Uneventful days in Lusaka

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I spent 2 1/2 days working in Lusaka from February 6-9. Although I didn't do anything special, it was personally interesting to visit the city again after 20 years. While living for three years in Nairobi in the mid 1980s, I visited Lusaka several times in conjunction with my work.

My overall impression is that the Zamiban economy is doing better now than it was the last time I visited. The country seems to be getting more foreign investment than previously which is evident in many new buildings and businesses. I stayed in the Intercontinental Hotel where I had usually stayed in the 1980s. It is still the same basic hotel, but an outdoor restaurant, swimming pool and fitness center have been added, making for a much more pleasant stay. Some of the change in Zambia is due to globalization and to the passing of leadership from Kenneth Kuanda, who was Zambia's first president and who tried for many years to install a socialism in the country. I also understand that Zambian agriculture is improving, partly due to the relocation of many white farmers from Zimbabwe who were finding it difficult to survive under Robert Mugabe.

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