Lusaka!

Well, I'm, in Lusaka - I did the 5.30am start!

From the Harvest Inn I had to take a taxi to the junction of the Great north Road where I was to flag down a bus....it is then really just luck as to whether you get a good bus or a bad bus.

Anyway there was one taxi in teh market at 5.45 - so I jumped in - noticed how cracked his windscreen was - then  bartered on the price - he asked for £2.50 for the 2 km drive - I got him down to a pound.We had the normal banter about where I was off to then he said he would take me to Kipiri Moshi for just a fiver. Its about 110knm away - and it turns out the driver was from there and was chuffed to get a return fare - hence the cheap price - it is also a better place to get a bus as it has a bus station and is on the join of 2 routes.

I agreed, then started to doubt if the taxi would get there - we had to tie my rucksack into the boot as the boot didn't shut and flew open as we went over pot holes. The crack in the windsceen seemed to get bigger and then the driver confessed he hadn't been to bed.

All that aside it was amazing - dawn was breaking and Zambia was waking up - in the countryside they were starting fires outside their huts, setting up their satlls of tomatoes and firewood at the roadside - and putting the ox's into harness in order to start ploughing. The only downside was the drivers country and western CD.

Anyway we picked up some others and got to Kapri Moshi - the bus station was like any bus station in the developing world as I wobbled through slightly ill balanced with my ruck sack and other bags. Again it was great to watch - people were setting up their stalls, the caterpillar lady was counting caterpillars into bags - and the lad infront of me was making an ornate tower our of packets of crips. people were there with their luggage, huge bags, chickens in makeshift cages of string and branches, goats, buckets of fruit etc

Three busses to Lusaka didn't stop as they were full - and after an hour I got one - the Mzungu has got his bus they cried as IO got on the bus - the bus pulled out and I was still in the aisle - I looked at about 100 faces looking at the White Man on the bus - and then realised there were no seats....was I to sit in teh aisle. Anyway conductor to the rescue - and 8 of us and 6 bags shared a row of 5 seats......I helped Thomas a six year old with his spellings.Thomas and his siter were travelling from Tanzania to Namibia to start a new life after being orphaned - 57 hours on busses - with no real idea what was at the end other than their uncle - hey I could be cramped for 3 hours.

Well Lusaka Bus Station was like Victoria Coach Station on speed, but somehow I retrieved my bag - haggled a taxi driver down - questioning why on 30 degree heat with 3 bags in the middle of chaos was I haggling over a pound.

Then off to my hotel - I have hot water for the first time since arrival - and have done a load of work trying to link Donata up with other similar organisations around the world, trying to get them a VSO placement etc - also I have emailed some of my personal contacts such as Edexcel and Pearson in the hope of getting some resources for the school.

Anyway I'm off to meet the other 2 guys from Wales for a beer shortly which will be great - and some food - my steak last night was a disapointment - Mr Charlie the owner returned to the hotel so I couldn't go into the kitchen - Chef took 90 minutes to grill my steak so you can imagine what it was like - still I had been knocking back the beers with Peter from Mkushi radio so all was fine!

Good news is by tomorrow the blog should have pictures - they are downloading as I type!

R