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Published: October 1st 2012
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To get out of South Luangwa back to Chipata by public transport would have required me to catch the one minibus going that direction at around 8 p.m. and then, to get to Lusaka, I would have had to wait at the bus station overnight for the first bus to go. Needless to say I wasn't over enthused by this prospect, so when I found out a South African family camping beside me were leaving the same morning, I shamelessly asked if there would be any chance I could get a lift with them as far as Chipata. They said it was no problem and I was spared the above nightmare.
The next morning as I journeyed with Ernest and his family, I discovered they were in fact living Lusaka, my next destination. I couldn't believe my fortune, when I was offered a lift all the way to Lusaka - over 700km. It took about 9 hours, but being in the back of an air conditioned car, was some contrast to the transport I had been taking in recent weeks.
On the outskirts of Chipata, we witnessed a bizarre scene, where about a hundred vehicles were trying to get
into a petrol station, in what I definitely would not categorise as a queue. It seems that following a fuel shortage in Malawi, the previous month, Zambia had provided them with a significant amount and there was now a shortage in Zambia.
Between Chipata and Lusaka there is little or no development evident. The people's living conditions seemed as poor as I had seen in Africa. It was slightly strange to be observing this from the modern, comfortable vehicle I was travelling in as opposed to the ramshackle options I have become accustomed to, which usually mirror the living conditions.
Night had fallen by the time we got into Lusaka and Ernest kindly dropped me straight to the street I was staying on. I checked into my hostel and had an early night. The next morning, I went out to have a look around the Cairo Road area of Lusaka. This did not take very long, as there is not much of interest to see or do. I checked out the brand spanking Levy Mall, which is as modern as anything in Europe. Later, I went out to Manda Hall, another more expensive shopping mall and finally replaced
my, now useless, tent and also got a sleeping bag, as I was now getting sufficiently south for the African winter to cause me chills at night time.
It's hard to make a judgment on a city having only spent just over a day there, but there wasn't anything in Lusaka, which attracted me to stay any longer. There is obviously some sort of wealth in the city, which was evident in how busy the shopping malls were. One thing I also noticed was the amount of Chinese people and companies. They clearly are moving in to a country, which is rich with natural resources.
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