Day 20 - 19th November - Chipata (formerly Fort Jameson)
Point of departure : Lusaka
Point of arrival : Chipata
Accommodation: the rooftop tent - Mama Rula's ([email protected])
Km travelled today: 561 km Cum: 5 342 km (gravel 0km cum 1 323km)
Countries so far: 3/16
Where to next? Into Malawi
Total number of photos taken: 27 (cum 907)

After catching up with internet, a few camp chores and Sky news for the first time in 3 weeks, we hit the Great East Road for Chipata.

The road north east is very much a rural environment. We passed through village after village, avoiding goats, pigs, pedestrians and the ubiquitous bicycles.

Even this morning we have seen bicycles transporting: 3 goats (on one bike), a door, chickens, charcoal bags, sawn timber, rough logs/poles, people ( a family of 5 on a bike - child on handlebars, dad steering with baby strapped to his back and mom behind him with another baby strapped to her back), drums with water, corrugated roof sheeting and even a mattress. The best was a bicycle in a boot with a smoked pig on top of it tied with a rope.

Another little local custom - when the vehicle breaks down and there are no red triangles available - they lay out small branches on the lead to the vehicle on both sides.

The wrecks on the road to Chipata bear testimony to the sharpness of the curves or the quality of driving. The road to Chipata itself is much approved from 2007, parts relaid, parts repaired, and although the tar is very rough in places there were no crater holes to disappear down or rip off the suspension.

The low point of the trip was at the Luangwa River Bridge about 200km from Lusaka… 388m asl - the lowest we have been since leaving Swakopmund and driving up onto the continental plateau. Most of the way through Namibia and the early part of Zambia we were between 900m and 1300m asl. After Luangwa, the high point was just over 1100m and at Chipata it was 1060m.

We arrived in Chipata at about 4.15pm and drove straight through to Mama Rula's camp site (one of our favourites having stayed there previously) with its all familiar South African provincial rugby memorabilia and atmosphere - Blue Bulls, Sharks, Lions etc.

We have today passed the 5 000km mark - approximately one sixth of the trip.

Chipata (formerly Fort Jameson) was an important trading post in the early 1900's. Now it's a bustling little town and is the gateway to Malawi and the Luangwa Valley.