So I have left Zambia. I would not rank Zambia up as my favorite and things are somewhat expensive, but I did enjoy myself. In Livingstone, I took a sunset booze cruise down the Zambezi where I saw hippos and a big crocodile. I visited Victoria Falls. It is the dry season, so the Falls are not as raging as they sometimes are. But it was fun to be able to walk around on the rocks and look over the edge of the Falls (not possible during the wet season). Looking across to the Zimbabwe side, you can see Zimbabweans queuing up to leave the country. I have seen refugee camps set up in every country. One of the guys from the hostel wanted me to go kayaking under Vic Falls, but that didn't sound like the best idea ever -- even in the dry season. So I opted to go whitewater rafting down the Mighty Zambezi (I still have great bruises and a lump on my head to show for it).
The weekend was spent at Mombova Fishing Lodge. I had met these guys at a Halloween Party and turns out one of the guys named Richard owns a bush lodge in Kazangula. He and his parents moved from a farm in Zimbabwe and built it all themselves. His dad died of Malaria while building it an his mom has moved to Australia, so now he owns it with a guy named Gary. He invited me to come stay there for free and hang out and go fishing. The lodge was really rustic but nice. I got my own chalet right next to the Zambezi River where you could hear the hippos. Gary and Richard gave me the heads up to yell really loud if a hippo or elephant wandered into my open air chalet. They took me out on their boats (tried to teach me to drive the boat) and taught me to fish. I only caught a small tiger fish and a squeaker, so we threw them back. When it got hot, we would just hang out on the sand dunes, play in the water (trying to avoid hippos), and dig in the river bed for snails to use as bait. Had a BBQ (brai) each night around the fire. Very relaxing and fun (although very guy-like Crocodile Dundee-ish fun, as everyone was a fisher or hunter and had lived in the bush for long periods of time).
Richard was heading to Lusaka Sunday night to charter a flight to Luangwa Valley. One of his clients got her car stuck when there had been some rains, so he was going to go hire some cattle to try to pull it out. We took the night bus to Lusaka, which SURPRISE SURPRISE...left late. So that put us into the bus station at 4:30 AM. It was actually good that it left late because there was a "traffic jam" on the highway from Kazangula to Livingstone caused by a herd of elephants trying to cross the road. They ran into a fence, so turned back and just stood in the middle of the road. We were the first car, so I got some good photos (everyone else seemed way less enthused than me and they tried to get me to get out of the car since "once the smell a human, they will move along"). No hostels were open for me when we got in to Lusaka, so thankfully, Richard stayed with me at the bus stop. Around 7:00 AM, we headed to his friend's cement factory. Hung out there for a bit and then they drove us to the Soweta Market to this awesome butcher that had the best biltong ever. You get to pick yours and then they shave it fresh. It was down a back alley, so I never would have found it myself. Then we went to the dump to look for a part for one of the cement factory tractors. Sorted through this huge John Deere graveyard pile of parts and found what we were looking for. Richard invited me along so I could see the South Luangwa park, which I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I had to get a visa for Tanzania in Lusaka and missed the flight by an hour or so. Lusaka is pretty boring and the hostel I stayed at had was having a water issue (and after a night bus, a cement factory, and playing at the dump, I REALLY needed a shower). So I decided to not spend much time there and went to buy a bus ticket for the 6:30 AM bus.
I got in to Lilongwe, Malawi late last night. I should have arrived in the afternoon, but the day was full of a seedy bus company trying to shove two full bus loads of people on to one bus. Everyone complained and made them bring another bus. Then they tried to charge me 20,000 extra to take my backpack with me. Nobody else was charged, even the woman with 8 comforter sets that she brought with her as luggage. I had to argue with them for half an hour, and they finally relented when I said I was going to head to the ticket office and ask for a refund to book with someone else. Apparently, they were just going to pocket the money. Bus left two and and a half hours late so we got to Chipata late. All money exchange places were closed, so had to try before crossing the border. Ended up getting scammed and had my money stolen instead. Walked across to the Malawi border. Then got scammed for the last of my money by a cab driver to get to the minibus area in Mchinji. Others on the minibus saw it and were angry. I told them not to worry about it, but one of them flagged down a police officer who wanted me to get out of the bus and tell him what happened. Since he had no uniform or anything, I refused to go with him (and leave my luggage on the bus). Finally, after yet another difficult travel day, I am hanging out in Lilongwe.
Not much to do here in Lilongwe, but I was not ready to bus around again this morning, so I am going to relax here for the day and then take the bus to Mzuzu early tomorrow to try to catch a minibus to Nkata Bay where I will relax for a week or so before moving on.
I think I need a break from all this moving around. I need to unpack my bag and do laundry the proper way (instead of in the shower or sink). I dread my travel days and I think I need to take a break as all the scams and hassles that seem to occur mainly on the travel days.
My new cell phone for Malawi is +265 05 417 288....I think. I will have it until I head into Arusha, whenever that may be. Apparently you all had daylight savings time (sorry for the early call, Mom!!!) so now I am 10 hours ahead of you.
Hope all is well with you. I love receiving your emails, but the internet is expensive and slow so I don't have time to respond to most. Sorry! And uploading pictures is sure to take forever and cost a fortune, so you will have to wait for me to get home. Also, still haven't sent out postcards yet. I haven't seen many places to buy them yet. But I will keep looking!
Love,
Betsy
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