Zambia meant hassles, hassles and more hassles! First I couldn't get into the country via Kariba without paying a three million kwacha deposit (more than $US1200!) Back to Zimbabwe... did I realise my visa had expired? Sorry! Anyway, after some debate they let me back into Zimbabwe! So 140kms later I'm in Chirundu, trying to get into Zambia again. Three hours later (money changers surrounding me like vultures, a man arguing in the import duty office, temporary import duty and insurance for the car etc.), I'm in Zambia, the car full of local hitch hikers going to Lhusaka
The highlight was Charles, a final year civil engineering student, who gave me a guided tour of the University of Zambia! It seemed reasonably modern and well equipped.
Four police stops (I nearly drove past one police stop at night and the police warned they may open fire, thinking I'm a criminal!) and over 600km later (swerving madly over about 200km of shockingly pot-holed tarred road beneath a star studded Zambian night <where's Colleen's driving when you need her!>, and a stop at a crowded local truck stop / market with two Zambian guys where I showed them my photos on my laptop which cost me nearly seven million kwacha, past the rural villages, picking up a man with a sack of dried fish, not to mention the man with a stolen wheel) finally I got to the border crossing for Zambia / Malawi. After an hour or so of hassles and paying a bribe to the Zambian police (so much for "stamping out corruption in Zambia" - it was either that or have the car impounded for six to twelve months whilst InterPol ran checks!), I *finally* got into Malawi. And those money changers really do remind me of the vultures I saw around the lion kill in Matusadona, the way they fight and argue.
I helped my Jehovah Witness friend Mcdonald to meet up with his Uncle and friends he hadn't seen in a year, and then we drove to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, where I found a room and slept for eighteen hours!
Of course all the phone lines were down outside of Lilongwe (the capital city of Malawi), making Internet communications (i.e. e-mail and web) impossible, so I decided to push on to Monkey Bay. Apologies to anyone who may wish to correspond with me, but e-mail has been impossible lately.
My car has never been empty, due to so many locals hitching from one place to another. I've ferried a young Muslim man with his big sack of clothes, and we eagerly discussed the Gospel. The man who ran out of petrol, a retired staff seargent, Ben the "beach boy" from Cape Maclear who ripped me off, Viola the pastor going to Blantyre, Mirriam who is starting a restaurant, and numerous others.
Cape Maclear is a stunning spot, along Lake Malawi Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa, and is like a fresh water inland sea. We paddled a dug-out canoe around beautiful Thumbe island where I snorkelled (no crocs here). There were thousands of beautiful tropical fish around the island shore, and you could dive and swim right amidst them. I wish I had an underwater camera so I could share some photos with you.
The real highlight has been what I have learnt about myself, the insights I have gained about Africa and Africans, the many people I have met, thinking about the relative affluence and wealth we enjoy compared to so many millions over here etc.
Today I met Glenn and Linda, a couple from the Nederlands (a big hello to John and Lyn in Sittard!) God willing, we are going to make a rush journey from Malawi to South Africa via Mozambique and Zimbabwe. I must say it is refreshing to finally have some westerners in the car. I like the African people, but mostly they're broke (sometimes I give them a free lift, and then I give them money!), and we have different world views which often makes real communication difficult.
Now all I have to do is find an Internet Service Provider here in Blantyre so I can update this web site and hope no one has stolen the copper from the city telephone wires!
