20th November ‘09: The M.V. Liemba finally docked around 13:30 local time. We were behind schedule anyway and it didn’t help having an important government minister visit the ship in Kasanga (Tanzania), which involved re-mooring the ship and waiting while he did his walk-about.
Paid the $50 visa fee and cleared customs with no problem. Port security proved to be more troublesome. Jobsworth wants to check my gear. Think he is looking for a backhander. No chance. I will wait all afternoon if I have to. Takes 15 mins before he gets the message.
From the port to Mbala is only 40k but it is all uphill, with a 3,000ft climb. I have 4 hours before nightfall and decide to go for it. After a week of inactivity I find the ride surprisingly hard. The thing in my favour is that the hill is a very gentle climb all the way. I called it the ‘Carlsberg hill’. If you have to climb 3,00ft this is the way you would want to do it.
Reach the Grasshopper Inn just before dark and rejoin the 3 others mzungu’s from the boat who have travelled by bus to the same lodgings.
21st November ‘09: The others are away early to catch the bus. I am alone again for the first time in a week. Feels a little strange having no other travellers to share to trip with. Breakfast and into town to get things in order for travel in Zambia. First stop is the ATM. I only have a little cash, which I changed at the port. Nice to have a full wallet again. Africa - no cash = no life for a mzungu. Sort out phone. Takes all morning and the heavens open just as I am about to leave town. Decide to have an early lunch. First introduction to the local dish, Nshima (looks like congealed wallpaper paste and tastes pretty much the same). It’s a bit like spam. You have to have it with everything. Guy tries to overcharge me, but I find out the true cost and sort it out. The rain is tremendous and lasts for nearly 2 hours.
Very wet departure from Mbala
Make a start in the early afternoon on flooded roads. Rolling hills and overcast conditions make for good cycling. Stop around 17:00 for another meal of ‘wallpaper-paste’. Push on for another half hour and then into the bush for some wild camping. Zambia is much emptier than other places I have been some it is possible to ‘disappear’.
22nd November 2009: Wild camp to Kasama: Awake at first light and away by 06:30 after a breakfast of pasta and green tea. Another hot and sunny day with a gentle head wind. Should make Kasama by early afternoon. Rolling hills with bush each side is the order of the day. The scenery is pretty uniform and there is no change for 100’s of kilometres. Nothing of note except for a giant caterpillar that joined me for lunch. Kasama is bit of a non-event. Expecting a city with tall buildings and manage to cycle through the centre without even realizing I was in town. Being Sunday it is even quieter that normal. Find my ‘hotel’, just out of town. No water, but manage to negotiate use of a shower in another part of the hotel. Ask for a drink. Don’t do drinks! Wash gear and head off for some food in town. Guess what! Only Nshima on the menu.
Return to hotel in time for the usual power-cut. They don’t even have candles. This is the most ill-equipped hotel I have ever been in. Guess what is one the menu for tonight? Bloody Nshima again! I managed to talk the old-boy into going into town to buy some potatoes. He manages to prepare some decent chicken and chips, yippee! No Nshima. The meal costs 15,000 kwacha, but he has no change for my 20,000 note!
23rd November ‘09: Den’s update: Kasama to Mpika. Check out of the hotel at 07:00. Had to wait for the old boy to find some change from my meal last night. No running water so he gave me a bottle of frozen water to take with me. Really hot and sunny today. Good roads with gentle hills. Just clocking up the K’s as Mpika is over 200k away. What I do today will not have to be done tomorrow.
Lots of large birds of prey hovering overhead and a large snake is lying in the road, dead. The victim of a RTA. Stop for lunch at a small village. Have two meals back to back as not sure when my next opportunity will arise. Continue riding during a hot and sunny afternoon. At the roadside there are buckets of dried caterpillars for sale. I try one. It tastes a bit like fish, but don’t fancy a whole meal of them. Later on that afternoon I have to disappear into the bush for an emergency ‘Mr Whippy’. Don’t think it was connected to the caterpillar tasting, but who knows?
As nightfall approaches I decide to stay at a small village. Usual commotion and attention on arrival. Make a gift of some dried fish and mango’s I brought earlier to the village elder and some biscuits for the children. Taken for a tour. Really friendly and helpful as usual. Have the remainder of the dried fish with the last of my pasta for dinner. Fish are almost indigestible. Maybe I should have soaked them first. Anyway, great exercise for the jaw muscles. Warm night in my tent.
I am incommunicado, unreachable by mobile somewhere between Kasama and Mpika, hopefully I will find civilization again soon and contact Di to let her know I’m safe.
It really was a small town. In fact hardly a village
24th November ‘09: I stayed in a remote village in the bush last night which was quite an ordeal with so many inquisitive children. I’m safe and well and heading for Mpika but Di says there probably won’t be internet access there either. There are power cuts every night and fuel is in short supply here in Northern Zambia with drivers being rationed.
Afternoon update from Mpika: Left the small village shortly after 07:00. Only had a cup of tea from breakfast as everyone watches everything I do and it is easier to move on. Thank the village elder and his wife for allowing me to stay. I press on towards Mpika, which is about 90k away. At 08:30 stop for a belated breakfast at the roadside. Running short of supplies so only have a cup of cocoa, some biscuits and a mango.
The scenery is uninteresting, with just mile after mile of bush with no variation at all. This part of Zambia is virtually empty and there are no roadside stalls or produce to buy all morning. Gentle hills and good road surface are in my favour, but a constant headwind makes for tough going.
Just as I was passing a phone mast, my mobile rang. It was my little anchor worried as usual. Nice to hear from Di, especially as I was feeling rather bored with the never-ending surroundings.
Mile after mile of this scenery
Finally ran out of food completely around mid-morning. It wasn’t until 12:30 that I managed to spot a small stall at the roadside. Not much on offer, but snack food is better than no food. The final run into town is uphill with the wind right on the nose. Slow progress as lacking fuel for the body I suppose and a poor night’s sleep doesn’t help (cockerels start crowing around 04:45). Not much of a town, but everything I need is here. First job is to top up with cash. (Never know when the next bank with an ATM will be). I am now a millionaire in Zambian Kwacha anyway. Buy some fresh bread - delicious. Check into a guesth0use and eat. The only thing on the menu is nshima (wallpaper paste). It is like spam, you have to have this stuff with everything. I chose chicken. When it arrives it looks like it has been in a road traffic accident, but I am hungry so I eat it without complaint.
I have lots of pictures to upload, but I will try to catch up on the writing first as the connection speed is pretty slow here.
25th November ‘09: Decided to delay departure to update the website. This may be the last chance for a while. Going to take the main road towards Lusaka, but make a 120k detour to Kasanka National Park. At this time of year up to 5 million migratory fruit-bats mass there and it is quite a show apparently. There are plenty of other things to see and do. I will let you know once the visit is over.
Update: Depart Mpika just before noon. There is a lot more quality food on offer here. I have even managed to buy some Cadbury’s chocolate éclairs. The town has a bakery so I have had some bread for the first time in ages.
Musuku (Stupid) fruits: 5 million fruit-bats can't be wrong
The next town is too far to even consider reaching, so the objective today is just to clock up as many kilometres as possible. Having turned the corner the wind is mainly on my left hand side with the occasional bout of favourable tailwind. The surroundings are the same as when I first arrived, pretty monotonous. Made a small detour to visit some caves, Nachikufu Cave. It was fences off and nothing of real interest, so a wasted hour.
The only things for sale at the roadside are dried caterpillars and some small brown fruit things. I don’t know their real name but I have named them ‘Stupid Fruits’, as they contain 6 large seeds that take up about 95% of the interior, leaving little left for edible flesh. In spite of the limited supplies on offer I buy a bag of caterpillars and some stupid fruits.
As the light fades I disappear into the bust to set up camp for the night. I am really enjoying this ‘bush tucker challenge’ bit. Prepare my caterpillar sandwich, but bottle out at the last minute. Take a photo as a memento. I did try one a couple of days ago, but the thought of a whole sandwich is too much. Have pasta with niknaks instead!
26th November ‘09: Wild camp to wild camp: Long hard day in the saddle. Covered over 150k and there was nothing of interest all day. The surrounding are unchanging and seem to go on for ever. Didn’t even take a single photo all day, which is unusual as most days something of interest happens. Reached the turn-off for the National Park around 16:00 and have my Nshima and fish. The food here is pretty crap, but this was the worst meal to date. The Nshima was as ever like wallpaper paste, the fist was cold and so old and dry that it crumbled to the touch. On the plus side the food kiosks had some interesting items for sale. I brought fried chicken, boiled eggs, tomatoes and some bread.
Decided to push on towards Kasanka NP, which is 55k down the road to the north of the junction. Feeling really strong in spite of the long day and get to within 25k of the entrance before nightfall.
Into the bush again and by now I am so tired I can barely set up camp. Did deep and with the help of a cup of green tea I gradually come round. Make myself 2 x giant chicken and tomato sandwiches. Fantastic!! Nil reception, so unable to make contact with Di to let her know I am safe.
27th November ‘09: Day of frustration! Up at first light and on the road by 06:00. Looking forward to today as it will be the first time I have had an easy day for ages and the National Park will be a great way to spend a couple of days.
I reach the gatehouse and am told that bikes are not allowed in the park. The Lonely Planet guide states, “It is a pleasant 12k walk to the campsite”. I point this out and explain that I have cycled through 2 national parks in Uganda, been camping wild in the bush and am willing to take the risk. The Brits who are in charge are unmoved. (Must be one of our few remaining exports - health and safety jobsworths). They would however provide me with transport to the campsite, a cool 250,000 kwatcha ($50) for the 12k transfer. After a 40 minute fruitless negotiation I politely decline their kind offer (thinking to myself that they can stick their bats where the sun doesn’t shine). 110k detour all for nothing. I am not a happy bunny. My anger gives my a real boost and I am back at the crossroads before I know it having spent a pleasant two and half hours retracing the exact same road I had only just cycled up.
Back at the crossroads and while stocking up on supplies I am engaged in conversation with the local daytime drunks. Di saves me with a well times phone call to check I am still alive. Make my excuses and disappear into the distance.
Having not got all the supplies I needed my next stop was only a couple of kilometres down the road. A big storm is ahead and I decide to stop at a restaurant to have lunch. Wrong! This restaurant doesn’t do food. A ask the lady why? No customers she says. I am a customer who wants food I reply. Still the penny doesn’t drop. I make myself a sandwich outside the restaurant.
It is 43k to the next town of Serenje. Same old stuff. Mile after mile of the same scenery. Zambia is massive. With 41k on the clock I pass a ‘truck-stop’, continue on down 2 bloody great big hills with a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. I ask a local and sure enough the ‘truck-stop’ was Serenje. Back I go up the hills again. 20 minutes later I am at the junction again. Apparently Serenje proper is 3k down the side road. Once in town check out several guesthouses and have a nice chat with ‘Steve’ the American owner of the best of the bunch. I didn’t stay at Steve’s place as it was a little out of my price range. Instead stayed at one called the Son & Daughter guesthouse. I did have a nice meal of chips and omelette there though. Just as well as my dinner took over 90 minutes to arrive. Having carefully negotiated the non-nshima option, I was not impressed when the rice had been so over cooked and to resemble the dreaded wallpaper paste. Don’t come to Zambia if you are looking for culinary pleasures - you will be disappointed. In a strange way I quite enjoy the challenge of finding something to eat that is at least a little appetizing. One of my little pleasures in life is to enter a ‘restaurant’ and ask what do you have that doesn’t involve nshima. The look of bewilderment on the staff’s faces is a sight to behold.
28th November ‘09: Early start again. Retrace the 3k back to the main road. The first hour or so is pretty hilly and to make matters worse I have a puncture in my rear tyre of the slow variety. I change the inner tube but am not confident that I have solved the problem. As expected I still have to stop every hour to pump up the rear tyre.
The bricked up door say's, 'Staff entrance'
Another day of just clocking up the kilometres. A really hot day and take five minutes to rinse top in small river. Needed have bothered as an hour later I am caught in a massive rain storm that would have done the job for me. Stop for Nshima and village chicken (nice meal for once).
There is a place ahead called the Forest Lodge, so I am heading there. With 150k on the clock it appears right on queue at my normal stopping time of 17:30. Take the cheaper camping option, but a great place. Even got the Christmas decorations up.
Note: food availability has improved. Today brought bread rolls, tomatoes, onions, bananas, eggs, peanuts, sweets and even a cream-puff cake.
29th November ‘09: Forest Inn campsite to Kabwe. Still got a slow puncture in my rear tire and my spare is also defective. Not been able to repair either yet. (Need a bowl of water as the hole is really small and not visible to the naked eye). It is 60k to the next big town of Kapiri Mposhi. This is where the Copperbelt region main road joins the Great North Rd, which I have been on for the last 452k. Lonely Planet reports that incidents of robbery are common here, so in spite of being an obvious half-way stop I sailed on through. From KP it is another 68k to Kabwe. Nothing much to report except that the traffic has got a lot busier. Find a nice guest-house on the edge of the city limits. Bit pricier than I normal pay, but manage to negotiate a considerable discount. The most impressive internet cafe I have encountered in Africa (of anywhere else for that matter) is a 2 minute cycle away.
Storm approaching
Nearly got chips for dinner, but hopes dashed at last minute. Had to settle for boiled rice with my fish, prepared in the nshima style (boiled to a pulp). Impressive dessert menu of ice-cream, tarts and flans etc. Sadly none are available.
30th November ‘09: Rest day at Kabwe. Found a tiny strand of wire in my rear tyre so hopefully the slow puncture problem has been resolved. Inspection revealed several other potential problems, which a bit of well timed maintenance should stop becoming serious. Tomorrow I will make the 140k hop to the capital Lusaka. Don’t want to arrive in the dark so it will be an early start and hope all goes well with no delays.
Zambia so far: It’s a big place. The land area is the same as France, UK and the Republic of Ireland put together. Since leaving the boat at Mpulungu I have cycled 1,045k on mainly good quality roads. The scenery has hardly changed at all. Having cycled nearly continuously for nine and a half days I have averaged 110k per day. The biggest animals I have encountered are the giant caterpillars and millipedes that make a life or death dash across the roads. There are occasional police check-points on the road where they inspect vehicles. I asked, “What are they looking for”. Checking for bush-meat was the reply. I can only assume that any animal that leaves the sanctuary of the National Parks ends up in someone’s cooking pot pretty quickly.
Tasty snacks - Zambian style
Food is a never-ending source of amusement (normally gallows humour). If you don’t like nshima you will become very hungry very quickly. Compared to other African countries I have passed through there is only limited opportunities to buy stuff at the roadside. Again, it is mostly caterpillars and ’stupid fruits’ on offer.
Just because it says restaurant on the outside it doesn’t mean that they have any food prepared or in the worst case can be bothered to cook something for a hungry cyclist. If want to cause real confusion ask for something that doesn’t involve nshima and watch them recoil in horror!
1st December ‘09: Kabwe to Lusaka; 140k to complete today and I don’t want to arrive in the capital in darkness so make an early getaway at first light (06:00). Only about 7k out of town when a passing car calls out to me asking if I would like a coffee. I is a little to early to stop, but I don’t like to give up the offer of food or drink so I agree to meet the driver a short distance up the road at the ‘Fig Tree Cafe’. It turns out the occupant of the car is the owner and treats me to a really nice morning cup of coffee. We chat and agree to meet up tomorrow evening in Lusaka as Anton has an engagement in town. A quiz night. I should be alright so long as it isn’t current affairs as I haven’t listened to the news for two months.
The conditions are perfect. The tarmac is smooth, the wind is a gentle breeze mainly behind me and it is nearly flat for most of the way. In spite of the extended coffee stop and other food breaks I reach Lusaka at 14:30, an amazing time for 140k with a fully loaded bike. Having no slow puncture and rock hard tyres really made a difference.
Check out several places to stay. All are a little expensive and none ideal. I settle for one just in time. The most impressive electrical storm to date hits town (literally) and it is hour after hour of torrential rain.
2nd December ‘09: Rest day in Lusaka; managed to buy 2 replacement inner-tubes at last ( that means I will probably have no more punctures this trip). Done a lot of walking today, to the shops etc and checked out the city swimming pool. It is a 50m meter pool. I was going to spend tomorrow catching up on some swimming, but it has just been drained and will not be open for business again until Saturday. This is a pity as two months on no swimming or running will leave me very one dimensional when it comes to triathlon season again.
My original plan was to have 3 nights in Lusaka, but with the pool out of action a 2 night stay may be better. I can come back to town a day early when I need to meet Di and Chris off the plane next week.
I estimate that it is only about 4 days cycling to Livingstone from here, so it I leave tomorrow I should reach my final destination on Sunday afternoon / early evening barring any major problems.
3rd December ‘09: Lusaka to Mazabuka; An early departure from the capital to beat the traffic. However, I didn’t beat the drizzle and by the time I leave my bike is looking a bit of a mess with all the road dirt.
The light rain stops mid-morning, but my next challenge is some surprisingly steep hills. I have to use my ‘granny gear’ for the first time in ages. Not firing on all cylinders today so take a long lunch under a mango tree to sit out the hottest part of the day.
Reach Mazabuka late afternoon and find some nice accommodation. I am surprised to find that although feeling sluggish all day and having some difficult hill climbs to contend with I have still managed to clock up 125k.
4th December ‘09: Mazabuku to Choma; Another mega day of just clocking up the ‘k’. Covered 160k today, my greatest distance for one day this trip. With only 190k to go until Livingstone I wanted to put myself in a position to make it in one hit. However, on balance I have decided that the sensible thing to do is to take two days.
Brand-new road to Livingstone under construction
Choma is quite a large town with some substantial supermarkets in town. I really go for the mega carb-load while I can. Visit the local restaurant and make pig of myself with a monster portion of chicken and chips. Next it is a visit to the Spar supermarket so stock up on supplies. With bulging carrier bags I visit the same restaurant on the way back for a take-away of chips. Back at the hotel it is a couple of chip butties, a whole family sized carton of chocolate ice-cream (how many carbs are there in ice-cream anyhow) and finally a family sized pot of yogurt. (It’s my birthday tomorrow and I deserve it anyway).
5th December ‘09: Choma to Bush-camp 90k from Livingstone. It’s my birthday today. The day started really well with a tail wind blowing me towards my journey’s end. Arrived in Kalomo and tried to update website but the internet speed was too slow I gave up. Managed to shelter from a heavy rain shower then decided to continue towards Livingstone. By chance I happened to encounter a troop of baboons which is quite uncanny as exactly the same thing happened on my birthday in 2001 in Mali. Unfortunately the heavens opened again and I have been forced to take refuge in my tent as cycling in these conditions in not an option.
A welcome birthday phone call from Di and Chris brightened up my day. Will continue to Livingstone tomorrow.
6th December ‘09:
Early start from my improvised campsite about 90k from Livingstone. Last nights heavy rain finally stopped about 22:00. Just after Zimba the road construction program begins. I take the new highway which is closed to normal traffic. A good choice, as the tarmac is perfect and all the other vehicles have to take the diversion, which is a dirt road. This saves me about 25k of rough riding and gives me a traffic-free hour or so.
The last 10k into Livingstone is pretty rough and the storm clouds are building once again. Arrive just in time as the heavens open. The end of a long journey. It will take a little while to get used to not having to cycle, plan my route or work out how I can consume a million calories each day.
I’M HERE IN LIVINGSTONE…….MADE IT!
The end of a long journey
FAWLTY TOWERS- where’s Basil and Cybil?????
There are a few more photos’s to upload, but apart from the baboons (which I didn’t get any photos of) yesterday there is little of note to photograph. My passage through Zambia has been more or less incident free (much to Diane’s delight). Once reinforcements arrive next week we will be doing lots of ‘Muzungu’ things like rafting, safari and other adventure activities. Di is bringing out the better camera so hopefully we can get some decent pictures of our family adventures.
7th December ‘09: Rest day at Fawlty Towers. Caught up on washing and completely overhauled my bike, I owed it that much after another faultless performance over some pretty tough terrain.
Diane managed to organize a birthday cake for me at Livingstone. Don’t know how she does it.
Did a bit of swimming in the pool and started making an attempt to sort out my silly suntan. Face, arms and legs are as black as anything the rest of me is pretty much lilly-white.