Mashonaland West

The process of crossing the border into Zambia was quick and painless for all of our group except Michele from Switzerland. He was the only one of us who had to buy a visa to enter and he was not best pleased about it! It also took a long time for the truck to get clearance. We waited in the sun and chatted to some locals. I disappointed one of them big time by telling him the paper £20 notes he was trying to sell me were no longer legal tender in the UK! 😂

Once we were in Zambia (country #59!), we had a three-hour drive to our campsite near Lusaka. We were immediately struck by the differences between this country and the ones we had visited recently. For a start, our Solis works here, so we have internet! Mark was able to catch up with the qualifiers for the Hungarian Grand Prix (Lewis is on pole for the first time this season!) and the fourth test in the Ashes series (England are dominating, but we could be scuppered by bad weather!

We were also surprised by how green everywhere is. Zambia has ample water supplies, so crops are generously irrigated. There were markets and individual stalls full of fresh produce all along the road sides. We noticed more people out and about everywhere, all of whom were wearing colourful clothing. The villages we passed seemed larger, more affluent, and full of life than those we had seen in Zimbabwe. The people were smiling and waving to us as we drove by.

Just before we reached Lusaka, we stopped at a mall for Henry to do some grocery shopping. We took the opportunity to draw some local cash – kwacha – and to buy some beers for Mark and Coke Zero for me. The Shoprite supermarket was better stocked than any we have seen since South Africa, and cheaper, too.Read more