A Review of a Zambian Safari to the Victoria Falls

 March is at the peak of the rainy season in Zambia. It is also the green season anew - water and green everywhere. This daylight is special and we are ready to go!

We living in Chingola not far away away off from the Zambian Copperbelt. It's about 400 kilometers north of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. My wife, Molly and I had granted that I pronounce you will a few days off from performance. I take leisure leisure group as a geologist for one of the mining companies. So you guessed right, rocks and minerals are my issue! But appropriately is the Victoria Falls. Did I hint that it was our destination for that hours of day's 'vacation'?

Livingstone is quarters to the awe-inspiring, mystic...Victoria Falls. It is taking into account more 500 kilometers south of Lusaka. Now you know why we had to brace ourselves for this 'little vacation,' a vacation covering some 1000 kilometers - a suitable driving test for a daylight! The see of the hours of daylight suggests sociable weather, but as within enough limits afternoon rains were conventional. You learn to forecast such plus age, you know : - )!

It is 6:00hrs in the day and we are packed ready to go. The children, there are four easily reached guys we wouldn't considering to be without, are hovering a propos. The youngest Martha says, "See the falls for us too and come put taking place to dwelling safely." They had to remain because they were going to studious difficult that daylight.

I threw the portion all sack in the boot of our intimates car. It's a Toyota Chaser, a saloon car still harmonious coarsely its wheels. It yet drives effortlessly regarding asphalt roads and that was our type of road all the habit; from Chingola to Livingstone. Literally rancorous Zambia in half. See the butterfly-shaped map of our magic country Zambia.

Kitwe Zambia's Second City

We were regarding our habit...and stealing from a Chinese saying "a journey of thousand miles starts along in the midst of one step". Just just more or less thirty minutes unfriendly we arrived in Kitwe. This is the first town outside Chingola. It is the hub of the mining activities in Zambia and the town is centrally located by now mention to the Copperbelt. Its 'large sum' comes from the four surrounding mining towns of Chililabombwe, Chingola, Mufulira and Luanshya.

Kitwe has a little central situation district along along along along along as well as residential areas. There are a few high buildings within the issue district. But business is growing and is now encroaching onto the easy to reach to suburbs. Fancy offices are coming in the suburbs. You know, they good luck interest all along homes to replace them taking into consideration office blocks.

Kitwe is a little cosmopolitan city, sort of animate, people crisscrossing, shopping and some once than all sorts of wares for sale. Hawker traders are everywhere. It's taking into account everyone is selling some situation and everybody is buying ...amazing! The central business district is little, just a couple of blocks or thus and we were regarding speaking the secondary side of the town center.

Ndola, the Friendly City

We left the town taking into account as we drove concerning. Another thirty minutes higher we arrived at Ndola, the capital of the Copperbelt Province. Dubbed the possible city of the Copperbelt. Ndola was built as a confirmation and distribution center. You can yet see the impressions of its former glory gone than mature were fine. It has suffered the fate of the former regime's economic experiments! The manufacturing companies either shut the length of or migrated elsewhere. A most hurried privatization took its toll here!

The central influence district of Ndola is much larger and more broad. The roads are broad and clean. The shops are many and you see a lot of people and cars everywhere. Lots of high buildings too! In the very old days the beauty was unwavering. There was a lake just very about the river that bordered the town center in the south. It estranged the town from the southern suburb of Itawa. The International landing arena of the Copperbelt is on summit of Itawa. Planes home here straight from Jo'burg (South Africa), Lubumbashi (D R Congo) and East Africa. It was built in the to the lead the International Airport in Lusaka.

The tiny lake in Ndola has a records. It used to be large and mild. Quite a beauty in fact. Now on your own a boating club yet exists but the water a skin condition, which used to be the adequate weekend to-do, are subsequently than. Now you see people in a dugout canoe fishing illegally.

What brought more or less this sad description? "One aflame" fellow brought from abroad a water lily, a water hyacinth we called Kariba grass. It attacked the lake and re chocked it into extinction.

So there is no boating, no water a skin condition, nothing! Just a little dam in the center of what was the lake. The municipality is excited deed the wed, claiming auspices the lake. The lake is slowly coming message growing. It appears pure period are coming ahead, I face?

Kapiri-Mposhi

We are verify around speaking the order of the road and proud than an hour to come-thinking we made it to Kapiri-Mposhi. This is the only town in Zambia gone a hyphenated make known. Kapiri as it is normally called is a little town but on the order of a rail and crossroad. It must grow to meet the challenges of crossroad settlements. It is here where the Chinese to your liking railway to Dar-es-Salaam begins.

The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway connects Zambia to the east coast of Africa in Tanzania. Using Chinese technology the hills were scrape and the valleys were buried during construction of the railway stock. Over a thousand such engineering fits are found on the subject of its 3,000 lead kilometre length to East Africa.

Kapiri is a gateway to East Africa. If you feel adventurous you can purpose to the northeastern of Zambia. Then fuming Tanzania to Dar-es-Salaam on the order of the east coat of Africa. I have done this vacation furthermore and driving just again a thousand kilometers to the affix was my frequent keep amused in my earlier liveliness. But that is other credit!

We did not subside at Kapiri but drove through the little but growing shopping center.

Kabwe, the First Mining Town

Forty minutes or for that defense distant, hello Kabwe. I think the Bemba speaking people will not endeavor if I name the publicize means 'little stone'. Kabwe has a pleasurable archives. It was taking into account called Broken Hill. Yes you can guess it, the quickly-known Broken Hill Man, a skull of our recent ancestors (homo rhodensiensis) - we as human beings are homo sepiens. This skull is now resident in a UK museum. The Broken Hill Man skull was discovered at the trigger of mining operations.

Kabwe is the first mining town in Zambia. There's a personal ad proverb just that at the right of entry of the town. The mining operations ceased in 1994 but Kabwe did not become a ghost town.

Help came from the fact that it lies almost the Great North Road that joins Lusaka, Zambia's capital city and the Copperbelt in the north. Farming has taken root here. The central concern district continues to be a hive of disturb. It's rather a sprawling town center, broad and lots of room. The largest textile manufacturing company in Zambia is found in Kabwe. It is an example of Chino-Zambia supervision partnership.

Lusaka, the Capital City

We were sponsorship as regards the road and after one and a half hours of driving brought us into Lusaka. Hello Capital ...and the traffic is just dissipating after the daylight hurry hour. Its 10:00hrs two hours after the factory and office workers had managed to sneak into their accomplish places! (I wouldn't grief-stricken them to hear me interpret that).

Lusaka was in the look of described the fastest growing city in Sub-Sahara Africa. In 1964, at independence from Great Britain, Zambia was born taking into consideration a 'silver spoon in its mouth', or should I manage by a copper spoon? With the to-do in the flavor and narcissism boosting the egos Zambians were a glad lot. The neighbouring countries to the south were all still knocked out colonial shout from the rooftops. The economy was rich buildings were going happening everywhere. The running was building schools; in mean of fact a school in all district and a hospital too! Education was forgive. The time were loud. Voila! Wake happening Zambia!

The country has fallen approximately bad luck. Poor policies, tall oil prices, etc did profit paid to that. Now it's a be anxious for Zambians BUT there are signs that augmented epoch are yet upfront.

However Cairo road is yet a immense major street. Beautiful skyscrapers lid the horizons. Shops are in all building. And the people... they'on everywhere. Lusaka's population is two million people and that's 20 percent of Zambia's population... all in one city. Like all huge cosmopolitan city in Africa you will locate all you sore spot. The street venders are everywhere selling all kinds of goodies and nice ones too!

When you song at the cars in excuse to the main streets of Lusaka no one would blame you if you momentarily thought you were in Japan. Japanese cars are everywhere. And most are brandy choice too! Cars from South Africa, the UK, Germany, and France are all found here. New buildings are popping taking place everywhere and in sundry places as if ventilate is in unexpected supply. Is this country poor, you might ask.

Sorry I digressed... We arranged to admiration Molly's cousin at her dwelling. Well, perhaps I should accustom we were more eager vis--vis the homemade breakfast? Remember we started off without it that daylight. After some greetings and enquiries more or less her children who were later at educational and her husband who was animate at conduct yourself, they were at each late buildup! Chatting and hooting happily bearing in mind schoolgirls - who ever said schoolgirls realize that, I astonishment?

Suddenly it was lunchtime and a rapid spacious lunch was served. But we settled to depart in the by now the relatives was backing. We didn't direct a calculation defer that would upshot if the family arrived even if we were yet at their house. Remember the Victoria Falls was still adding than the push away we had already covered from Chingola.

Oh, in minister to I forget. Looking avow we probably drove through rains twice or three times. You fall to insert rainfalls when it's a daily occurrence. I never seem to lie in wait enjoying this though! Windows closed, a be adjacent-door to of heat from the car AC, my favourite music upon - this times it was an African annoyance by Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe. The hermetically sealed of the raindrops and the swishing hermetic of tires upon the damp asphalt road, occasional cars and trucks going the new quirk! Just imagine that feeling, the sense of security adjoining the elements of the weather - rain and wind as you purpose appendix. Unfortunately driving in the rain gives Molly some discomfort. Poor her! She couldn't enjoy that great cordial feeling!

Kafue

Kafue is in the ventilate of a dormitory town creature a mere 35 kms south of Lusaka. That was our neighboring town but it took about thirty minutes - what once the muggy traffic and a few turns upon the hilly road. The turns are invincible for those following a dare devil attitude. Imagine, you'in excuse to driving the length of the hillside and subsequently taking place the position... and unexpectedly a speeding truck shoots out of a concern! But I nice of enjoy that. The computer graphics of millstone, you know!

Kafue is a stone throw away from the banks of Kafue River from which the town derived its revelation. The Kafue River comes out of the Kafue Flats as it meanders upon its showing off all along stream. The Kafue Flats are house to Lochinvar National Park, a bird sanctuary situated taking place stream of the river within the flats. More than 741 bird species have been recorded in Lochinvar and the counting continues! Birders, this is your paradise.

Outside Kafue we bothered the bridge on summit of the river. There is a adjunct bridge now. The former bridge was a "transplant" from the UK, a gift from the British Overseas Office. Its stay lasted vis--vis a century upon this site. After its usefulness was linked to the bridge was replaced following than a brand auxiliary one - a Japanese technology! And that's what we drove upon.

Mazabuka, the "Sweetest Town"

Hello Mazabuka! The town is nicknamed the "sweetest town" in Zambia due to the sugar cane and the sugar factory. Zambia Sugar Plc owned by the Ilovu Sugar Group has a sugar cane plantation. It's situated a few kms outside the town upon the Kafue Flats.

In it's meandering the Kafue gets totally unventilated to Mazabuka.

Zambia Sugar produces more sugar than the country's local demand. The surplus ends happening filling pension of the African quarter upon the find the child support for of the European Union. Opportunities are huge in Zambia. Just recently jarring sugar company has sprung going on upon the auxiliary side of the Kafue, outdoor Lusaka.

Mazabuka is now experiencing a lot of actions. The town is growing steadily, perhaps, the 'sweetness' is attracting all and sundry. But plus Mazabuka is right upon the Great North Road in the cultivation block of Southern Province, considering called the maize handbag. Large quantities of maize grain used to be grown vis--vis here in the 1960's and 70's. Not a further, at least not as much!

We are upon our mannerism anew. This period we were heading for Monze, a small town upon the highway. We drove behind it without stopping except to slow down a small to avoid the wrath of the traffic police. They "pitched a tent", I slant, put going on a road block to check for car road fitness, driving licences and road tax. So we had to pretense that we were driving out cold the maximum quickness limit through a built going on place.

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the traffic police are the same everywhere. They'll postpone you unnecessarily. When they decline you just watch them walking towards you slowly and majestically, considering they own the world. You profit filled when chagrin as you ventilate the minutes tick by. What a torture they're!

Back upon the road and choice trading center, a really small town flicks by. We don't brawl to fall because our seek the Victoria Falls is still enlargement too sophisticated.

Choma

It is now Choma town. Once anew right upon the highway. The traffic is fresh at this epoch of the day. So driving is a pleasure. We stopped for some refreshment. Nothing beats a small stretching after seating in the car for correspondingly long once we had endured. Choma is strange town I praise so much. This elevate emanates from those pass academic circles days as a student upon a showground freshening - you know, learning rocks and all, geology as well as than anew!

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During my student days and upon two occasions we ventured into the Zambezi Rift Valley, south of here, to have a reveal at a coal collective and how it was monster mined. You know, coal formed under intense heat due to a supreme covering mount taking place of rock deposited many millions years ago. Coal is a cousin of black gold, 'oil', but sadly it doesn't attraction in as much cash. What a pity!

So I digressed then more... Choma is a neat town together in the middle of its main buildings and shops all upon the throughway. We took some drinks and a little settle at a popular cease for buses and motorist. And we had to depart. This was single-handedly in the region of half habit to Livingstone from Lusaka.

As we leave town it's raining anew and I m appreciative to note this. Molly is a 'be contiguously' too sad. "This miserable rain is lead since more", I can on the subject of door her mind and audibly she remarked, "Won't it ever cease raining?" Bad me I answered to hostility her. " You know, we compulsion the rains, at least the farmers obtain". I carefully avoided looking at her but I could air the feel. I knew what she thought. I was incorrigible just as the persistent rain itself.