Dag 9 / Day 9

Wel, die dag het aangebreek wat enige reisiger / toeris in Afrika vrees, grensposte met hul burokratiese rompslomp en totale gebrek aan belangstelling en hulpvaardigheid. Maar daar het 'n verrassing op my gewag. Aan beide kante was doeane beamptes vriendelik en hulpvaardig, veral as hulle hoor jy is van SA wil hulle net "2010 wereldbekersokker" gesels en weet of alles in plek is vir die gebeurtenis. Aan die Zambiese kant moes ek die ekwivalent van R320,00 betaal vir derdeparty versekering, padbelasting en "carbon emmission tax". Wat 'n grap as jy sien dat by elke hut sover as wat jy ry, daar bolle rook uitkom. Maar nou ja, seker net nog 'n manier van die regering om hulle koffers te vul.

Livingston pad na Zimba

Op Livingston word ek gewaarsku teen die pad kondisie tusssen daar en Zimba, maar ek was nie voorbereid op dit wat vir my gewag het nie. Nagenoeg 60km van slegte sinkplaat grondpad. (Dink amper al my stopsels in my tande het los geskud op hierdie stuk pad en 'n voorsmaak van dit wat ek nog gaan teekom op hierdie reis.) Volgens inligting van die lokale mense werk die Chinese nou al amper twee jaar aan die pad en lyk dit of daar nie veel vordering gemaak word nie.

Padkafee in Choma

Zambia is 'n duur land. Petrol kos oor die R10,00 / lt en n pizza so groot soos 'n kleinbordjie met 'n vrugtesap het my oor die R100,00 uit die sak gejaag op "Choma". So arriveer ek darem veilig by "Kozo Lodge" nadat ek herhaaldelik by pad blokkades gestop is om seker te maak al my papierwerk is in orde.

Bier aflewering in Zambia

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Day 9: 23 Aug 09 / 19h00

The day any tourists dreads had arrives, border posts with their bureaucratic, fuss, total lack of interest and assistance. BUT a surprise awaited me. On both sides of the border, officials were friendly and assisting where they can. Especially if they hear that you are from South Africa, 2010 Soccer World Cup is the main topic of discussion. On the Zambian side I had to pay the equivalent of R320 for third party insurance, road tax and carbon emission tax. What a joke, if you see the plumes of smoke rising up from every hut as far as you travel. One way of making money.In Livingstone, I am warned about the bad road condition to Zimba, but still I was not prepared on how bad. About 60km of really bad corrugated dirt road. (Think I lost all my fillings in my teeth, surely only a taste of what is ahead on this journey.) According to the locals the Chinese are working on these roads for the past two years, and it looks like they haven't made a lot of progress.Zambia is expensive. Petrol just over R10,00 / lt, - a small pizza with a juice at a cost of R100.00 in Choma. Again with numerous road blocks to ensure that my paperwork is in order, I arrived safely at “Kozo Lodge”