it was almost be accident that we ended up in zambia. i mean, who goes to zambia? but rob really wanted to go to malawi, and zambia just seemed to be on the way. we enjoyed a relaxing ferry ride from kigoma, tanzania down to mpulungu, zambia. there wasnt much to do but chat with the locals, lie on the deck, and watch the tonnes of sardines being loaded and unloaded from small boats into the ferry.the fishy smell got worse and worse as the trip progressed. by the end, i knew id miss that special aroma. so we arrived in zambia, and figured out that more than 400 km of dirt road stood between us and the prophesised paradise of malawi. along this dirt road were no hotels, restaurants or internet cafes, just dust, sand, rocks, six hot days, five cold nights, one tent, four cans of baked beans, and the friendliest, most welcoming and hospitable people weve met on the trip. in fact, zambia turned out to be a great highlight of this trip to date. on three consecutive nights we were hosted by villagers, many of whom spoke exceptional english, just like me. we camped beside their mud huts, ate nshima by the light of the moon, and listened to the stories of their lives. in return, we answered their questions about life in australia, took numerous photos of their families and promised to send them when we returned home. when not being hosted by these kind folk, we earned this kindness by riding some of the most isolated and rough roads (and tracks) that ive ever been on. we went for a day and a half without even seeing one motorised vehicle. luckily, there was usually someone on a bicycle, going from here to there, doing this and that, to keep us bemused.
