10,357
Nice temps and rolling hills .
Again an undisturbed nights camping was enjoyed.
We were up early. Cal put the billy on for a change. I usually do it as I arise much earlier than them.
We were on the road by 0730 and straight into the hil country again.
The air was still cool so it made our apparent wind very comfortable.
Villages were very small and far apart today. Most small landholders had bags of charcoal out for sale. There was no electricity along the road. Finding cold drinks was difficult.
We enjoyed lunch in a medium size village. Here they were selling oranges and apples, such a treat for us. Lunch was chicken, greens and nshima as usual.
From here the rolling hills continued.
Traffic now was getting heavier.
Late in the day, we knew we were going to make it to Congwe. We were all worn out and stopped again for cold drinks.
On arrival in the busy town, it became apparent there was no electricity in the city and that hotel prices were very expensive.
We decided to first have dinner in the sporadically lit city .
We went back to the Makola Gardens hotel where the guy said we could all sleep in one room. The rooms were huge and had an ensuite and two beds, a single and a double. It was perfect and affordable when split three ways.
There was no electricity here either. Zambia really has an electricity problem. Here too it was load shared.
Ben and Cal slept on the double bed while I had the single bed.
We were all really worn out but felt great after a big days riding.
17/9/2015    Chongwe to Lusaka
D51, T2.4, Av18.24, Max42, 46,3325 10,408
Flat easy ride.
Lusaka 18-20/9/2015
We were lucky to have found such a large room, there were no mosquitos and we all slept well.
The road into Lusaka was flat and easy riding. We stopped for fruit at roadside stalls on the way in.
All of us were out of energy early after yesterdays big ride.
Once we got to the divided road in Lusaka we stopped at a huge mall East Gate and bought a few snacks. I was looking for new reading glasses.
We rode on into town and found ourselves at the Kalulu Backpackers. This place was great at 40 Kwachas per night. We camped by the pool and swam, had meals here as well as,luxuries like hot showers, cold beers and wifi.
Even here in Lusaka, there is some power rationing.
There are huge modern malls in Lusaka, though like everywhere prices are all inflated. For example, bike tubes at Game, a huge Sth African store were 78 Kwacha. The next day we took a bus to the Soweto markets area and found the same tubes for 40Kwacha.
Cal also bought a new spare tyre. Their Schwalbe tyres having been giving them trouble. The side walls are perishing. They bought the tyres from Chain reaction cycles in the UK. I feel the tyres are seconds. They only paid $AU40 for them. Normally they are 80-90 dollars.
We later found out they had bought the Mondail race version by accident .
While here cal has had a dose of diarrhoea and some fevers. The mosquitos were thick here in the evening. It was difficult to rid our tents of every last one.
The days have been pleasant and not overly hot but windy in the mornings.
Lusaka is an easy city to get around using buses.
I bought another set of cheap pedals in case the others fail completely. This will be our last city for sometime.
20/9/2015    Lusaka to 3km past Livingstone turnoff, camping
D64, T3.3, Av18.30, Max45, 46,390 10,472
Great road, flat and a tailwind.
Our stay here in Lusaka was one of the most relaxing. The Kalulu Backpackers comes highly recommended. We had hot water showers, good food, cold beer, a swimming pool, wifi and good company the whole 3 days.
It is also close to the large malls. Here we stocked up on all food.
Lusaka has a nice feel about it.
A disaster nearly occurred in the morning whilst packing, a gust of wind blew my empty tent onto the MSR stove as it was boiling water. Ever so luckily, only a hole was burnt in the footprint and in the floor of the tent . Had Cal not been nearby, it may have caught on fire .
Cal headed off still with Diarrhea. Leaving town Ben could not resist a meal at Subway! We waited for him.
The road was new and very smooth leaving Lusaka.
A stop was made at a supermarket out of town . Here I had bred rolls with sardines and salad. Cal did not feel like eating.
The road continued to be an easy ride with brilliant tail winds. We stopped a t Kefue as Cal was feeling pretty ordinary. Time was spent here looking at a few lodges, all were over priced or the kind of place where you bought a girl for half an hour, one found in a bar. Or for that matter, a guy, one found in a bar!!
We even asked to camp in one derelict hotel but they would not have us.
We topped up with water and headed off. The direction of the highway changed we were now riding into head windwinds. It was only 1600hrs so we had plenty of time to find a camp.
Once at the turnoff south of Kefue to Livingstone. The right hand turn put the wind squarely behind our backs. I bought a lovely papaya and apples at the ladies selling produce on the corner. Cal was now feeling pretty ordinary, having been to the loo a few times during the day.
As usual, here in Zambia as soon as the villages are passed, the countryside is largely unoccupied. A great camp was found amongst some bushy trees. We had to clear the area with our knives before pitching our tents.
Once again, a local walked past and just greeted us. Camping here in Zambia is such a pleasure and we are always left alone. A pasta was enjoyed. Cal took a Ciprol and will complete a short course to knock his diarrhea.
The night was calm.
21/9/2015 3km past Livingstone turnoff, camping to Frogmore Farm
D89, T4.3, Av19.24, Max73, 46,479 10,561
Great road, flat and a tailwind.
Cal was feeling alot better. There was some hill climbing early in the day but this soon levelled out to just rolling country.
There were large flat plains in the landscape now with broad acre cropping seen.
On arrival in Mazabuka, we stopped at the Shoprite Supermarket and had yoghurt as usual.
Cal and I went on ahead. Ben took some time to catch up. We waited, he had accidentally bumped into someone on the road and in the process lost his Clic Stand during the ensuing drama.
We topped up with water before leaving town. By now, it was 1700hr.
We had to ride some 10km out of town before it even looked like we could camp. .
We crossed one stream at Kaleya that actually had water in it and people were fishing in the brackish waters.
A kilometre up the road the only hope of finding a camp was to get over the rail line. We found a left hand turn.
On crossing the rail track, a woman in a car stopped and greeted us. We said we were looking for a place to camp for the night in the bush. She said we could camp at her house. We then followed her for 2km up the sandy road. This led to a large white concrete homestead kind of place. Here Lorrie introduced herself and her two young sons.
She welcomed us into her house and said we could sleep inside.
Her and her husband were originally from Zimbabwe. Brian had a job here with a large fertilizer company.
They were the most hospitable people, we ate well and had a great hot shower and good conversation.
It was a most unexpected and enjoyable evening.

22/9/2015   Frogmore Farm to camp near Chisekesi
D73, T3.4, Av19.09, Max41, 46,552 10,634
Great road, flat and a tailwind.
We woke up after having slept in the most comfortable of beds. They had huge roomy mosquito nets over the beds. Often the nets feel very claustrophobic at night as they are so close to my body.
Lorrie cooked us the best breakfast had for months. We enjoyed bacon and eggs what a treat!
We said our goodbyes and got out on the road about 0900.
It felt great to have rested and eaten so well. I rode off ahead and we caught up a few times. Then on stopping at Muzoka, the guys seemed to take forever to get there.
When they finally did arrive, they were with another cyclist Pascal from Brittany in France. He too had been riding for a few years and had ridden through Asia.
It was so nice to see another cyclist, he had commenced his ride in Addis Ababa.
We all got on well. Here we had lunch and continued on till we got to Cheseki and the turnoff that was the short cut we were going to take earlier.
Here we bought veges for the night and stocked up on water.
Out of town, we found a treed area and rode off the road into here to camp.
There were huts scattered amongst the vegetation. On setting up our camp, an old woman came over to chat to us. She could not speak English of course. She was happy for us to camp here.
Pascal was very like minded being a long distance rider.
We shared one or our pastas for dinner.

23/9/2015 camp near Chisekesi to camp near Choma
D88, T4.19, Av20.36, Max51, 46,640, 10,722
Rolling easy riding, good road
We were awake early, the lady came over to say hello, we gave her some bread and fruit, she was happy.
Ben was up and out of his tent early and spewing. I replaced the pedals on my bike with some aluminium ones bought in Lusaka.
On leaving, Ben was feeling a bit better though not 100%.
Out on the road he traveled for 15km then felt ill again. He and I were together and we decided it was best for him to hitch a ride to Kalomo.
However, the truck that picked him up was going only as far as Batoka.
On our arrival there, Ben was feeling much better, here we stopped for one of the best chicken and Nshima dishes yet. The chicken was fresh out of clean frying oil.
We stopped here to avoid the heat of the day for a couple of hours.
We ended up camping in a large open burnt paddock with green grass sprouting. A bushy mound gave us protection from the road.
Another pasta was enjoyed. I had a bad case of diarrhoea. Hopefully, my body would naturally purge the bacteria causing the problem. The nights are still warm though the need to climb into the sleeping bag arises in the early mornings before first light .

24/9/2015 near Choma to Zimba
D109, T5, Av21.74, Max44, 46749, 10,831
Easy riding
The camp was undisturbed all night. After camping for a few nights in areas burnt, we were now very dirty, from the ash on the longer grass.
I awoke to a flat tyre, which was repaired. My diarrhoea had subsided, thankfully. Out on the road riding was very easy again. The landscape was still the same. Just smallish trees and burnt grass.
On arrival in Kalomo we stopped at the Spar supermarket and enjoyed yoghurt and some fruit. We rested here for some time before leaving and topping up all our water bottle
25/9/2015 Zimba to Livingstone
D82, T4, Av20.28, Max52, 46,830, 10,913
Hot and mostly gently downhill
It was great to be on the road feeling clean. I had also cleaned all my riding gear. The road immediately started going gentle downhill.
The surface was great and a good shoulder was always present. The truck traffic was not to heavy. Many were from South Africa.
We stopped at the 40km mark for an orange and whatever we had to eat.
There were no places to eat all the way from Zimba to the outskirts of Livingstone.
Once in town we ate at a place that made us wait forever and when the food did arrive, it was minute portions.
We have to remember we are now in a tourist town.
After much looking about for accommodation we settled on the Zambezi Ultima Lodge. They had a huge two room 3 bed apartment like lodging without a kitchen. We got a good deal here and the four of us fitted comfortably into the room. Two on the double bed and one in the single and one on the floor.
Cal had already picked up his airbed from the post office. Exped were great to have sent it here so promptly.
26-27/9/2015 Livingstone
Zambezi Ultima Lodge with Pascal
The lodge was so relaxing with large trees and a quietness. Here in Livingstone, like much of Zambia, power was rationed. Our period without electricity was from 1400 to 2200 hrs.
The lodge had wifi but it was not working for the first day.
We took a trip to the Vic Falls. It was 10 Kwacha each in the cab and $20US to get into the park, or 190 kwacha. Locals paid 7 kwacha.
Once in the park we walked to the viewing points. Here on the Zambia side very little water was falling over the ledge due to it being the dry season and the power station nearby had block further flow.
It was still however very fascinating. We had more enjoyment with the local baboons and elephants in the park.
We ate out whilst here. Breakfast was provided by the lodge.
I found some more aluminium pedals for the bike. These will suffice as spares. These were found at the Malumba markets.
The one indulgence we all enjoyed, at the time anyway was eating fried chicken at the Hungry Lion in town. It was a fry up, if there ever was one.

28/9/2015 Livingstone to camp past Kazangula
D97, T5, Av18.61 Max 53, 46927, 11,028
Pascal decided to stay on for a few more days. It had been enjoyable riding with him, he had recently ridden in central Asia. I was grateful for the information he handed on to me about visa applications and other cultural tips.
We stocked up at the local Spar supermarket and were pleased to be leaving town .
The days are still hot and very dry, at night though it cools off and makes for good sleeping.
The road was still in good condition with little traffic. We got to the Kasungula turnoff and headed down to the Zambesi where the trucks cross into Botswana and onto Johannesburg.
As we got closer the line up of trucks waiting for the ferry across the river commenced. In fact there were trucks everywhere in this somewhat of a shanty town. Here we had the worst meal of chips ever. They were inebible, they were that oily.
We found another place to eat and enjoyed a great chicken and nshima dish.
We stopped here for a good break. It is now extremely hot between 1300 and 1500.
Though, after 1500 it cools down again very quickly and becomes pleasant to ride.
We topped up on water across the road from the T intersection on the main route. Riding on we found a camp some 10km down the road.
It took a while to find an area that gave privacy and wasn’t all charred from fire.
At night before camping we fill 2x6l bladders and another 7 1.5 litre bottles. This gives us ample water for cooking and a flannel wash. There is always water to spare in the morning.

29/9/2015 Camp past Kazangula to camp near Mwandi
D88, T4, Av18.43 Max 46, 47,015, 11,116
We were up early and carefully moved the bikes out through the thorny trees to the road.
The road was still very flat with a good surface. There were some villages along the way but unlike other countries, none had small shops.
Traffic was light as usual.
The Zambesi was to our left all the way though anywhere from 3 to 10km away. There were signposts to lodges along the route. Many signs indicated they were fishing lodges with pictures of the infamous Tiger Fish drawn upon them.
We rang one to check the camping prices, these were quoted in US dollars. These were exclusive places for wealthy travellers and fisher people.
As we were thinking about lunch, we came to the turnoff to Mwandi, a village on the Zambesi. Here we spent time with fishermen building dugout canoes on the river and had a swim all be it very quickly the locals assured us there were no crocs in the area. Just the thought of such a death was enough to see us only venturing thigh deep in the brownish waters.
Many deaths occur on the river when fishermen have their canoes over turned by hippos who then literally bite the victims in half. It is so ironical that they are vegeterians. Once again,another reason the hippos and crocs live in harmony together.
Leaving town we stocked up on water ant the village hand pump. The water here had a bad odour, that of dirty pipes anyway the locals were drinking it as did we.
We found a great camp in unburnt grasses before dark. As soon as a community is passed, it is possible to camp almost anywhere in the scrubby landscape. Most trees are less than 10m tall.
Mosquitos are becoming less of a problem.
This whole trip so far has been remarkably insect free. Pasta was enjoyed for dinner.

30/9/2015 Camp near Mwandi to Grootfontein, (riding and bus)
D53, T3, Av18.43 Max 46, 47,067, 11,169
With only 53 km to ride, we would be at the border crossing in good time. Again it was flat easy riding. Before getting to Sesheke we crossed the Zambesi river. It was a long curved bridge that spanned 3 main channels of this huge river, even in the dry season. We arrived in Sesheke and ate, then headed the 3km to the immigration.
It was a quiet border crossing, getting stamped out of Zambia was a five minute job. It was a similar process in Katima Mululo in Namibia.
We changed some Kwacha for Namibian dollars and got 1.2 for a kwacha, which was quite good.
In Namibia the Rand can be used, the exchange rate is 1 for 1. The Rand can be used in both countries but the Namibian dollar only in Namibia. This explained why Ben got some South Africa rand in his money the street dealer gave him. These guys were right outside the Zambian immigration office.
Once through immigration with a two month visa we spotted an Intercape bus. They were going to Grootfontein.
It was too late to catch them so we rode into the local gas station and saw another bus with an enclosed traier waiting. It too was going to Grootfontein. For 1000 ND we loaded the bikes in the trailer and headed off.
I don’t take buses or other transport unless it is life threatening or there are no other options. In this case, Cal and Ben have realised we won’t be riding into Cape Town, as they have run out of time.
It was their call to take the bus. The Caprivi Strip we went through was full of signs warning drivers about elephants and antelope.
The driver had a spotter with him to look for animals as we were travelling very fast. The road was dead straight, flat and little occupied.
During the night we were stopped at an expensive roadhouse setup for a ten minute toilet and eating stop.
I had such a great sleep on the way over then south to Grootfontein. We arrived here at 0100 in the morning and slept in the local gas station.