On the road again

Knowing that my mother and sister were coming to visit in October gave me something to look forward to, a break in the middle of my stint here. I wasn’t quite sure what they would make of it or how they would entertain themselves in a hospital for the first week before I brought them to see some of Zambia’s tourist sites in the second week. Their first introduction was Lusaka international airport which kind of makes Knock airport look like a major international hub. I decided to take them into town for some breakfast before making the five hour journey back to Katete.

Unfortunately there had been an accident on the road and we had to divert through some of Lusaka’ side roads giving them an earlier than anticipated experience of Zambia’s untarred road system and poverty as we crawled along for an hour in the dust and heat. At least getting them to Manda Hills shopping centre was back to civilisation they were used to. The two main malls in Lusaka’s outskirts are a surreal experience in Zambia, a white dominated environment with African staff in the shops and restaurants serving them. However, it does give us a chance to get some good food, and for me to stock up on supplies from a proper supermarket (without having to pay also which was nice).

We made it back to Katete after a pretty uncomfortable drive in the presence of severe heat and the absence of air con. My guests made do the first week relaxing, reading and checking out some of the local sites and attractions such as cosmopolitan Katete stores, the road to Mozambique and the experience of getting a bike taxi. I got the hint that whilst this was relaxing they were pretty bored come the Saturday.

On the Saturday night we went on Katete’s main tourist attraction, a cultural visit to a local village from Tikondane community centre near the hospital. There we got to see traditional dancing including Nyao under the moonlight and enjoy some really tasty Zambian food in Benson’s house all prepared without electricity. Somewhat bizarrely this experience of traditional African culture takes place in the same village where I attended the Jehovah’s Witness convention a few months back.

After mass on Sunday we head to South Lunagwa national park one of Africa’s greatest national parks. Using the direct route the park is a mere 125km form St Francis. I have a 4*4 and it’s the dry season so it should be easy, right. The first 25km are fine along a good quality gravel road but then it gradually descends into a bumpy track. Halfway, at Msoro we cross a not quite dry river bed. Feeling pretty chuffed with myself for navigating across I get out to take a snap only very oddly to find a local on site with his camera and a name tag around his neck signifying his status as a professional photographer. Msoro is home to an Anglican mission with a Cathedral (in the middle of nowhere) and a school. There we inquire the route to Mfuwe (the town at South Luangwa’s gate).

We are directed through what looks like someone’s back yard. From here the ‘road’ gets worse and is really only a narrow dirt track through the bush. We pass through beautiful villages, over some more dry rivers and up rocky hills. We pick up occasional passengers, giving them lifts from one village to the next, some of these are so unfamiliar with a vehicle that they can’t figure out how to open the door, forget about seat belts.
During the whole five hour journey (yes five hours for 125km) we meet three other vehicles. My passengers start to become increasingly frustrated at the length and bumpiness of the journey. When I think we are nearly there we come to a place where the track diverges in two. A young boy directs us one way but doesn’t sound too confident, I decide to trust him. A shockingly rough 5km and half an hour later I am starting to utter profanities under my breath cursing him and about to join my passengers in frustration. I stop and ask a young woman carrying a child ‘Mfuwe?’ I say pointing straight ahead ‘ah waii’ she responds. I am here more than long enough to know such a response from a patient is a definite no. I ignore her and much to our relief within 2km we find ourselves on the short stretch of tar that links Mfuwe airport to the park.

We are staying in Flatdogs camp right by the park gate. We are greeted by Adrian one of the owners and asked about the journey. In seven years he has never been that way and says ‘that’s more of a bike track isn’t it’. Yes. The few days in South Luangwa are fantastic. We get to see countless animals on the game drives through magnificent landscape, elephants, hippos, buffalo, lions and even a leopard. We go on a walking safari enjoy really good food and luxury accommodation at Flatdogs. Visiting a National Park is expensive but Flatdogs do offer a discount for hospital staff. Having been to a few different parks in Africa to anyone thinking of going on a safari trip to I couldn’t recommend South Luangwa enough.

We return to Katete on the ‘main road’ through Chipata. It’s not tarred either but is actually a road as such, the distance is longer its less interesting but takes only three and a half hours. After South Luangwa I take my guests to see Zambia’s most famous tourist attraction Mosi oi Tunya better know as Victoria Falls. We pass a great couple of days seeing the falls from the ground and a helicopter ride, taking a sunset cruise on the Zambezi (at $50 its pricey but is a free bar and I make sure to get my moneys worth) and generally relaxing. After that it’s back on the road to Lusaka where we spend a night and after dropping my family at the airport for their morning flight I head back to Katete and back to work.