Afrique 31 – ZAMBIA 4 – NYIMBIA TILL CHIPATA

 Then we continue by the same countryside till Chipata and the border. Sinda is just an other slum, and Kateke is 5 km far from the road. We continue to sleep in primary school. We learn that all the land belongs to a few chiefs. Certainly they keep all the incomes for them as we don’t see any benefit for the life and infrastructure around. But families can buy some land for a house and a vegetable garden.

Before Chipata we enter again in the hills covered by forest. We get 2 long climbings in the forest.
Chipata is a big town in the hills. On the west entrance is the rich part, in the north hill, with hotels and lodges. Then comes the old center, a slum crowdy amd dusty and smelling. And then comes the mall and the market. The mall is small but enough for us, internet and supermarket, the market is just an horrible slum smelling, and the few streets around noisy slums in concrete. We finally find a cheap and clear and quiet lodge near the mall, 20$ where we stay 2 nights. First day at the neighbour restaurant the big bus stops and we see a couple of cyclists from Holland going down of the bus. They get road bicycles, a lot of luggage, and bambu frames, zambian made. The man has a spoke which get off the the rib. He thinks he canno’t continue with that, that why they were taking a bus. I convince him he can continue carefully, for a week or two time to command a new wheel by internet. Well we will meet them in Lilongwe, where they cycle without trouble, 140 km. And they plan to continue.
We do the 22 km till the border crossing long slums in concrete smelling, boring and desagreable, and a bit hilly, by farmland. No problem at the border, when the woman asks us what we think about Zambian people, so we shout how are you like children do.

Afrique 30 – ZAMBIA 3 – LUONGWE RIVER TILL NYIMBIA

 Then we continue by a very hilly and steep road, up and down for 40 km without winning any altitud. Then comes the long climb, 20 km till Kacholola. All that is through a forest, woth some beautiful high trees, mostly in the climb, but as before most of the trees are young and small because of the chop. We see less huts and villages too. It is just a lane of concrete slum with shops, with rubbish everywhere on the place. We stop at the end in a restaurant for lunch. Men are seating, drunks or stupids with drugs. We eat rather well for Africa, and then we go to the lodge in front, Martine is looking for luxury. Well it is closed, in repair, as workers for the road repair would use it. But an emloyee tells us the boss would come soon and make us a good price. We wait half an hour, and it its 4 h30 so I have enough. I convince Martine to go in the primary school. As always we get our classroom and a bucket to wash, and a lot of spectators.

The day after we are on the flat top, so the countryside changes totaly. It flatters, well it is yet hilly but not so steep, more undulating. Around we cross farm land, crops and some fields for animals, the large valley is all cultivated. We see a lot of huts and villages everywhere, it is populated here. Well they are as poor as before no progress. I ask myself to whom belongs all this land ? People are working all by hands and cows tirant la charrue ou une carriole.
We stop at the primary school at the end of the town slum of Nyimbia. For once the headmaster asks us 5$ for the classroom. Tomorrow is 24 of december it would have a procession in the school, so she asks us too if we are believer. No the history learns us religion brings more bad than good, and doesn’t take care of human being lives and comfort. It is always helping the richest and the worst, and fanatism.

Afrique 29 – ZAMBIA 2 – LUSAKA TILL LUONGWE RIVER

 On Friday we move early by the East road to get off Lusaka. After 20 km of suburbs, we pass the airport and enter in the landscape. The road is rounded by fields, crops and middle high trees, not so bad. We see again the groups of huts, and the lanes of shops in basic concrete. The road goes hilly but mostly descending about 400 m so it is easy but very hot. We pass Changwe, which isn’t along the road, but at the cross we meet the classic slum of shops and women selling fruits on the shoulder. We continue and finally stop in a village to sleep in a primary school. The headmaster is a woman, and she is looking for english books for the school library.

On Saturday we continue by the hilly road under the heat. We have steep climbings. The road is rounded by middle high trees again, and huts, vegetable garden, lanes of poor shops and mangoes sellers. I continue to eat a dozen of mangoes by day, it is the best part of Zambia. We continue to see the sellers of wood coal all along the road. That is the reason they aren’t any big tree they are all chopped yet young to make the coal. At 2 pm we stop, because of the terrible heat, 37 in the shade, but there is no shade on the tarmac. We ask hospitality in a mission. Well the white manager and entrepreneur explains us all the story, from the firt school in mud walls and hay roof, till now, with rather a lot of buildings, a church, a nursery and some lodging, all in concrete and corrugated roofs. He is looking for big donations. Well to make a short story long indeed it is impressive. But I feel tired and it is so hot, I just dream to drink some tea and rest. After 2 hours of tales, he let us alone in a nice room.
And in the morning we start with light rain. After 2 hours we pass an other slum shops, Rufunsa. We try to make some shopping but we don’t find nothing bearable. We continue a bit and stop under a bus stop on concrete, at the cross which lay to Rufunsa village. We stay here 3 hours waiting for the end of a heavy rain. Then the sun comes again and I convince Martine to continue. I feel here in a trap, a poor village where no big bus would stop and heavy rain for 3 days. We continue and we joins quickly the cross with the hospital and mission. We buy some cooked eggs and go on. We climb rather easily the 8 km of the big climb crossing the lane of mountains. It is very hot and sunny. The view isn’t so scenic, hills with forest, a few big trees, and a few hills finishing by cliffs. Curiously a lot of cyclotourists pretend it is marvellous. Yet I am not ensorceled by Africa, and I find it sad and boring. A few km after the top we stop in a slum shops lane and ask hospitality at the primary school.
On Tuesday at 7 am it is already hot and sun is coming. I win, we cross the mountain and we get off the heavy rain influence of Lusaka and the Zambezi river. We enter in the sunny ambiance of South Malawi. So we get sun all day. We decide to make a short day. I have just read some cyclists stopped in a nice campsite along Luongwe river, just 35 km away. So after a few long hills rounded by the same forest with huts, we arrive at the big slum before the river. We take an early lunch and we make some shopping, beans rice and canbeef, nothing more to buy. Then we turn on left in the gravel road to Bridge campsite. Well the place is charming but very expensive. So we just camp. We are under big trees, in front the river, and all the walls of the huts and fences are in real stones! Once someone makes an effort, instead of waiting the NGO help chatting and drinking beers. I was just thinking that us Europeans we built our beautiful stone villages by hands, without machines nor technology, just taking the stones from the fields, one by one, and building walls without cements, which follows for hundred years. We did a lot also to irrigate and open new fields and build beautiful towns. Why here it doesn’t happen now. Pick up stones in a field or in a forest costs nothing but energy. Well human being is going in decadency everywhere, leasy and weak.
So we do the same today, relaxing in the campsite, after a good shower and cleaning the clothes. I see some fishers canoeing in the river. Well the entrance isn’t guard so one stays on the nice terrass with view on the river whilst the other stays near the tent.

Afrique 28 – ZAMBIA 1 – ZAMBEZE RIVER TILL LUSAKA

 So after having our new stuff we decide to fly to Zambia, in Lusaka. In one hand we save money on the fly, in other hand we deny the bad luck the right to change our trip. We arrive out of the airport and the taxi sent by the hotel is waiting for us but it is a commun sedan car. Well we manage to put the 2 bicycle boxes in the cargo behind, tied with the climbing rope I ever bring. We arrive at the backpacker where a little hut is waiting for us. We stay one day on Lusaka for shopping. We find mostly all in the neighbour mall in front the bus terminal. We buy too the bus tickets for tomorrow in the bus terminal, chasing away the flies who try to sell us tickets and goods. Then we have to go downtown to buy benzene for the stove. This place is just a big bazar, with hardware and electronic shops, all nearly the same stuff, and high car traffic, very noisy and dusty. A lot of people are wandering or selling things on the shoulders. All the buildings are basic concrete and corrugated roofes. Well it is just a bit better than a slum. Anyway all the town is like that apart a few rich districts with houses and gardens. After a long while, we find benzene in a pharmacy.

On Monday we take an early bus to Mozabuka. It is 100 km West of Lusaka, and on the map it said it has a nice countryside. It take 3 hours to get there, and Mazabuka is nothing more than a little basic town with a mall and a few shops. We finish the shopping and move away. The road is climbing 500 m and hilly for 20 km. At the km 15 we make a short stop by the shoulder of a police station. A policeman comes to chat with us and suggest us to camp in Neary farm entrance with 24h guards. So we start the downhill, and when we join the farm we stop and ask for camping to the gards. After a few calls to the owner by radio it is OK and we pitch the tent behind the guard house.
Tuesday we finish the hilly downhill by the forest and large fields and crops, white people farms living a few km inside, what we see are blacks living in groups of huts, mud or concret walls but hay roof, and bore water from a pump well. Arriving near Kafue we turn on right way to Zimbabwe border. At the cross 2 lanes of sitting women sell bananas tomatos and mangoes. I buy bananas and mangoes. We follow the hilly and steep road, climbing 400 m and then going down and hilly till Chirundu, the border. It is a hot day. The road goes throught a forest with mostly middle high trees, 5 to 8 m, and a few big and beautiful trees. I can distinguish a lot of varieties. All around it is very hilly and green. Times to times we see a group of huts with some crops and vegetable gardens, or a lane of shops looking more a slum than buildings. Along the road we see often people selling wood coal in big bags. We stop at the T junction with the road going to the lake, to camp in a primary school. It rains all night with thundering.
On Wenesday we continue the hilly road till Chirundu. We make a stop in Oasis bar to take a breackfast in the shadow. Chirundu is just a big slum made with corrugated iron and wood. There are shops and market and a minibus stop, some restaurants and a few hotels, but nothing built in real concrete. Apart the main road, all the streets are ground and dust roads with rubbish along. We hardly find rice beans and cornbeef cans, and fruits. I continue to eat mangoes, a dozen by day they are perfectly sunny and juicy. Then we continue by the gravel road on left, passing the minibus terminal for 5 km, along small bush, fields and crops and huts with vegetable gardens. The basic way of life is everywhere. We turn on right and join Breezers lodge, along the Zambezi river, recommanded by Pedro, a portugues cyclist who has done from Luanda to Pemba and Maputo in 2009. The owner of the lodge still remember him. Well it is a nice place with mown and trees along the river, and out of the season it is very quiet. We see a few hippopotams in the distance in the river, amd we spend the day relaxing. Some woman plays guitar and sings nicely, and then I play some mandolin. We have a good dinner and a good night.
On Thursday we go back to Chirundu to take a bus to Lusaka. As the big buses coming from Harare are arriving only after noon we go to the minibus terminal to try the luck. At 10 am a driver proposes us to tie the bikes on the roof of the minibus and bring us to Lusaka. We put all the panniers under the seats, and for 3 hours we are shaked by the bus. He lets us in front the supermarket Spar. We make some shopping and get a lunch. Then under the rain we take the street with heavy traffic, which cross the ralway, pass the bus terminal, and joins the backpakers. We find again the hut where we relax.