After cleared the immigration procedure in Tanzania side I pushed my bicycle followed by crowed which was very useful because the help me to get to the exactly building in this crowed border post. In the Zambia immigration office the officers were more relaxed compare to Tanzania. I fill papers then get stamp on my booklet called passport. I cycled for 15km from the border in Zambia side stopped in the small shop for cold drink, here is where I realized I was already in other part of the world, currency, language, et cetera reveal the difference. I finished my little Tanzania money here, now I don’t have any cash I had visa card which I can use at Mpika town about 800km from where I was but I did have enough food supply, tent and bicycle that mean I was fine. I talked with shop keep different things regarding his country, the most obvious subject was country poverty in the moment.
Zambia was part of Rhodesia during the period of colonial possibly the main colonial interest was copper wealth that why the straggle to independent wasn’t hard compare to other southern Africa countries. The root of Zambia’s woes lie in Kaundas’s 27-years rule. During much of that period, the nation’s economy, along with the well-being of its citizen, steadily declined. The high rate of returns on exported copper made the national one of the most prosperous in Africa until 1975. Since then, fluctuating, but generally depressed, price for the metal and the disruption of the landlocked Zambia’s tradition sea outlets as a result of strife in neighboring states have had disastrous economic consequences.
I left Nakonde cycling slowly past corn sherp huts scarted in the miombo woodland. Most of these huts were well painted in differents coulers with certain image mainly flowers. I thought about deep inherit artistic behave of these people. This is a manifestation of industry, art, and culture known today in the modern world had it source in Africa. Paradox of Africa considered as dark continent full of miserable news.
The road was very lonely no pedalists at all, traffic was heavy track from and Tanzania as they deliver products from Dar es Salaam hobour to Zambia and Congo, Lubumbashi. Drives horn and wave to me enthusiastic. In the evening one track from Tanzania stopped few miters from where I was standing looking sun set. They were cheacking tires when I reached them we greet each in Swahili. They asked where I was planned to overnight I told them any where from there don’t in the village or in the bush. They invite me to ride with them to the next town where I will be able to have water because in this bush it hard to find. I ride with them and get of at King's campsite where I overnight. In the next morning I cycled towards south through Savannah bush land, overnight at the bush camp, about 15m out of main track cleared the ground by use my machete. Patch tent start cooking by made coffee to stimulate my metabolism and get back some sugar. Then I could make mixed grains porridge which gave me back calcium, some times I lost uptight, felt to have kind of liquid food so porridge with bred play part. In the next day cycled through the uninhibited but arable areas passed through small villages, I stopped in few occasions talked with children who stopped me shouting mbararaaa! Mbarara, mbaraa!. They were selling boiled ground nuts. Mbarara in a Bemba language means ground nuts this and sweat potatoes are main food crops in this dry miombo woodlands. I talked with these young fluent in Bemba practicing English which is school subject and few Swahili worlds from neighbor country. Other things these young and adult sell are charcoal, village chickens, eggs and guinea fowls caught in the bush.
Pedaling for whole day was challenge but the body was getting used day after day, monotonous miombo woodland made me more tired, in the evening I hitch hike to Mpika where I camped at Mzingo Hotel. From Mpika I got a lift in the early morning to Kabwe town where I reached 6:20am. Kabwe it among Zambian’sain town about 140km from capital city of Lusaka. The town was bit busy, I could see people rushing to the work and students to school others by foots with slow pace happily chat may be yesterday football match, news, exams,et cetera. There were others on mine buses, private vehicles, motor bike and bicycle; most of them seem to be in the deep thoughts. All these seen as I crossed this typical town with shops, fuel stations unusually to other towns such Mpika, Kapiri Mposhi, et cetera which town centers tend to be about 10km out of main road.This was the idea of president Kaunda to avoid prostitution and accidents” observed one old main I asked. I continue thinking about human life as I sense different after couples of days cycling in the less habitend areas except for those few copy and agreed with mather nature.
From Kabwe I cycled towards east then south east passed through miombo woodland but this was more green the sign of life compare to the northern where it was gravelly dry hence the hard life. I passed several named farms including lager ones belonged to those farmers flew from Zimbabwe. It was fan to see lot of sign boards with name of somebody farm it is not common to see this in Tanzania. Most of sign boards in Tanzania may be for schools. The day cycling was less tiresome, favored by weather which slowly approach southern hemisphere winter, flat terrains and lot of different things along the road made great zest. I approached Lusaka in the evening after 130km of cycling the body was still strong and able to continue. I camped at Brian compound; I met him when I was looking for campsite. Brian he invites me to have a dinner with him, as we were having a dinner of Nsima (stiff porridge/maize meal) and chicken pie we discussed about my expedition. Brian, kind and curious religious man become interested thought to arrange the interview with local televisions. He claims that such kind of expedition undertaken by black African youth will help to encourage others. Actually, I was trying to avoid to much publication after find out that media people they tend to sell news in the way which I do not like it. In fact I was doing something unusual guided with circumstes and leaded by quesquency. In the next day morning I had a brief interview with WOBI TV. I explained to them about the whole ideal and purposes of cycling. Mr. Phiri the journalist from WOBI TV who I had interviewed with said "this will also in courage other youth". Here cycling visibility study turned to be motivation cycling expedition.
I had short tour in Lusaka, visited tourist body had conversation with Meebelo Mulozi information and sale office then with culture tourism office. I went to new large shopping mall did little sopping, refill my gas stove. I left the city after early lunch of Nshima with capenta (saladine from Lake nyasa/Malawi) this is dominant menu in most local café. I cycled for 150km passed through Kafue town on both side of kafue river the fist large river I crossed in Zambia since I entere the country from north. I turned off right shortly after Kafue town kept on cyclig passed Mazabuka town and others several township. In fact southern part of Zambia are more lively compare northern. In the 08:00pm I hitch hike to Chome where I camped and overnight in the compound of certain guest house. I left Chome early in the morning next day. I cycled for 200km to Livingstone, the longest distance in my cycling memory. I reached Livingstone 10:45pm. I camped at Jolly boys Backpackers. Livingistone town derived it name from 19th century white explore, is a Zambia’s main tourist destination here I met lot of travelers including young Dutch cyclist who decide to put his backpacker on bicycle and experience Africa in more close view and patiently. He had rough plain to cycle up to Egypt when I met him his credit card was broken, he planed to cycle to Lusaka and see his embassy try to sort support. He wrote to me later that he sold the bicycle at Dar es Salaam and went to Zanzibar forget cycling to Egypt. I left Livingstone town 10:30am, cycled to Victoria Falls/Big Falls which situated 10km south of the town. Know to local as Mosi-o-Tunya, the thunder of smoke. The first European named it after united Kingdom Victorian. They found in the might Zambezi river and act as the physical boundary of todays Zambia and Zimbabwe. The magnificent, 7th world wonders, world heritage site, Victoria Falls at almost 2km wide and 103 meters deep. The falls offer spectacular view Here I met a Belgium friend who paid the entrance fees for me. I spent 7hrs in side of Mosi-o-twa Np.
Zambia home of Victoria Falls, accommodate 19 national parks. Among of them Kafue, Luambe, Lower Zambezi, North Luangwa, South Luangwa and Mosi-o-Tunya National parks are frequent visited.
Zambia also busts wide range of cultural. With different ceremony such as Kiamboka ceremony the annual migration of Lozi people from low land to higher ground as the Zambezi plains in western Zambia flood in March.
There are more than 50 annual traditional ceremonies in Zambia manifesting customs, social life, ritual, oral history, material and spiritual cultural
In the evening I cycled to the border and cross the Zambezi Bridge to Zim
After crossing the Zambezi bridge where the border posts of Zambia the local people call it) and Zambia I found in each side of the greet Zambezi. As I was crossing the bridge it was so exiting to view the greet falls from the bridge. One might thought It is raining as the water from the falls pushed by wind to the bridge.
Victoria Falls is the name which this falls was given by the 19th century explorer Dr. Livingstone in his Zambezi exploration. He gave the falls that name in the honor of the queen Victoria.
