...still trying to get these pics online...

__________________
no risk - no fun

I'm struggeling with these pics and really hope this works...


A typical camping spot - we usually just camp somewhere to the side of a little road or path.


People fishing - for people in small towns still a sure way to feed the family and generate some income.


Typical picture of smalltown Mozambique. For those of you who have been here before you will remember the many buildings painted in red with either 'Vodacom' or 'Coca Cola' written on the fassade.


Typical picture of smalltown Mozambique again - two ladies selling cashew nuts.


Real people mover - utes are a great way to transport people.


A small pub on the road - a good way to spend some time in the shade during the mid day heat and have a cold Coke or '2M' .


Sunset over Inhambane Bay

__________________
no risk - no fun

..and some more pics of Mozambique:


'2M' is the probably most typical drink for Mozambique - Martin and me at the beach in Tofo


Crossing this line will take us into tropical Africa


Little Suzuki posing in front of a Baobab tree


At the end of this trip we will be able to tell good decicions from bad decisions. When it comes to our choice of equipment Martin and me, we chose quite a variety of things. E.g. Martin travelling on an RD04 Africa Twin 750ccm with aluminium boxes and using a flip front helmet, I'm riding my little 2010 Suzuki DR650 with soft panniers protected by Pacsafe mesh and I'm wearing a full face helmet. So far all our equipment works perfectly fine. However, it is always Martin's bike which draws a crowd whenever we stop whereas my bike stands largely ignored.
We once checked ourselves out on a weight bridge. Both bikes with almost full tank and full water bottles. Little Suzuki with my 80kg on top showed 320kg, Martin on his Africa Twin brought it to 400kg.


It is sometimes unbelievable what size loads some women are able to balance on their head while walking


Snapshot from the market

__________________
no risk - no fun

...a few pictures from our first few days in Zimbabwe:


These Baobab trees do make you feel like you're in Africa


I tried to hire a driver but unfortuately his feet could not reach the footpegs.


Wherever we go in Zimbabwe - we are found by some lovely locals.


Dam


The 'Great Zimbabwe' monument near Masvingo- an ancient city of the Shona people which gave it's name to the country. These 1000 year old ruins cover a large area, so huge that they are classified as the number two prehistoric site in Africa (after the egyptian pyramids).


Small town snapshot


Donkeys and cattle often walk along or across the road, totally oblivious to passing cars. Or motorbikes.


My search for a qualified driver continues with no luck


A rather rough road to the Matopo NP


Random scene

__________________
no risk - no fun

We found another beautiful corner in Zimbabwe today. And best of all, we've got internet. So before we venture back into internetless African countryside let's just write down a little wrap up of our visit to Zimbabwe.
Currently we are camping at Victoria Falls, the town on the Zimbabwean side of the famous landmark. This will also be our last destination in Zimbabwe before we head off to see the Okavango Delta in Botswana tomorrow.
Since the last update we went through some exciting times. Mostly visiting National Parks in Zimbabwe. Which can be tricky on motorbikes.
Since Bulawayo we started with a trip through Matopo NP. It is a beautiful area of mostly arid high lands. Part of the park is a game reserve which cannot be entered on motorbikes. But the other part is really cool too. It's dirt road all the way. Quite rough in places with massive rocks to climb over or to climb down from along the road. And some extremely steep uphill and downhill sections. In combination with the big boulders embedded in the road it was mostly first and second gear territory. But just perfectly matching what our bikes were made for. We went through stuff even a month ago I wouldn't have thought a motorbike can get through. But it was now actually heaps fun. And every now and then we found a great viewpoint or some age old bushmen paintings. And all day long we did not meet anyone in the park. Apart from a ranger or two. No tourists at all.
The other park we visited was Hwange NP which ended up being more adventurous than we would have liked it. Our so far reliable map showed two roads connecting the park to the main road. So we took the first one. Which ended up being very sandy after 20odd km. And sand still raises my blood pressure and panic level to the extreme. However, we dug our way through to the gate. And when I say 'gate' it was more an empty hut and a lifted boom gate. So 'cool' we thought, just keep going and pay the entrance fee on our exit through the other gate the next day. And in we were, riding in beautiful Hwange NP next to jumpy antelopes and big elephants and tall giraffes. Hwange is a top highlight for tourists in Zimbabwe. And for good reason. It is simply stunning, waterholes are topped up by pumps so there is always water. And always animals. Absolutely recommendable. It was also here that my little Suzuki went through elephant droppings for the first time. How cool is it to say that you rode your bike through elephant shit! The real stuff!
What we were not aware off though was the fact that the entrance we went through was the old entrance. And no longer an official entrance. And that bikes are not allowed in the park. And that the rhinos in the park are a prime target for poachers. And that the National Park Rangers are very concerned about the rhinos and therefore are not happy about people appearing in the park through inofficial entrances.
Long story short - we quickly got restricted to the nearest camping area and escorted to the main camp and ranger station the next day.
I think it was very quickly obvious that we were no poachers. Lucky for us. Because even though we stirred up a small storm everyone was extremely friendly and helpful at the end to resolve the situation. And by the end of the day we were free to go. Sort of. Except for Martin's bike. Which kept having a flat tyre. First we woke up to a flat tyre. The first one on the tour so far. So us being not too familiar with the subject had to get the tyre on and off 3 times before it kept the air. But I can proudly say the last attempt only took us half an hour between getting the wheel off and the wheel with patched tube on again. Just the timing was no good because our escort was waiting for us to take us to the main camp. Nothing better to get the work done than some pressure and a couple of guys with big guns waiting around. And it did work. Well, for more than 50km. One km before the Main Camp the tyre was flat again. And because in the sandy conditions Martin was not aware of it straight away the whole valve ended up being ripped out. Fortunately we had our escort on a pickup truck. So soon the Africa Twin was on the truck and caught a lift for the final km. And the tyre got fixed in the workshop for free while we were in discussions with the rangers.
I know what you're saying, how we must have gotten into deep trouble for entering the park unofficially. But the Zimbabwe we found is very different from the Zimbabwe you see in the news in Australia. If you think we had to pay massive bribes to get out of there - nothing like that happened. Pretty much everyone we met in Zimbabwe and particularly in Hwange was extremely friendly and professional. The conduct of the rangers was absolutely on the same level as you would expect in Australia. And considering the difference in their pay that is indeed extraordinary. No bribes were asked. Ever. All payments were listed in advance on official lists and receipts were issued. Not just in Hwange. But everywhere. When we got stopped by Police on road blocks it always ended up a friendly chat. People on the street and in shops are super friendly and open for serious chats about everything. Not just the typical 'where do you come from' and 'where do you go'. And you pick up a vibe about them being very proud of their country. Even though they are living through tough times and a not too certain political situation with new elections on their doorstep. There is a vibe of optimism and a perceived certainty that it will go uphill with Zimbabwe in the future. And numbers seem to support their opinion. Even though we were completely by ourselves in Matopo NP and did not encounter many tourists in Hwange NP (not many for a park that size and reputation) everyone is expecting things to pick up big time towards the end of the year. I remember an old guy walking around selling little spongy scrubs on a service station. I asked him what it is he is selling and we talked for a bit. And what impressed me the most was the fact that, not once he asked me to buy one of those things. But he was very keen to get the message across to me that Zimbabwe is save to travel again and I should tell my friends so more tourists would come. And we had similar situations elsewhere. So what I guess is really hard for Zimbabweans is the fact, that they now better times. Zimbabwe used to be a safe tourist destination, similar to maybe South Africa. There are big hotels still there but empty. Beautiful lodges with view to waterholes and elephants. With one or two families staying there. Big expensive looking restaurants. No one in there. And even the big game parks. Where you can be undisturbed because there are many more elephants than tourists. Also the famous Victoria Falls we only had to share with two groups of people until many hours after sunrise when more tourists arrived. In many aspects the Zimbabwe for tourists is a bit like a ghost town. Whereas the Zimbabwe for locals is still a colourful place with many smiles and some worried faces. Not as colourful and happy as Mozambique maybe. But a bit of the old booming country has certainly still survived in it's people. And a lot of hope too.
We also were approached by undercover Police a few times. They appear a bit suspicious for their rather fine clothes and unusual questions (e.g. about our family names and how we see Zimbabwe from overseas and political opinions etc). And later did identify themselves as Police with their ID tag. But still, they were always friendly and professional and never caused us any hassle.
In terms of motorbike travel it is an easy place to be. There are a few petrol stations which had run out of petrol but usually there is another one within 10-20km which still sells it. We stopped at a real Suzuki dealer in Bulawayo and had a look at their bikes. They had the little sister of my bike, a Suzuki DR200 and lots of smaller bikes too. However, they had no 17" tyres and spare parts only for the small bikes. I got a new fuel hose from them. In Bulawayo there is also a few shops for bike repair. They had all the tools but no spare parts fitting onto our bikes too. So if you travel here it is a good idea to bring your own spares. What we heared there might be stuff for western bikes available in Harare but we did not go there. And we did not need stuff anyway.
So tomorrow we leave Zimbabwe again. Open for our short excursion into Botswana and the Okavango Delta. With our bikes being up to scratch again. Martin's with a new rear tube. And mine with a cleaned air filter. And both with riders keen to see more of Africa.

__________________
no risk - no fun

'World View' in Matobo NP


Little Suzuki really close to some elephants in Hwange NP


Sunrise over Victoria Falls


Victoria Falls


Victoria Falls

__________________
no risk - no fun

Sure do, thanks Scotty! And say 'hi' to Sydney for me!

__________________
no risk - no fun

Thanks 'Judif', good to see you on the forum! And there is still some time left to train up my replacement, good luck!

__________________
no risk - no fun

Day 32 - 33 Zambia

Time is flying if you have a good time and today already marks day 32, more than one month after landing in Johannesburg to start the African adventure.
One month into the trip gives us plenty to think back to, plenty of routine has been developed and optimised. So by now we did figure a few things out. Things like what to pack in the top part and what in the bottom of the panniers. Or what to do best at which time of the day. Or what to make of certain people. Which is pretty cool. Somehow it's like a routine back home with getting up and going to work etc. Just different. And still cool, after a month in Africa and two months on the road it still feels good and exotic.
We wrapped up one more country since the last update which is Botswana. The only purpose for us to travel there was the mighty Okavango Delta. So starting from Victoria Falls we went straight down via the Chobe NP. Once in the delta we booked ourselves on a Mokoro tour for 3 days. Mokoros are small boats carved out of the trunk of a Sausage Tree, being pushed forward with a long pole by a person standing at the back. They are the only way to really penetrate into the little channels and swamps and islands of the delta. No motorbikes there. Together with Oti, our proud captain we spent these three days floating and walking, just the three of us. However, there was not much bike riding. In fact, our bikes were parked safely at a lodge in Kasane, far far away from where we were. And, call me a freak if you want to, but being away from my little Suzuki really made me feel uneasy. The weird thing is that I really enjoyed the time in the Okavango Delta but still couldn't get used to the fact that Oti was shipping us around and we no longer were in control. I just missed the freedom to go, to jump on the bike and just ride. The more so I was happy to be reunited with my little Suzuki again today. She's so much fun to ride!
All the action in the Okavango Delta happens in the morning or evening. During the day it is incredibly hot and we just rested on an island for hours every day. Which gave us some good time to reflect back, back through the first month and the first 4500km in Africa.
In this first month we visited the highlights of South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. All these countries are special in a certain way.
So I guess you'd be interested to read about my preliminary tour favourites? Alright, let's compile a top five list:

1.) The thing I loved most is just riding in the late afternoon hours. It's starting to cool down. People start cooking on the wood fires. So there is the aroma of smoke combined with the dry dust whipped up in the air by the weak afternoon breeze. The sun sits low within a wide layer of dust and turns the horizon into a big warm orange background. And there is the two of us on our bikes just riding along after a day of exciting experiences. By that time you are calm and focused, you slalom around the cows and donkeys on the road with ease and you smile back to the many smiling faces around you and are just happy to be here, to be part of it all. Just riding through any random bit of Africa, that's definitely my favourite.

2.) The people here. We met so many of them and had such good times. We laughed so many times with them and about them and about us. The locals are just so genuinely friendly, warm and hospitable. And our journey would not be the same without the great fun whenever we stop and spend time with some of the people around.

3.) The bushcamping. We hardly ever camp on official campgrounds. But mostly just somewhere nowhere. How cool is it to be free to decide which piece of Africa will be your home for one night. Your home where you will sleep to all the exotic noise from the bush or from the endless grassy plains where you happen to pitch the tent. No one else there. The bike parked next to the tent and the camping stove cooking some evening tea. Feels great and we both really dig that sort of lifestyle.

4.) That awesome feeling when you finish a border crossing. After sometimes hours of dealing with officials and filling in forms, carrying forms around, getting stamps onto forms and paying fees for forms. That one moment when finally the boom gate is raised and you push the starter button, switch into gear, waive to the security officer and go. Finally free to go. Free to go into a new country. Which you don't know much about yet. Except that it will be different from the last country. And that it's gonna be good again. Awesome feeling, believe me.

5.) Being close to big animals. Big ones like Elephants, Buffalos, Giraffes or Ostriches. Or even smaller ones like Warthogs and Impalas often roam the streets even outside the National Parks. Particularly so in northern Botswana or in Zambia. So you just ride along and suddenly a whole family of elephants crosses the road. In a way that you have to stop and let them go across. So you stop and kill the engine. And then it's silent again. You hear the footsteps of the elephants, you hear how they break off little branches and the noise of them chewing the fresh timber. And you hear your own excited heartbeat in the total silence around you. All happening just a few metres away from you. From you sitting on the bike. The same bike you used just months earlier to commute to the office on.

It's things like these which I really value and enjoy on this trip. These things are actually the real reason for doing the trip. Sure, some tourist highlights are a 'must see'. Such as the Victoria Falls. But these are usually stressful and expensive. Roaming the open plains of southern Africa on a little Suzuki on the other hand has an extremely calming effect and costs next to nothing. And feels great.
I'd like to write a little wrap up about Botswana here but then I don't think I am qualified to do so. We only spend less than a week in one small area in the North East. However, some of you might be interested to know that they asked for the Carnet on the border and would not have left us in without. And, what many of you already know, Botswana is incredibly expensive for accommodation, entrance fees and tours. But relatively cheap for petrol and supermarket shopping. At least in the North East.

On the 1st of October we crossed into a new country. And are now in Zambia. We took the border crossing in Kasane near the Victoria Falls which is actually a ferry. Getting out of Botswana is easy. Getting into Zambia chaotic. You need to pay for the ferry and the visa in US$. And for a 'Carbon Tax' and a third party insurance in the local currency, the 'Kwacha'. The issue is, that we were not able to exchange anything for Kwachas in Botswana. And since there is no ATM or Currency Exchange at the border you rely on the 'Black Market' money exchange. Which is a million people around you trying to get your business with all tricks you can think of. And same story again with the millions of third party insurance sellers. Having a few hundred thousand Kwachas before getting to the border would have saved a lot of time and hassle. However, 'Kwachas' are cool and on the ATM today I became a millionaire for the first time in my life! (1AU$=5000Kwacha).
Otherwise we did not need a Carnet for crossing into Zambia. But if you have one you need to hide it, they go for it like a vulture. We try not to use it if possible because we will go through more countries than there are pages in the Carnet. In Zambia you can ask for a Temporary Import Permit instead. Which is issued within 15min for free.
Coming into Zambia we went straight east and then north on a tiny gravel road towards the southern part of Kafua NP. Again a road just made for our bikes. The southern bit of it was easy cruising along a dusty road with a couple of mm of sand on top. Easy even for me. The stakes got higher later when the road became more and more overgrown from the sides. Unfortunately overgrown not with flowers but with bloody thorny bushes, thorns of around 20mm length on big dry branches just hanging into the road more than a metre high. If you brush past them they catch your clothes and panniers and simply rip into them or go straight down into your skin. Not to mention the poor tyres. And to add to that the road finally becomes one of those roads with two car tyre tracks in deep sand, the edges and the centre of the road around 200mm higher than the tyre tracks. And did I mention the deep sand? Pretty much you can't change from the left track to the right or vice versa because you would need to climb up to the sandy middle bit first. Have I ever mentioned my opinion to sand? However, the choise is yours between changing lanes through the sandy centre every hundred meters or get torn in pieces by the thick thorny branches hanging into your way across the tyre tracks.
But, to be honest, I loved this track. Somehow I got a good crack on it and figured it out how to ride this stuff. Best in 2nd gear, swiftly accelerating through the deep bits, fishtailing up onto the centre bit and around the thorny stuff and down the other side. And the same in reverse 100m later. It's heaps fun. Sure, there were a few unvoluntary excursions into the bushes. And we both had to pick up our bikes from the sand every now and then. But nothing too serious for the hundred km we did today. There will be another 200km tomorrow and I am looking forward to it already. It's also this sort of road where my little Suzuki seems to fly along much easier than the heavier Africa Twin. So I had to cope with some tough German swearing over the intercom. But at the end we both made it in good shape to a good spot for camping when it started getting dark. With a family of elephants not too far away it was again a day with our big five of favourites. So yeah, this is Africa.

__________________
no risk - no fun

Okavango Delta


Sunset at the Okavango Delta


Okavango Delta and our Mokoro


Our little group for three days in the Delta - from the left: me, Oti's brother (who was just there but had nothing to do with our tour), our Mokoro poler Oti and Martin

__________________
no risk - no fun

Days 35 and 36 - Zambia
We had a very special day yesterday, a day which shows how bad luck and good coincidence can easily follow each other. We are still in Zambia, still on that little gravelroad west of the main highway going between Kalolo and Choma. As usual it is our luck when we choose to go these dirtroads that somewhere along the way they turn into nasty sand pistes. This particular one was not too bad though and again great fun to ride along. There were however many intersections and forks along the road which disagreed with the one straight line that our map showed. The GPS did not show any road in this area. So sure enough we soon got lost, had to ask for directions just to end up at another fork in the road with another 50% chance to get lost further. Once we even lost sight of each other and took separate roads and it took a while to find back together. Soon this game became a little bit frustrating and in the heat and humidity of the day it had it's effect on our mood. The unluckiness of the day soon culminated. Martin was riding a few hundred metres ahead of me. I came around this one corner and saw the disaster area right there in front of me. Martin standing in the middle of the road frantically waiving with both arms. His bike on the ground and his luggage strewn across the whole area. 'Oh s...t' just went through my mind. Fortunately Martin was alright apart from some minor scratches and bruises. It was just a little stump of a tree that caused the mess. On a gravel road which cuts a few centimetres into the ground there was this little stump right on top of that little embankment. Covered by green leaves and grass. Just close enough to the road and high enough and covered enough. And Martin just riding far enough to the left. Just enough to give that little stump a direct hit with his left luggage box. Which sent him flying and the Africa Twin sliding. But fortunately, as I've said, he is alright and his bike soon was upright again and apart from a shattered windscreen undamaged. The aluminium luggage box was not so lucky though. Two of the four bolts to fasten it to the rack got ripped out and the box was dented to a degree that you couldn't get it back on the rack to safely ride on this bumpy gravel road. So there we were. Nowhere near a town. On a small dirtroad in Zambia, trying to get the box back in shape by hammering with rocks and sticks. And lucky as we were, the big dark clouds which came closer and closer over the last hour finally opened to send us some rain down. Not too much but enough for us to stop hammering and seek refuge under a tree. Watching the lightning come closer and listening to the thunder getting louder.
And then there was this one guy walking along the same road. Walking past us and a few metres further turning and coming back to us. He offered us to come to his village and wait out the rain. And so with him we went. And as soon as we arrived in the village the perfect tropical storm started. The sky darkened, the wind picked up and changed direction every few minutes. And it was just bucketing down. So much that the village was soon a river and the ground so soft that my little Suzuki's side stand sank in and she almost fell into one of the straw walls of a hut. It was the first rain of the wet season. The first rain in this area for many month. Coming down right then when we were stuck out there.
And that is where our luck turned. Not just that we were lucky enough to meet that one person walking along that road in our time of dire need. But also that he offered us shelter in a little hut with a wood fire burning and his friendly family sitting beside it, watching us drying our dirty clothes in the warmth of the fire. He was also by coincidence the only mechanic in the area, having the tools available for doing metalworks. Once the rain had finished he took care of the bent aluminium box and in no time at all it was square again and two new holes were done to replace the ripped out bolt holes. All by just using a double T steel beam horizontally stuck in a tree, a hammer, an old iron and various random pieces of steel. By the time it was all done it started becoming dark so we were happy to camp next to bis hut. And here it became a truly magical evening and we could learn what it means to live in a remote village in Zambia.
The name of our saviour is Moses and he lives with his wive and his three children (4 and 7 years and 4 months old) on this little compound of one proper hut and a few straw shelters. The hut is built of bricks. Bricks he made himself by digging up clay and forming it to bricks in the fire. There are no windows, just a door. Which is an old torn rice sack covering the rectangular opening in the wall. The roof is sheets of corrugated iron which is held in place by rocks and old potts and other heavy stuff. There was still a gap of around half a meter in the roof. The money only bought that much corrugated iron. We sat on little carved timber stools inside, just Martin, Moses and me. Because tradition has it that the wife and kids have no business in the room where men sit and talk. So wive and kids were outside in the 'kitchen shelter' cooking dinner while we talked. Moses introduced us to his life in his home. It was pitchblack inside. Apart from the few pieces of glowing timber in an old holey paint bucket in the centre of the room. Smoke from the glowing timber filled the room and brought tears into our eyes. And Moses told us his story. How his parents came from Zimbabwe to Zambia. And he was born into a poor family in Zambia and stayed here. He never went to school, school fees were just to much to bear for his family. And still his English was excellent and he somehow became a mechanic. The family lives of the little money his mechanic skills can earn. And from the 'garden' where his wife works all by herself. Growing a few tomato bushes, some cabbage and some green leafy stuff they call 'vegetable'. Together with Maize which they grind to Maizemeal, a flour like substance which can be boiled in water. Becoming a dough like meal which is the staple food down here. It's Maizemeal with cooked vegetable. Every day.
While we sat there talking about the prospects for the kids and the hard to afford school fees we shone our torches around the room. Bringing into the light the belongings of the family. One corner is taken by the bed. Not larger than a single bed it is a pile of dirty empty rice sacks on the ground, some rolled up and folded as cushion or blanket.
The other corner has two old metal boxes in it. Three or four cups hang from wires of the brown rendered brick wall. Another wire with cloth pegs on it goes across the room, along the wall which is not covered by the iron sheeted roof. One day, when more money can be saved, the one more sheet of iron will be bought and the roof will be complete. Also in the room are three carved timber stools. On which the three of us are sitting around the fire tin. The rest of the room is empty. The belongings of the entire family would easily fit on our motorbikes. Having nothing themselves Moses still insists they invite us for dinner. Which is Maizemeal and vegetable and chicken. And which is cooked with great skill and is delicious to us. Eaten with our hands straight out of the pot. For all that, rescue from the rain, the repair of Martin's box, dinner, good company and a place to setup our tents - Moses asks for nothing in return. He just insists that Zambians are hospitable people and people are supposed to look after each other. He asks a lot about our home countries. And finds it hard to believe. That there are no elephants there. That we never had Maizemeal at home. Or none of the tree species as they are growing around his compound. And that there is snow in Germany in winter. Sitting in this dark smoke filled room that night in the dim orange light of the glowing timber pieces after the tough day we had and sharing our stories was really cool.
The next morning we shouted the family a big pot of our vanilla flavoured poridge from Botswana which they seemed to like a lot. Moses then proudly showed us their 'garden' around a km away. Heaps proud how well the vegetables and the cabbage grow this season.
Before we packed our bikes with all our fancy gear (Moses was amazed by our waterproof tents and our camping stove) we left him 50000Kwacha (~AU$10) which is the amount needed to buy the last sheet of corrugated iron and complete the roof. Which changed the mood completely and made a grown up man happy like a child on Christmas. The wife was immediately called and both shook our hands many times and praised god for us. To see their faces there and then was one of the most memorable moments I've ever had in my life.

I guess all of you who travelled in Africa had those moments when you realise how little you need to give to make a huge change to the good in someones life. And yet you have to say 'no' so often and it is soo hard to do so. Because how can you fairly pick the few people out of the inmeasurable crowd in need to deserve what you can afford to support?

Another example that gives me much to think about just happened an hour ago. We camp near another small village tonight, a village of around 20-30 people. Out of those one young man really stood out. He spoke perfect English and explained to us not just the village and hirarchy of people but also many facts about Zambia, it's history, the politics and many more things. His name is Ben. Three years ago he started growing Maize with his hard work on a tiny piece of land. He sold the harvest to the Maizemeal mill and made some money with it. One year ago he married and his new parents in law lent him two oxens for a short time. So he could more effectively work on his land. Together with the fertiliser, bought from the profit of his first Maize harvest the year before he grew the perfect Maize and made enough profit to buy his own three cows and more fertiliser. With the cows on the plough he again works more effectively, so much so that he could get a second parcel of land to grow Maize for next year. With the aim to earn enough to attend college. A smart man really standing out in his community. How so? This is his story:
When he was in Basic School (the equivalent to Primary School in Australia) we managed to do particularly well in his English classes. One day a couple of white people visited his school and his class. And for his good English he was the only one in his class able to properly communicate with them. Which impressed one Japanese lady so much that she decided to to sponsor his school fees for him to attend school up to year 12. Being the only one in the village having the opportunity to go to school without break for so long made him not just excell in English (which helps in dealing with officials and in trading) but also in Maths and Science and provided him with the skills to do the accounting right for farming his little piece of land and how he can generate much more income. And it made him shine amongst the people of his little community. The amount the Japanese lady supported bis school fees with? AU$250 a year. AU$250 which built a person. I suppose the Japanese lady might not even know how much her support changed Ben's life for the better over the years. But the question remains - is it fair in the big picture to choose one person out of a crowd and lift him out of the community and onto a good life?

__________________
no risk - no fun

My little Suzuki proudly displaying her new yellow reflective sticker. It is compulsary in Zambia to display a yellow reflective piece of tape to the front and the back of a motorbike. And we heard of many other travellers being fined for not having them.


Entering the city of Livingstone on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls


The little dirt path turning off the main road some 20km east of Sesheke and going towards the South Kafue NP. Parts of it are overgrown with really nasty thorny stuff and you need to go across the deep sand at the centre of the road to avoid it.


Martin stuck in the sand after a failed U-turn attempt. It took us a while to dig and push out the Africa Twin in this deep sand.


Random scene


Our bikes always draw much attention. You can't imagine how much laughter you can generate by just letting people sit on the bike and taking a photo of them. Showing that photo to the village on the digital screen of our cameras is enough to entertain a big group of grown up people for several minutes.

__________________
no risk - no fun

Lusaka, Zambia

We made it to Lusaka today, the capital of Zambia. There is actually only one reaon for us to be here - the promise to receive a visa for the D.R.Congo. Which is hard to get. When we asked in the Congo Embassy in Maputo we were assured that Lusaka would be the place for us.
Usually embassies only accept visa applications before 12pm so we rode a bit faster to make it in time. Which promply earned me a speeding ticket for 180000 Kwacha. Traffic in Lusaka is a huge mess and the only way to describe it is a big brawl of cars and bicycles and pedestrians, all sharing the road and doing their thing. All on extremely small margins and sometimes cars came hairraisingly close. So we just made it to the Congo embassy with half an hour to spare. Asking for a visa we got promply refused because we did not have a letter of invitation. But fortunately we remembered the name of the person in the Lusaka embassy who promised us that a visa can be issued when we asked in Maputo. Knowing a name opens doors. And all off a sudden we were invited into another room to talk to Gaston. Who even remembered the phone call from Maputo. We explained our situation. Being on the road for so long makes it impossible to obtain a visa in our home countries because they issue it for max. 3 months in advance. He understood the issue and is happy to support our case but has not the authorithy to decide our case. So we do have an appointment with the chancellor of the embassy tomorrow morning. We need all the mental support we can get so please cross fingers for us!!!
The Congo presents the probably biggest challenge to us. We heard it is so hard to get a visa from anywhere other than your home country. So getting the visa problem solved would make me sleep much easier. Because there is no way around the Congo to Westafrica. If we receive our visa than the other challenge will be the way through the Congo. The plan is to see the famous Mountain Gorillas from the Congo side. So we would enter the Congo from Bukavu in Rwanda in January (=dry season north of equator). After meeting the Gorillas we would continue to Kisangani. Having two options from there. Either continue by road to Bangui into the Central African Republic. Or go by barge down the Congo River to Kinshasa and continue into Brazzaville. However, no one can tell if the trouble area on the Congo -Rwanda border is open for tourists. Or if the road from Kisangani to Bangui still exists and is rideable on our bikes. Or if there are any boats going between Kisangani and Kinshasa.
So yeah, the Congo is the big headache of our trip and once we are through, it will all be easy cruising from there!
So cross fingers for us tomorrow and we shall hopefully soon see the most beautiful visa in our passport!

__________________
no risk - no fun

Nice report! Both options through DRC are difficult, the road to Bangui because the first strech is bandit country ( up to Lubutu) and further down the road it will be hard finding fuel. Read DRC | Big Africa Cycle
And the second option of the boat is not much easier, there IS a boat, only when it departs is the question, you may need to wait 3 to 4 weeks and then spend around a month getting to Kinshasa. Good luck with the visa!

__________________
http://tony-ontheroad.blogspot.com/

Thanks, titbird. The Congo is definitely not an easy place to get through. The Bangui road is still our preferred option, also because it is dry season north of the equator when we get there in January. Fuel can be carried around. Bandits is a different story though. Not sure how bad the security situation is, if it's a real danger or just a matter of bribes and patience. The only other way through would be the Lubumbashi Kinshasa Road. But down there the wet season will be at it's worst.

__________________
no risk - no fun