http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Zambia en-us Wed, 11 Nov 09 02:28:29 +0000 Wed, 11 Nov 09 02:28:29 +0000 After flying to Lusaka Zambia from the US via Jo'burg I slept overnight in Lusaka Protea Hotel Arcades. Next morning I took a flight on Proflight from the Lusaka airport 8 departure tax to Mfuwe. The costly flight was fairly short and a little bumpy but worth it since I only had 2 extra days for a safari. My reservations at Mfuwe Lodge inside South Luangwa park included a friendly guide http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/South-Luangwa/blog-451776.html So this is it. The 'real adventure has started. Where Joachim and I have been travelling together and enjoyed the company and safety of having someone familiar around we thought it was time to split up now. After leaving Zanzibar we spent almost a week with Rams the guy we met on the ferry to Zanzibar and his family in Dar Es Salaam trying to decide where to go from there. For my part it wa http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/Kabwata/blog-450161.html Written October 25th 2009Greetings allI am almost at the 5month mark meaning I have 3 months left. As the Zambians say ldquoAhhhhhhh Eeeshrdquo Itrsquos gone by incredibly quickly.This week has been both frustrating and interesting. The petrol shortage continues and I am no longer finding the whole thing funny now that the price of taxis has gone up. Also when I do take the bus i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-449913.html This was the end of the first half of the tour half of the group were leaving us and we were being joined by some new people. So for a final night out we went on a boat cruise nicknamed booze cruise it had an all you can drink bar... which was great fun.The following day some of us went to see Vic Falls they were quite impressive but as it was dry season where wasn't much water. I thi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-446318.html We spent a couple of nights in an amazing campsite in South Luangwa national park. The campsite was called Croc Valley and there was situated on the edge of a river that was indeed full of crocodiles and hippos. Within a few hours of arriving there were 4 elephants wandering through the campsite we were so close to themThe next day we had a couple of game drives one first thing in the mor http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/South-Luangwa/blog-446304.html Hi EveryoneIt is sooooooooooooo hot. Today by 9am it was already 36 C. I sure miss that great Canadian fall weather I have spoken to some of you and have heard several complaints about the cold in Canada. I am envious The heat is not so awesome in a landlocked country where no air conditioning exists and you have to pay considerable amounts of money to use hotel swimming pools. Also wearing http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-446060.html The 7 hour journey from Lusaka to Livingston was an absolute doddle after some of the smelly cramped rattly journeys wersquove taken in recent times. For one thing the roads in Zambia are infinitely better than those in Kenya and Tanzania hellipapart from one section just before Livingston. Anyway we arrived at our end destination feeling relaxed and rested and ready to try as many of t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-444627.html 189 219So going back a step to our train booking in Zanzibar. We had no idea how difficult it would be to organize transport from Dar es Salaam. Therersquos only one official train representative on the island and he said the train was booked up or at least the Zanzibar allocation was. When we went to Africa House for a drink we saw that there was a travel agent that worked for them an http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-444394.html Written Wednesday October 07 2009There and back againHey EveryoneSurprise I was in the UK for 10 days. No one knew I was going except for my lovely aunt ldquoSophierdquo who kindly engineered the whole thing. I went to the UK to attend my grandfatherrsquos memorial service. It was definitely time for a break from the whole Zambia scene. I was getting frustrated and needed a change for a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-443556.html So life has come to a bit of a standstill for various reasons and I've decided to head off to see a little more of the continent for a while. I haven't really done any tourist stuff in Africa except for one weekend in Livingstone so this should be a serious and much needed change of pace for me. Certain things about living here were getting a tad too heavy for me I've never been very good with http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-438152.html Written Friday Sept 4 2009Mwalyeni bwino this is a common greeting in Bemba it means ldquoAre you eating wellrdquo And in turn you respond ldquokulila mulelyardquo which means ldquoprovided that you are eating wellrdquo Hence I hope you are all eating well I know I am. On a more interesting note I am beginning to lose my sanity a bit. Well not really but I definitely nee http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-436181.html Lion walk the walking partTaking a lion for a walk is not that much different to walking a dog. Like dogs lions enjoy taking time to roll around on the floor sniff poo and be a bit boisterous. During our 5 nights in Livingstone we spent a morning doing a lion walk. This is pretty much what it says on the tin. Four lion cubs are being rehabilitated at a ranch and every day they are taken out fo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-433387.html Zambia June 26 July 9Mama Rulas campsite near Chipata was one of the more equipped we stayed at it had a bar and very slow internet access but it was pot luck as to whether the shower was hot or not. By this time I could count on one hand the number of hot showers I'd had. This was the most frustrating part of the trip. I could handle the camping just but it would've been a lot more bearable http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/blog-432184.html Muli bwanji Thatrsquos Nyanja for hello and how are you I have been very skimpy on the photographs so I am trying to post more of them for everyone this may prove to be difficult because the internet connection here is just something else. I will try thoughThis past week was a lot better for me. Irsquove made a lot of progress with regards to my thesis. One of the major stakeholders cal http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-432070.html Well wersquove now managed quite a few restup days waiting days too for the arrival of our first grandchild Kathyrsquos baby seemingly nearly 2 weeks late. Alistair James so far has now arrived on 16 Aug but rather unwillingly it appears. Thankfully all is well. We didnrsquot hear for more than a day as our 3 day restup at Jungle Junction on Bovu Island in the middle of the Zam http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-431848.html Day 20 Chipata Zambia 18809Today we were crossing the boarder into our 4th country Zambia. Before this we stopped in Lilongwe the capital of Malawi for a few supplies for the journey. Me Cat Duncan Kane Emma Erin and Brodie all went for breakfast in a local hotel. It was only 1000 and Duncan and Me were all ready hitting the Carlsberg A sign perhaps The staff really messed up th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Chipata/blog-431672.html All the crazy things that have happened recently...So not too long ago a young female patient died...it was sudden. She had come into the clinic recently and been in relatively good health. She was absolutely adorable and sweet and good mannered and smart...and just a really delightful child. I took a picture of her with our social worker Fernando the last time she came. Our Clinical Officer http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Lusaka/blog-431376.html Hey GuysWell after a tearful goodbye to South Africa our car the beloved RocARolla and beautiful Cape Town we took to the skies to our next destination Zambia Upon our arrival in Livingstone we got settled in our hostel which is run by a girl from the Comox Valley Small World. Our main focus of this stop was to check out MosioaTunya or the Smoke that Thunders or Victoria Falls. Ok the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-430458.html Leaving Zimbabwe behind we reenter Zambia and head to one of the worldrsquos adventure capitals Livingstone and the Victoria Falls. Known by locals as lsquothe smoke that thundersrsquo Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world and so wersquore spending 4 nights in the town.We head straight for the falls on the first morning crossing over the bridge directly in front of t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-429479.html After a few days of rest and relaxation at Lake Malawi we pass through Lilongwe and on to our next country Zambia. Our time in Zambia will be divided in two the first stay being at the South Luangwa National Park and our second at Livingstone separated by a brief visit to Zimbabwe.Our camp site at South Luangwa is in the best tradition of national park camp sites next to a crocodile and hi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/South-Luangwa/blog-429438.html