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Hi All,
We are now on our last night in Zambia and have had a great time, it's a great country but anyway back to the beginning. We crossed thee border into Zambia and paid another $50 each for the pleasure and spent ages waiting on them. Craig and I got double entry so we could go to Zimbabwe while we were here too. Acacia who we are on tour with had not mentioned that when we get to Livingstone we all swap groups so we were not very impressed with this but on the other hand not too bothered as our group where all kind of split up into groups and it was not the best. Everyone who was carrying on to Cape town only had 2 days here so they all set of ding such stuff as rafting, bungee jumps etc but we are skint and have also done a lot of the stuff in other places along our way. Its been quite annoying at times as most people are just starting their trip so are all loaded lol! Today Craig and I just got our tent set up and then got a taxi into town and had yet another banking disaster as couldn't get money out but I reckon its because in Botswana they let me take out too much. We had lunch in Subway and found IRN BRU in spar, OMG!!!! We also went to the internet café where I emailed Acacia and complained as we felt all we had done was drive, we had not seen much by this point, they kept wanting extra money, we also didn't know that the tour would split and our tour guide was never properly briefed and the brochure just plain lied at bits. When we got back to camp the area manager was there to speak to us regarding our complaint, very efficient but embarrassing right in front of our guide and driver who we liked but they were just not trained properly, like father like daughter lol. He explained that the tour slows down and gets a lot better and that he should have trained them better and we said that was fine as we had been considering a refund and doing it ourselves as its not as hard as people make out at home. At night lots of people went on thee sunset cruise which we should have probably went on as it was only $10 dearer than the one we were on the night before and included all food and drink! We just had a nice meal and then when everyone had come back from the cruise we had a good drink and a laugh with out group and felt one girls bob job lol! After a few of us went in a cab into town to a club, there was not enough room for us so I had to lie across everyone with my head out one window and my feet out the other lol! The supposed club was more like a bar in a car park with plastic seats and a plasma showing football. It was good though we were talking to lots of locals and it was really nice. We later fund out Becky and I were the only girls there who were not prostitutes! On the way home we played Bob Marley full blast and all sang along while Becky took my position in the back and fell asleep.
The next day I felt ok probably as I had forgotten to have my tablet the day before so had to have two malarias. We had breakfast with Sue and Joe and then set abut trying to hand wash practically all our clothes in the sink as it was quite dear at the place in town. It then proceeded to rain just when things were almost done so everything had to be chucked into a black bag!
The next day we wanted to upgrade but it was $77pp for a room as its quite nice waterfront accommodation on the Zambezi river. We had to pack up and say bye to all our original tour except from Jarrod and Mark who are two kiwi boys coming on our trip. We had to rewash some of our washing as it smelt from being wet in a bag. We also just got a day of wireless and attempted to put on some photos which took hours!! A guy was mugged at knife point outside the camp the day before and he had to go to court as they actually found his cameras but it was not from the guy who had taken them and the police practically made him say that it was him so that they could charge him. Amazing that they found them I don't think the police would even look at home! At night we had a welcome meeting with our new group who all seem really nice and then we had dinner with Mark and Jarrod who are dead nice and Mark is so funny, he is such a toff lol!
The next Mark and Jarrod had Zim visas too so we decided to all go together. Craig and I had decided this would be all we could afford to do here as nobody had told us we actually had to pay $50 to get in to Zimbabwe as well but having already paid $30 for double entry we thought we should as we wanted the stamp in our passports too. We got a tai to the border and were hassled constantly the entire day basically to buy stuff which was annoying and very intimidating at some points. We stamped out of Zambia and walked across the bridge where people bungee and there is a great view of the Victoria Falls "The smoke that thunders". We walked along the road and got to Zimbabwe immigration where the kiwis had to pay $30 and we had to pay $55 each, because currencies are to strong we need US currency a lot which is so inconvenient and they totally con you too! We walked to the Victoria Falls NP and paid anther $20 in and walked around, it was amazing, we had the ponchos that Granma sent us for Christmas and they came in very handy and it rained at some point too but you could not tell the difference from all the spray. They were really magnificent, lots of the lookouts had dodgy edges it was well scary!! After we walked into town and it was so scary at one point there were loads of wild baboons on the road and everything and they were walking right next to us and everything and then 4 guys walked out of the long grass and started trying to sell us stuff, all combined - very scary!! We got into the town and continued to be hassled one guy even said something to me along the lines of that I should buy something as we came to his country and they have no money and we have everything and they have nothing, we were getting a bit hacked off now so had lunch and looked at some paintings and then got the tourist police to get us a cab. He pulled over a car that did not even look like a cab and ordered a woman out of the front and then we got in the back with a wee girl who he told Jerrod to put on his lap but he didn't so I sat on Craig's knee. Then we walked back over and got a taxi back to Livingstone where they still had no $US and then back to the camp. We ended up having a few drinks and watching the sunset was nice and then our new group got together and had dinner but we didn't as eating's cheating eh Laura?!! Then we all had an early night as we wee back on the truck the next day.
We were up early and on the truck and stopped in a town to get supplies to make lunch which was quite scary. Getting into the land of always washing everything, dettol on the hands constantly and carrying loo roll everywhere. We paid 2000 Kwatcha to go to the loo and there was not even toilet paper. Yet again we were the only white people, everyone really stares at you which is quite intimidating at times. We stopped in a dirt track and unloaded lunch and the drove down the road to the Kafue River. We boarded a wee boat thing that would take us down the river to our camp for the night. This is a new thing for Acacia and we are only the second group to do it as they are trying to get more things that seem less commercial into the itinerary. Craig and I are well sorted with our tent now as on Qantas I suggested we stole our blankets so we could use them to lie on top of our mats so that we didn't stick to them and then we just put our sleeping bags on top like covers and Craig has his pillow from the Mirage and I have mine from the Sheraton so our tents are well comfy. Except on this occasion when we had to take all the stuff onto a boat I just felt like I looked like Paris Hilton or something!! Anyway we cruised down the river which turned out to be 2 hours, not 10 minutes (TIA -This Is Africa, an excuse for when anything does not go correctly basically). We had dinner and met a local girl on the boat who was 33 and just going to college now as when she was 15 her parents died and she had to look after her 4 sisters. When we arrived at the camp some local boys were playing drums and dancing dressed in lovely bright African outfits. They even set up our tents for us here! We watched a performance where one guy put fire all over his body it was cool, they dance so well here, I have never seen anything like it, the rhythm and positions they do are amazing! At one point a big spider landed on one of the girls so I was well freaked out for the night as it was pitch black and no lights apart from our torch so I had to make Craig come with me and they had not flattened down the land so I spent a night with a brick in my side. In the morning we went on a bush walk to see a local village where until the last and only group who were here a fortnight before us the people had never seen a white person. They said it was a short walk and flip flops would do. Man were they lying!! It was a wet morning as usual and raining, the paths were muddy and slidey and had huge ants on them, I got totally attacked and bitten at one pint and then was sliding around in my shoes and the strap started splitting so I had t walk it in my bare feet and almost cried at one point as it was sore and miserable and 6am in the morning, some guy said I was walking like a mountain goat as well lol. When we got there we had a talk from an old man there who told us all about how they lived there. Hey had two little kraals (huts with thatched roofs) and two shelters and a chicken pen. They were telling us how they eat pap for most meals which we have had and I don't care for much but Craig loves it, its like stuck together rice. He was telling us how they collect mushrooms and sell them on the side of the road to make money and all about marriage and death rituals. A few times he would say something about how they live and then laugh after and it was like he was embarrassed, I felt quite bad for them again. The people here are so nice and friendly when you consider how little they have and their humour and kindness towards white people when its probably the white person who put them in so much poverty in the first place, I don't know if I would be so nice. As you may be able to tell I have now finished the mammoth Nelson Mandela 800 page autobiography and am now an African politics and history expert lol and Craig is in the process of becoming one too, it's a great book, very sad though. After we walked back and I have never been so grateful to get back somewhere in my life and I also managed to avoid the ants but nearly fell into a bit covered with bushes, who knows how deeps it was lol! Back on the boat we had breakfast and I played with the puppies, one was all cold and shivering so I wrapped it in a duvet, it was so cute. At the truck Craig got out the camcorder and all the kids started dancing, they all love to show off and then he showed them it and they were all laughing and pointing at themselves on the screen, they are so cute. We got back and onto the truck and drove for 2 minutes and then got stuck in the mud and all the locals from a nearby village came and helped but we were stuck so we had to get back on the boat for an hour or so while we got towed out. I am now wearing my gold sandals as my flip flops are binned, cant believe I threw away my old faithful New Look ones for Roxy ones and they didn't even last a month!! When we were eventually on the truck we drove to Lusaka the capital of Zambia which is a complete hole and we were not allowed out here as its too dangerous so we drove to outside and went to a mall there. The currency place was closed as we were later so we couldn't change more money so we just went for a nice Italian with Mark and Jarrod., I had soup as I miss it loads and then carbonara, not had that in ages lol!! We played volleyball and then had dinner and what was there… you guessed it - soup!!
Today we have driven to Chipata, I love driving about here and watching all the little communities on the side of the road and all the kids smiling and waving at the truck. We also crossed a bridge where we were not allowed t take photos as I think someone tried to blow it up a while ago. Craig has been for a run as he has not started doing each day, I am still trying to be bothered lol!! We all went in the pool which had a bumpy slide which we all had a great time on. Then of course it started raining so I had a shower and went on the net. The owners here have about 110 dogs two of which are giant Alsatians so cute, Dad you would love them, one sat at my feet while I was on the internet. We had tea under the canopy which was spaghetti bolognaise, the food is better than you would expect. We all have our own groups and each day you either clean he truck, wash up, cook or pack the truck and you get a day off too. Our group is much better now too there is more of a mix of people and not so cliquey. There are some Aussies, Kiwis, another Scots lass from Inverness and a Cockney and everyone is more mixed in age too and really nice.
Tonight will be another wet tent night and tomorrow we cross the border into Malawi!
Hope everyone is well at home. Well done Chloe on passing your theory, hopefully you will be all finished by June and can be my personal chauffeur lol!! Also Happy House Warming Emma and Huntly, enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts haha!!
Lots of Love
Eva and Craig xxx
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