There is an air of excitement in Lusaka, of a city that is developing and showing obvious signs of economic growth. For some reason Lonely Planet states that Zambia is a real African experience after SA, and Botswana (Africa for beginners - in terms of infrastructure and availability of South African luxuries, and probably right). This was difficult to understand as we sat in Mugg and Bean in a new upmarket mall in the city centre. Livingstone, Ndola and Chipatta also all have Pick n Pay, Shoprite or Spar, Steers and Debonairs and it really feels quite first world in places. But what typifies a third world country is the divide between rich and poor and with the poverty line a tight ring on these developments they do tend to stand out as odd.

A German couple we met in Malawi have a similar blog they have written from which we quote relating to the police checks on the road in Africa: "In Malawi the same ethnic reacts very differently: Show me driving license. Thank you. Show me insurance. Thank you. Show me grand mother's birth certificate. You don't have, this is offence. And you were driving 1km too fast. Please come out, settle your bill. 5000 Kwacha - imagine that to pay 5000 Kwacha you need a total of 10 of the biggest available banknotes - to settle an equivalent of USD 7. You politely explain that you do not have that amount of money and show him one of these 500 Kwacha notes. This ethnic guy grasps it immediately and even he thanks for it. You really feel good, you did some good, you contributed significantly to another guys survival." This is the kind of sarcastic view that typifies self-driver's ideas of travel in Africa.

Our experience was that the road from Lusaka to Ndola had many more checkpoints than we'd come across previously, mostly to check our insurance. Obviously people must try to chance this option when coming through the border and we look like likely candidates. We got stopped and our road tax inspected. This says our port of entry was Kazangula and exit via Chipatta. Why are we therefore on the road to Ndola? This is a contravention. I waited and was friendly but refused to accept fault and after about 30min was allowed to go. Lucky I suppose but dropping the line "visiting churches in the Copperbelt" can often be helpful, how dare you defy the armies of the Living God?!

We met Rogers at the Pick n Pay in Ndola and went through to his house in the township before going to Kafakumba Training Centre on the road to Kitwe. There John Enright had allowed us to stay in one of the houses the American's use when they come over and they were there en mass (and amusingly as always!) for the annual Methodist training they do at Kafakumba for church leaders in Zambia, Tanzania etc.

Arriving at Rogers' house in the township we were swamped with the usual pack of mzungu cheering children. They had been told we were bringing sweets for them and started immediately calling for the sweets which we gave to Rogers and his wife Catherine. Inside their house we chatted with Mulela, another church leader for an hour or two before heading to Kafakumba for the night.