Flying through Zambia & into Zimbabwe

(Just to let you non-face bookers know, my Ugandan phone hasn't worked since Malawi so that's the reason you cant get through (although it should start to work again by the time we get to Botswana). So that's why I haven't been responding to texts - I'm not ignoring you honest!

I have my work mobile with me so you can use that number (ends with 494) in the meantime. Otherwise, email my yahoo email account. The next time I pick up emails should be on the 16th)

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We only had a two day flying visit through Zambia. I'd like to say something really profound about it, like talk about its dreamy landscapes, beautiful blood red sunsets or its nighttime eruption of shimmering stars, but to be totally honest, my lasting memory of it will be the luxurious flushing toilets, Nandos and my footlong steak and cheese Sub at the newly opened Manda (!) Hill shopping mall.

In comparison to the rest of the countries we've travelled through, the capital, Lusaka, was positively cosmopolitan with its American style shopping malls, chain restaurants and ex-pat style bars. Internet still didn't bloody work though.

We crossed the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe at the Kariba Dam and were immediately warned not to take any photographs of any police officers, Government buildings, critical infrastructure which is illegal in Zim.
(Remember this for my next blog which will probably be entitled Arrested in Zim!)

Lake Kariba was created sometime in the 60s when low lying land was flooded to feed the Kariba Dam Hydropower scheme. The edges of the lake are dotted with ghostly dead trees that stick up out of the water in a really eerie fashion, crocodile and hippos. Luckily, the crocs and elephants that inhabit the lake fringes don't like deep water so nobody got eaten alive when, after a few VnTs for dutch courage, we decided to jump off the roof of our houseboat which was about 15 metres high! (preparation for the Vic Falls bungee!)

As soon as we arrived at our houseboat (which came, for our exclusive use, complete with an on-board chef, hot tub and speed boats!), we were welcomed by the owner - a lady from Dolgellau who was delighted to be able to speak Welsh with me and paraded me proudly to her staff telling them to take extra good care of me. Us Welshies like to look after each other!

Anyway, there have been loads of other brilliant things we've done and seen in here, but in an attempt to get this blog up to date, I'm going to stop there ... but not before I tell you my favourite thing about Zimbabwe.

Because the economy here crashed a few years back, the country now uses US dollars as its currency but only dollar notes. So if you go to a supermarket and your bill comes to $4.30, you're due 70 cents change (that's Maths even I can do!). But because they don't use any US coins here, you get your change in sweets - yesterday, I got 7 lollies and a chocolate as change from my weekly shop!