You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 20, 2005 02:00 PM South Luangwa Park - one of the best...
I can recommend Flatdogs Camp in South Luangwa to the backbackers... Their best kept secrets are two cottages with 2 beds each - they charge just 10 USD for clean bed with the net. Baths are only 30 m away...
For the first game ride into the park (4 hours by car with guide) they charge 30 USD, the second will cost you 25. I addition you will pay 20 USD park entry fee per day... But it is worth!
I took one morning and one night ride - We saw antelopes, zebras, big herds of elephants, hipos, crocodiles, buffalos and more.. also birds...
It was one of the best visits to the park in my life...
Vervet monkeys and baboons operated around my cottage. Keep the dors locked!!!
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Apr 19, 2005 02:00 PM Elephants are waiting on the road.... Zambia
It is easy to find the transportation from Lusaka to the provincial town of Chipata in the eastern part of Zambia.
Bus ticket will cost you 65000 kwacha. Once in Chipata you will try to find small bus or matola to the village of Mwfue - closest to the main gate of South Luangwa National Park.
Yes there was a minibus - but I was waiting 3 hours in the heat until it was full. They charged hefty 30000 for the ride and it took us 5.5 hours on the bumpy, muddy road...
It was dark when we arrive to Mwfue. The Flatdogs camp where I decided to stay overnight is located only 2 km from the village. They wanted too much for a car ride. I decided to put my backpack on and to walk...
Local people stoped me: there are wild animals on the road - you cannot walk in the darkness! Hard to believe! I got a free car ride: yes, I saw the elephants on this 2-km road and they were not happy to get off the road....
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Apr 18, 2005 02:00 PM Zambia: be careful in Lusaka!
Yesterday it took me full, tiring day in the crowded bus to came from Mbala to Lusaka - more then 1000 km on the road. But the price of the ticket is OK: 75000 kwacha /for 1 USD they pay 4600 kwacha/.
I am staying in the overpriced Kuomboka Backpackers /30000 per bed in the crampy 10-beds dormitory/.
Lusaka is: central Cairo Rd and.... the rest...
Just today in the morning when I was filming in the main street a thief tried to take the camera from my bag. There were a lot of local people around but nobody react... Shame...
Due to the ship delay on the Tanganyika Lake I will not go detour from Lusaka to Livingstone and back. It will be not a big loss bacause I already saw Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side... Next time...
Here are good internet cafees in the central Lusaka - thanks for all your letters and greetings - sorry I'll response after return...
Now big laundry - Africa brings a lot of sweat... Tomorrow I plan to go east via South Luangwa Park to Malawi - escaping Lusaka as soon as possible...
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Apr 16, 2005 02:00 PM Kalambo Falls - did you hear?
MPULUNGU - what a name! - It was evening when I disembarked my cargo boat in the sleepy port on the Lake Tanganyika... I got Zambian visa on arrival for 25 USD and... unpleasant adventure... Young Zambian customs checked my luggage in details... even pills in the first aid kit.... it took about half an hour... then they asked if I have a gift for them... Sorry no gifts...
I walked in the dark to the village where I met very nice lady - Beauty - the headmaster of the school. He helped me to find accommodation in the guest house /21000 kwacha for the room with shower/ and to change money...
Today - Sunday - we took a trip to nearest township - Mbala and then bumpy road to Kalambo falls /like 35 km one way from Mbala/ - it was worth! The fall is 225 m high and they say it is second single drop fall in Africa! One more great waterfall to my collection... And one more experience: there are bad but also nice people in Zambia...
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Apr 15, 2005 02:00 PM Take Tanganyika by cargo ship!
Good luck came back to me!
Yesterday I was waiting 6 hours in the Port of Kigoma.
Will they embark me or not? Will they?
Yes, I am sailing on the cargo boat "Ndaje" south - to the Zambian port Mpulungu...
Sun, pleasant wind on a deck and navy-blue lake around - wide like a sea... With the mountains of Cango on the horizon... It is more then 700 km - fortunately it is direct sail - they announced that we will reach destination after 27-28 hours... Hurrah!
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Apr 13, 2005 02:00 PM Bad news: I am locked in Kigoma... - Tanzania
Lake Tanganika - surrounded by mountains is beautiful...
Today I visited the village of Ujiji just 8 km south of Kigoma - where once Stanley found David Livingstone - there is fenced monument located surprisely not on the shore but some 800 m inland - the level of the lake is much lower now. But what a place!
Bad news: the famous steamer "Liemba" /ex-German war ship/ cruising Lake Tanganika is out of service since one month! The other Tanzanian passenger boat is also broken - waiting for the spare parts. It is Africa....
How can I get to Zambia now? Three days by train to Dar es Salam and another two days by bus or train to Lusaka.... There are no available rail tickets in 1st and 2nd class till 21st April... Third class... Five days in the heat...
There is single airline who operate Kigoma-Dar route but they charge hefty 190 USD per one-way!
Cargo boats? The response is: we do not know when and they are not authorized to carry passengers...
Are you keeping your fingers crossed?
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Apr 11, 2005 02:00 PM Walking through the border - to Tanzania
No boat from Bujumbura... I decided to use land solution:
by crowded matatu along the Lake Tanganika to Mabanda.
Then shared taxi to the border village Mugina. On the outskirts of Mabanda there is Burundian post - you need to get exit stamp here. They left you from the taxi at the Mugina market place... If you do not want to pay the porter put your pack on your back and walk: 1 km to the last Burundian soldier, then 2 km uphill to the real border line /nobody but pole there/ and again uphill less then 1 km to Tanzanian border post.
It takes a lot of sweat but at the same time you will see and photograph beautiful mountain panoramas...
From Tanzanian post /visa on arrival - 30 USD for 15 days transit/ walk again to the village of Manyovu - ca 2 km.
There at the market place wait for matatu... Direct road to Kigoma on your map is unpassable - go via Kasulu - it will be still breath-taking journey - by junk car on 10-years old tyres down the muddy, slippery hills... -wow!
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Apr 10, 2005 02:00 PM Bujumbura - the boat is broken!!!
I am in the capital city of Burundi - Bujumbura on the Tanganika Lake. A lot of UN soldiers here... Curfew at night...
Goods in the shops and imported food are very expensive...
Stay in the safe hotel Le Doyen for 20000 burundi francs;;
Very bad news: I planed to take from here the boat to Tanzania, but the boat since few months is broken!!!
There is another cargo ship but they do not know when it will depart... Bad luck...
Maybe I will be forced to take unsafe and bumpy road route....
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Apr 08, 2005 02:00 PM Kigali on the hills...
I am in the capital of Rwanda. It is worth to recommend this place to all travellers who want to escape from the usual heat and humidity of Black Africa. Kigali lies in the mountains - located on the hills - it is not easy to explore on foot but you can always jump on the matatu - minibus which cost just 100 franks per ride. On the black market in front of the post office they pay 560 franks per USD. There is plenty of internet places who charge 500 franks per hour. I stay at Kigali Hotel - run down institution but safe and inexpensive - they charge 6500 fr per room with a bath. Sorry cold water only and sometimes water shortages but you will have omlette breakfast included...
It is must to visit Genocide Memorial at Gisozi quarter - mototaxi cost 400 fr. You will find there a lot of info on the history of Rwanda. Entry is free...
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Apr 07, 2005 02:00 PM The beauty of Lake Kivu... - Rwanda
Rwanda is green and hilly... It is worth to go to the west of country where the mountains meet the waters of the huge lake Kivu. Landscapes are beautiful. I saw them from once-a-day bus fro Gisenyi to Kibuye. There vere more then 100 people on the bus /I was the only tourist/ and it took 5.5 hours on the bumpy, gravel road. Up and down... But what a views!
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