Trip to Zambia – Part 3 (Lusaka to Livingstone)

As Kalengule drove us home, Kayla and I felt like we were back in America. We passed a couple different shopping centers, a KFC!, a mega store and a University. The whole area was much more modern than anything we’ve experienced in Malawi. When we turned off the main road, though, we were reminded that we’re still in Africa because the streets which the homes are on are still dirt and full of pot holes. Thankfully, the Kaomas only live about 15 minutes from the bus station so it was a quick ride to their house.

There was excitement in the house when we arrived because the Zambian football (soccer) team was playing in the Semi-Final game against Ghana in the AFCON (African Cup Of Nations) Tournament. Their son, Mutoko, is a huge football fan and I felt bad that our arrival pulled him from the game.

Once we got settle inside, though, we had dinner in front of the TV as we watched the game. Again, Kayla and I felt like we were at home because we’ll do the same thing at home – and we heard a microwave! That is one piece of technology that Kayla and I have missed while in Malawi. It was a precious sound to hear the ‘ding’ and hum of the microwave as it worked its magic to heat up our dinners. J

Zambia’s team won the game with a single goal towards the end of the second half. The excitement in the house, and outside, reminded of our celebrations in Pittsburgh when the Steelers went to the Superbowl. There were vuzuswelas blasting, horns blaring and people shouting; some people even set off some fireworks! It was a fun night to arrive in Zambia and we looked forward to being with them when they played the FINAL on Sunday evening.

The next morning, we set off for Livingstone to go see Victoria Falls! J I was excited for our road trip with Kalengule and Nsama. We had been told we would leave around 9:30, but it was closer to 11:00 before we were finally pulling out of the driveway. Nsama told us that that is typical of the Kaoma family (while Kayla and I both had expected it anyway because it also seemed to be a typical occurrence in Africa in general J) to leave later than expected or planned. Before we started off, Kalengule prayed for our trip – reminding us both of our dads and praying before our road trips back home. We stopped to get some food for the trip, a SIM card and units and exchange some money so we were ready for Livingstone.

It was a pleasant ride – much more comfortable than the coach bus to Lusaka – with the Kaomas. We enjoyed chatting with them and getting to know them a little better. Nsama runs an Interior Design School from her home and she was working on some uniform designs for her daughters’ school. She asked us if we had any ideas and so Kayla and I brainstormed some ideas with her a little bit. I’m not much of a fashion designer, but it was fun to help out and Nsama said she would send us pictures of the new uniforms once the school administrators choose the ones they like.

We arrived in Livingstone around 5:30 or 6:00 in the evening. There were a lot of options for places to stay, but Kayla and I were again asking to find somewhere cheap and safe. We were glad to have our own vehicle because it would have been a lot harder to find somewhere had we just taken a bus to Livingstone. The first place we stopped to check for their rates turned out to be a restaurant. Hehe J Kalengule pulled into it because it used to be a lodge that he had stayed at before. We stopped at four or five places before finally finding ‘The Livingstone Backpackers’. Not only were the rates affordable (10 USD/person/night), but they also took VISA cards (so we wouldn’t have to use all our cash on the lodge). I’ve posted (or will soon post) some pictures of the lodge – Kayla and I stayed in a dorm style room with two bunk beds. The room could hold up to four people, but it was just the two of us for the two nights of our stay (which was a nice blessing!). There was also a swimming pool, climbing wall, library and kitchen area where you could prepare your own food if you wanted. Meals were available from the kitchen and they were very reasonably priced – we had breakfast there both mornings. There were people, mostly college-age, from all over the world and it was fun to swap stories about what we were doing in Africa and where else we were traveling. The beds were surprisingly comfortable and Kayla and I both slept beautifully! We also enjoyed sleeping in a little bit as we waited for the Kaomas to come and pick us up to take us to Victoria Falls…