Upon entering Zambia...

Credit for most of the photos from here on until I leave South Africa definitely go to Mr Christopher Pitcher, whose website you can see here :) He's done a whole lotta travelling, has a whole lotta projects under his belt and is an incredible photographer so I recommend just checking him out!

Starting where I finished in my last post, what happened was my card, which was 'definitely in Mzuzu' according to UK card services, was actually not. More like it was still in England with no hope of ever getting to Africa as "UK card services don't post to PO BOX addresses". Well.. good luck ever posting to Africa EVER then! A minibus journey with the door falling off, 3 milkshakes, a severely pissed off Izzi and a phone-call later, I had decided to go to Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa with my new found American friends from Nkhata Bay. So I was going exactly the opposite way that I was meant to be.

Mzuzu is a standard Malawi town. Lilongwe is a larger one. Neither have much in the way of stuff to do and see and do. The small north province of Malawi served me well as I met by chance with 2 fellow travellers before leaving Mzuzu and another from Nkhata Bay on the bus to Lilongwe. The bus was PACKED. It was the first proper bus I had travelled on since arriving in Africa and there is very little difference in the way of space, comfort, safety in comparison to the tiny minibuses that go everywhere. We only stopped about 3 times; once to let passengers on and off, another to check what the loud bang was at the back of the bus, a third half an hour later to change the tyre which had blown out and shredded. My last moments in Malawi were spent in a bog-standard city type backpackers in the midst of a thunderstorm. I don't care, I have nothing but fond memories and would encourage anyone whose even slightly considering going there to just go. Now.

GO!

Anyway

Zambia

Westernised shopping mall

A country of animals and safari. We got the bus from Lilongwe to Lusaka at 5am which took roughly 13 hours. I was talking to someone about getting a bus to Plymouth the other day which takes 6 hours and they grimaced. I'd very much just like to clarify that 13 hours on a bus really isn't that bad! All you do is sit, and relax, and sit, and not do anything, listen to music, read, do suduku, sit; whats so bad about that! Especially if you're on a night bus. I've heard the worst things about night buses and yet never experienced anything but a wonderful, albeit sometimes interrupted, very cheap nights sleep. All the same, the journey was glorious zooming away on fully tarmacked roads through stunning countryside over the Malawi/Zambia border (extremely fast and easy), over the mighty Zambezi river, past tiny huts made of mud and straw, and huge herds of cattle. Unsurprisingly Zambia looks a whole lot like Malawi. Until you get to Lusaka.

Lusaka is Westernised. The city has things one can only dream of in Africa such as street lights, shops you can walk into and working traffic lights. Not only that but there are huge shopping malls, the kind I've only before seen on American TV programs. There was a proper cinema, real supermarkets and restaurants that require real customer service, people wore clothes which showed both shoulders AND knees; I almost went into cardiac arrest! The backpackers we stayed at had a swimming pool and everything! For $10 a night I certainly expected one, Zambia is far more expensive than Malawi where you can get a bed for less than £3. And just a warning for anyone travelling in the same direction as I; Malawian Kwacha is a CLOSED CURRENCY. It cannot be changed anywhere apart from in Malawi, and the border gives shite rates.

The first thing we did in Zambia (apart from exploring Lusaka) was to go to Eureka Camp, 13km outside of the city centre. This is a camp WITHIN a small wildlife sanctuary. You can get within one metre of zebras, Buffalo and gazelle (depending how stealthy you are) and see giraffes from at least 5 metres away. Absolutely incredible. This was my first sighting of Safari animals and I was far too excited and went absolutely rogue. I spent hours upon hours walking around the tiny park hunting wildlife and just doing nothing with them. You sit, they sit. Amazing. There's also a dog which is slightly disabled and the cutest thing ever. Pretty sure I'd have been happy with just the dog let alone all the other wildlife.





The camp itself is gorgeous. Huge grounds for overlanders, small bandas and a dorm for those wanting cheap (although they aren't actually very cheap at all) and larger bandas for groups. We managed to squeeze 5 of us in a 3 bed; thrifty. Theres a swimming pool, a bar, self catering kitchen, volleyball court, BBQ areas, TV room, pool playing area AND functional flush toilets. And real showers. It's backpackers/overlanders paradise once again in Africa! What makes it THAT much better though is locals are more than welcome too. Not like the local beach boys in Malawi but local families who can afford the luxury.

Giraffe at sunset

Our next stop in Zambia was to Kasanka Trust National Park to watch the largest bat migration in the world, also the second largest migration of any mammal.

Whilst in Lusaka Backpackers we'd not only met a couple The Americans knew from previous countries travelled but also a lovely South African chap called Bastian who convinced us to go to his workplace to see this epic spectacle. This is the only park in Africa (I believe) to hold the elusive Sitatunga, a species of antelope (this is all by memory. The website offers far more information!).

Camping out next to the park entrance

Our new group of 7 people left Lusaka at 3pm and bussed it through the country to parks entrance which we arrived at around midnight. Of course the park is closed at this time so after a scramble out the VERY FULL bus with all of our food and camping gear ready for 4 nights, we set up camp outside the park gate beside the road. We all woke relatively early and waited for Bastian at the park entrance when about 8-10 peacecore volunteers rocked on up. They were join us on the tour. The more the merrier! We all had a sit in the glorious sunshine until Bastian showed up around 11am to drive us into the park to the campsite area in opentopped 4x4s.

We considered driving through the park to be akin to a disneyland ride (much to American Bens utter disgust). Branches hung low which you had to either duck or be slapped by, the road was actually a

Kasanka waterboys

dirt track which was bump-bump-bumpy, and after a wonderful pizza lunch beside some hippos the heavens full on opened as we drove through the plains. Everyone and thing looked like they'd just stepped out of a fully-clothed shower they'd taken with their bags on upon arrival at camp. I'm talking about some SERIOUS rain storm! Thunder and lightning; the whole works. Camp was a space of flat ground under some trees with a small veranda, bucket shower at the ready and actual flush toilet! That afternoon we were treated to a short walk along the river and wetlands (in the rainy season the river must be at least a mile across!) The park is gorgeous, full of various species of antelope and beautiful birds. Bastian knew all of them and was a fabulous guide. That night was our first taster of the bat viewing as we watched millions of bats pass over our heads bit by bit.

The next day, after another EPIC night-time storm, we woke
at around 4/5am to go for a morning safari. The sun rise was a brilliant orange over the plains and the park full of morning fog. It was wonderful to be away from city life somewhere so ultimately tranquil. The safari was a walking one around the forest, river and marshy areas. We saw MASSIVE angry hippos lazing about and huge groups of various antelope on the plains. Kasanka isn't about checking off the Big 5, neither is it too big on other animals like giraffes, zebras etc; it's the bats that make it famous. But I think it is a fabulous park. The landscapes are versatile and the tourists are almost non-existent except for yourself. No queues here looking for a lion. That morning we also climbed an extremely dodgey looking ladder up a huge tree to overlook the wetlands and plains. The views are nothing short of incredible and the experience of getting up and down a tad nervy.

That evening it was real-time-bat-time and we went back to the tree ladder (but not up it) to see the bats rise from their nesting places ready to eat their fruit (which tastes horrific. Instant hangover dry mouth when juice touches tongue). It was nothing short of... wow. They look tiny from the ground but they actually have roughly a metre wide wingspan. The sun glowed orange as it set and the bats took flight in their millions. We all took photo after photo after photo until we realised photos couldn't possibly do this any justice so we best sit and enjoy the spectacle. And what a spectacle.

It really was just incredible.

The drive home was just as exciting ducking and diving branches in the dark, seeing all sorts of animals from jackals to elephant shrews to hippos running with their children (incredibly fast and incredibly cute). Our second to last evening in the park we were treated to a wonderful BBQ and slept like babies after a long, fabulous day. Similarly, our last day in the park we were treated to a

wonderful safari drive as a new group had turned up to join us. There were now so many of us 3 had to stand in the open topped 4x4s and duck even more so as to not be hit by the low hanging branches! Now it really WAS a disneyland ride and it was great fun! Not much was to be seen that afternoon in terms of animals apart from a lazy croc and a bunch of antelope, but the landscape of Kasanka is just beautiful and the weather was equally so.

The last evening came far too fast for my liking and we were off for our last bat viewing, this time at a different place in the park; a lot closer. All 30+ of us crashed through the undergrowth to get to the viewing point, the poor bats must've been scared shitless as they went a bit wild just as we arrived. It was incredible. I know I've used that word alot but there are just SO MANY OF THEM! We were so close this time they flew right over our heads a little closer to the ground, again at sunset. There were 3 viewing points all of which pointed at the bats tree homes and all of which gave fantastic views of the mammals rising out in their millions. I cannot stress enough how amazing this is and how it's well worth the trip. SO MUCH cheaper than any other safari option, so much more off the beaten tourist track and such an incredible guide and team. 

There was a definite feeling of "wow, this is a once in a lifetime thing to see".