28 July Update

Africa is no fun if you want to stay connected!  Internet here is a joke!

A quick update since the beginning of the month.

Amongst lots of chirps and "helpful" hints from those who don't do anything to do with the blog!

6 July
Up at 4h30 to get packed and kids to Lusaka Airport on time.  Of course it was earlier than needed! Got to airport at 6h45 but kids could only go through at 7h30! Saw them off then headed north.  Very sad moment. Had to visit pharmacy cause have changed our minds about prophalactics.  If people who live in Zim and Zambia recommend it then I guess we should!

Drew 1.5 million Zambian Kwatcha today!  Better enjoy being a millionnaire.  Not going to happen again. Stayed at Forest Inn near Mkushi.

7 July
Headed for Kapisha Hot springs.  Cold 7 C to start.  what happened to warm weather and no rain on this trip!

Ab's braces removed today.  Hope all went well. Dying to see. 

Shiwa Ngandu house apparnetly built in 1914.  Weren't sure why anyone would want to live there in the middleof nowhere.  Wanted $20 per person to see house so gave that a miss.  All buildings seem to be built the same so got the picture - wooden shingle rooves and same style - even for the pig stye.

Got to hot springs camp on the river which is really lovely.  Hot springs are clean and don't smell of sulphur.  What a treat.  Margs and Keith stayed in lodge before we arrived.  looked lovely. 

Thurs 8th
 Woke to sun but really cold AGAIN.. Time for landrover clean and repack and reorganise.  Afternoon went on raft trip which was supposed to be a simple saunter down the river.  left about 3 after rafts arrived.  Afrikaans family who'd never rafted decided to follow us. Turned out to be quite an epic. Very cold and some fairly hairy rapids especially with a 5 year old.  The others fell out a few times and ended up going down a pretty serious rapid which spooked them totally and their kids didn't want to continue.  we got to end just before dark and were organising the search party when fortunately they arrived.  Pick up was just before water fall so could have been nasty.  anyway all well.  Were glad to get into hot spring to warm up!

Fri 9th
Packed up and went to see the falls we were glad not to go over!  Headed West on good dirt rd.  After shop at Shoprite we headed for L Tanganyika.  Took Keith's route!  Started off on what looked like a donkey track but guys were sure the rd to Isanga bay (on Tracks 4 Africa) would improve. Needles to say it didn't.  It actually turned into a pedestrian single track but we continued......  The 20 km rd took 6 hrs and  1.4km away from destination and at 19h00 we got to a village and a washed away bridge!  with about 1000 kids  with their faces pressed up to all windows trying to see Erin and numerous drunk duds I managed to persuade the guys that it wasn't a good idea for us to camp in the school grounds nor in the class rooms as the 2-toothed headmaster kept suggesting.  We headed back up the so-called rd!  At about 21h30 we bush camped.  With Erin asleep in the tent and us finally seated with a stiff drink we saw car lights!  What other idiots could there be in the same place at the same time!  2 young guys from SA  had followed our fresh tracks and assumed the rds must be passable!  Anyway we survived - dirty but cars (and people)miraculously intact.

Sat 10th
Finished the "un-rd" and pulled the "Isanga Bay lodge" sign off it's post.... still have it in the landrover for the pub.  Went toKalambo Falls.  Beautifull.