Lusaka

Sauron and Chewy are fighting again. We have a hard time mediating between the two campsite dogs as they hash it out over who has exclusive stroking privileges. While we watch them bemusedly the old black labrador goes for a paddle in the pool. These days we move from place to place on the outskirts of Lusaka waiting for Ben’s new camera to arrive.

From the nice campsite with the fun dogs we move on to a Christian nunnery. We tiptoe around to not disturb the sermon and walk the stations of the cross. We also chat with Giacomo and Violet – a couple from Italy and Malaysia – who have been cycling for ten years, supporting their trip through seasonal jobs. Ben tries out Giacomo’s recumbent bike but the awkward balancing act is not his cup of tea.

After a couple of nights (and learning the real and much higher price of the room) we move on again to the garden of Dylan. He and his dogs Rocky, Livingstone and Stanley give us a warm welcome. In his eagerness to claim us as new friends Rocky pees all over the bikes and our tent. In the evening Lily (Dylan’s Chinese neighbor) comes over for a drink. She is currently in the timber business. But not for much longer, she tells us with a laugh, since “in two years all trees finished”.

We can’t quite bring ourselves to cycle right into the town center. The city feels too big and too traffic jammy. But this means having to take an hour’s cab ride every time we actually need to go into town. The cabbies weave through the thick traffic with ease, past giant billboards praising triple layer pizza or Doom! unto the mosquitoes. At every traffic light (usually out of order) street vendors sell everything from oranges to toilet paper and then jump out the way when the cars start revving again.

Once arrived at the biggest shopping mall in town we get a bit of a culture shock. It suddenly feels as though we’re in the US and not in Zambia. Everything – from the working AC to the Woolworths next to KFC – feels slightly surreal. The average BMI has increased by about 5 points. We feel out of place in our shabby clothes under the blinding artificial light.

We stock up on sunscreen, cash and as many snacks as we can possibly fit in our panniers in preparation for our big western loop of Zambia. Lina also buys some new trousers as hers are disintegrating in the buttal area. We meet up with Ellie – another cyclist from the UK and bond over fancy juice and our shared stories of kids chasing the bikes. It feels like a long time ago now.

At last, after three long weeks of terrible phone pictures, we pick up Ben’s new camera. It almost feels like Christmas. In the evening we celebrate with Dylan and he shares his last Guinness and many stories with us. One time he had to use up a box of ammo for his machine gun in the middle of the night and then throw “her” down the borehole because his brother “got himself into trouble”.

Another time his Italian mafioso buddy brought his Brazilian trans girlfriend (aka prostitute) to Zambia and everyone was entranced (and fooled) by her beauty. We don’t dare ask why Dylan owned a machine gun in the first place and how many of his friends had a Brazilian girlfriend for a while. As for the mafioso, he is in jail without trial. Apparently something to do with some light human trafficking and Berlusconi.

We finish off the evening by holding some of Dylan’s guns and other weapons. Ben is a little disappointed that the key to the main armory has been misplaced temporarily. Lina is a little relieved. The next morning we get ready to hit the road again. Ben’s shoulder, while still not recovered, is feeling a lot better. The new camera is ready to roll and so are we.