9th November 2009 Vic Falls

The train pulled into Vic Falls station at about 10am the morning. I had been in an apartment on my own for the whole night and had only come out to get to the toilet in the morning. I applied the principles of entering a town and left the entry point immediately, went to lie on the lawn fronting the hotel next to the station. I did not think the guests going out for their walks in the morning thought it amusing to see a dirty backpacker lazing on the lawns they are paying to maintain. A porter came out after a while and directed me to the taxis plying their trade obviously a distance away from the hotel. We walked over to the main road and they waved down a hotel shuttle bus. The driver took me to the hotel where Trudy's sister (Lorraine's contact in Bulawayo) who passed me onto her sister who works at Vic Falls Lodge?? She took a quick take on who I am, why I am doing this crazy thing and agreed to put me up, we could have supper afterwards as suggested by the family members in Bulawayo at the BOMA. (An interesting place a bit over done but tourist like the drumming they can actually do at the table and the opportunity to be told what to do by a young black guy, more about this later) I then slipped into this tourist town to go and savour the falls again. I had been here in 1988 for a first experience. The water at falls was a bit low being shortly before the rainy season. Walked the various vantage points at the falls and walked down to the bridge over the Zambezi to view the falls from that end. Tried an internet cafe to update my blog but the system would not want me to get in so I made my way to the hotel to meet with Carrie (Trudie's sister) Had a shower because I stank and we went off to the Boma Restaurant. Carrie insisted on picking up the tab since this would auger well for her expense account. Good old expense account!! The meal was great! I tried some Impala, which the manager agreed was a bit tough, some crocodile ( I had to check my shoes all the time to make sure that they did not fry my crocs). The croc was good so was the warthog. The evening was punctuated by antics some of the silly tourists got up to. A good time was had by all though. They issued a certificate for the person who has eaten a mopani worm I ate two and after they had issued the certificate I informed them that I had eaten them ongoing in the 80's when I had a connection with an indian guy in Pretoria who used to mail me a box every quarter and we had them in all types of recipes. Ha Ha they were not impressed.
10th November 2009 Crossing from Vic Falls to Livingstone
I got up early, washed my washing and did some stretches. Trudie's' house help came to work I asked her to do some washing for me. It was raining, also asked her to soak my mopani worms (I had bought some stocks for me in Bulawayo) soaked some sprouts packed and waited for the taxi to pick me up to take me to the border and touch on at Carrie at the Hotel. He took me on a tour of his township and took me to the border. Here I had to connect with a Zambian taxi driver to take me into Livingstone. He screwed me charged me $25 to take me 15km. Introductory shock the travellers tell you. After coming from the lap of luxury for one day my guard is down and I did not take the necccesary precautions by asking and agreeing to a fare before entering the taxi. The idea I had was this must be the only taxi in Zambia so I get in without negotiating price. They allow one Zambian taxi to enter the Zim border side at a time, so there we are nou is ek wakker. I booked in to Faulty Towers and went for a walk in the town. Booked ticket to Lusaka with some family bus company. Had a fast viewing of the museum (it was already3.30pm and the museum closes at 4.30pm (a must stop in a town to understand the shapes and behaviour of the people. Went to mass the church was right opposite the lodge. Went home cooked my mopani's and had supper. There was a mixed group of South Africans working at Shoprite who lodged at Faulty Towers They were just a funky drunk lot working away from home and having to go and sleep drunk to feel at home. I know the feeling.
11 the November 2009
Got up early ran through the town and ran to mass after. came to the lodge packed and proceed to the bus stop, the bus leaves at 10am. I cant get my ticket???? They let me on the bus with a duplicate. There is booking seats here. The ride is hot but interesting, the stretches are long and barren. The Chinese are rebuilding the road to Lusaka, the sections which are done are good, a China man kan sien wanner die level uit is hy hoef nie 'n oog toe te maak nie dis alreeds toe.
Get to Lusaka in the afternoon. Hundreds of men come to meet the bus all wanting to rip a piece of flesh. I get off the bus check the going rate for the backpackers and select a driver for me, he drops me off at the correct place CHA CHA Backpackers. I silly me decide to camp for the night I after all had been dragging this tent from town and it is breaking my back. There are already two other campers in the grounds so I wont be alone. I book and notice form the board in the reception that there is a bus tomorrow direct to Lilongwe so I get another taxi, who takes me to the money changers on the street who exchange enough dollars to get me to Malawi. We go back to the bus station and book the ticket and return to the Back packers but not before he shows me where the church is. I notice morning mass is at 6.30pm. We go back to the lodge, I pitch the tent, shower and order supper which is made by some loudmouthed bruin ou who is in charge of Lusaka. I get into bed after trying unsuccessfully to get into my blog to update. It starts raining cats and dogs thunder and lightning, wind and alles. I lie still in my tent which is now a canoe and wait for daybreak. I get up get into running gear move my back pack and goods into one of the chalets which some whitey who flies back to London on the morning has vacated a few minutes earlier. The bed was still hot. I drag my tent (as is set up) onto the stoep of the chalet and run off in the rain to see the town and to go to mass. I get there..... hey die kerk is vol mense hulle gaan kerk toe voor hulle werk toe gaan, hulle bid in die reen voot die grotto. I get back to the lodge now the drying starts, I first take a swim in the rain in the lodge pool....lekker. wipe the tent dry and pack to get to the bus which leaves at 12.30pm. It eventually left at 3pm. Now I experience a different arrangement to the family bus company I travelled with from Livingstone. Lots of drama at the buss station finally we are on our way. Travelled a solid 13 hours to the border at Malawi Chapeta, Then on to Lilongwe. We slept in the bus at the bus station (I may have some of the details wrong as I write this without notes and internet time is costly) I would like to give you guys the kaskenades at the bus station and on the bus but you will have to buy the book for the details. It will take up too much space and time here.
12 November 2009
I wake up in Lilongwe I have started speaking to a shy and only whitey who was at the back of the bus. I will enlarge on his experience with the mattress on the bus when I get to lodgings with free internet access. We decide to board a mini bus to the south. He goes to Monkey bay to get the Lillala steamer to the north of the lake. I will get off at Detza town to get a connecting taxi to Kanyama Village to visit Andrew's parents dis nog 'n storie. I miss the morning taxi and is offered a ride to the village which is 15km away at a price of R 350,00, off course I refuse and decide to wait for the evening taxi. I haven't slept for about 24 hrs now I will have to wait in the sun for another 8hrs before I can get to my destination. I sit and wait.........