Lusaka, Zambia

Our travel plans to Livingstone, Zambia was kind of vague or rather none-existent. We had been organized enough to book the train all the way to the end station, but it just happen to be that the end station was in the middle of nowhere in a small place called Kapiri Mposhi where even accommodation was a rarity. And beside that we had no visa either, just hoping that the green American dollars would do the trick without to much hassle when crossing the border to Zambia.

The train company we opted for was Tazara rail as they have the highest safety record in Tanzania and it felt us with joy when we witness the carriages we would live in the next 48-hours. Two days staying on a train there looked like would not even have a change to withstand a slight motion without collapsing. 

Our four-berth cabin was shared with Justine a girl from New Zealand who was headed the same direction as us. And I guess I can say it now after I survived, acceptable means of travel within Africa, beside the many roaches we had a fun killing in between our card games. The service was beyond expectation and the personnel really friendly and chatty.

As the journey went on the train stopped at places literally in nowhere but there somehow always seems to be women and children selling or trading their produces, and so we did - all hanging out the window, yelling and screaming to the locals in order to purchase anything edible as we simply had enough of chicken and rice. We stocked up on avocadoes, bananas and Mango and had a feast with our shared crackers, jam and nuts.

We arrived at Kapiri Mposhi station around noon and went on a horrible 3 hour bus ride to Lusaka where we all were stuff in like refugees in a overfilled hot bus and it was with such much pleasure we arrived to what seems to be Gilligan’s Island in Lusaka, Zambia.

Civilized Zambia – a different world compared to Tanzania. We strolled out in the night into this deserted dark road with flashlight in hand to find the guide books recommendation where we could eat something different than chicken and rice and happy we all where when we saw the very international menu. For the first time ever I ordered a strawberry milk shake, not because I really wanted it, but simply because it could. Fresh cold milk straight from the carton, not freshly boiled milk straight from the cow.I was in heaven. 

We all had a various dishes of Greek and Italian food and enjoyed the moment in silence.

Carpe diem....