Author Topic: Africa Raw Paws (Read 8613 times)

Hubs640 · « **Reply #140 on:** February 21, 2013, 05:50:58 pm »

Day 24 - Mkushi to Kasanka National Park [ 240km , 80% tar]

Our plan was to head north ,stick close to the DRC border and see the lakes along the way. Roadkills side stand finally broke [he bent it on the 2nd day of the trip] and had to go find a welder while I waited for him at the garage - that took 2 hours and we only left after 1pm. Immediately we got heavy showers wet through up to my underpants it was actually cold on the bike....in Africa!It is so dangerous to ride in heavy rain even on tar - when a truck brakes down ,they through broken off branches in the road to warn you of what is further ahead...not the most genius way,but it works. We stopped along side the road to buy the biggest mushroom I have ever seen to cook for supper that night. At Serenje we had to wait for petrol [the truck was filling up the station] and got some supplies to go with the mushrooms while we waited. Then we got to Kasanka park - the biggest congregation of fruit bats in the world is sighted here only on certain times of the year and only if you are lucky. We were not....we were however aloud in with the bikes only to be turned around at the main camp to go camp at the gate again....12km to the camp and 12km back again in which time we missed the bats!It was dark already when we got to camp and experience THE most bugs I have ever seen/felt/tasted! Roadkill outdone himself with the mushrooms and just in time before the rain started again.

Hubs640 · « **Reply #141 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:05:35 pm »

Check the size of those mushrooms! And the coulds in the background....we were running away from them

Hubs640 · « **Reply #142 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:07:21 pm »

This is the lake at Kasanka park where the bats come through at sundown....apparently so many that they block out the sun

Hubs640 · « **Reply #143 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:08:24 pm »

Mushrooms,garlic and onion....enough for 2 people for 2 meals!

aka.Goliath · « **Reply #144 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:13:26 pm »

You guys still OK after those shrooms.

Hubs640 · « **Reply #145 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:22:27 pm »

Day 25 - Kasanka to Samfya [ 260km , 70% tar]

We waited for things to dry out a bit and had some more mushrooms for breakfast. The worst of wet gear must be putting your boots back on again-the camp cost us $10 and we got a hot shower for that - I shared mine with a lost bat and Roadkill got a spider sharing his...ha ha.Just a bit further down the road we got to the turnoff to Livingstone Memorial which took us on a 35km dirt road leading through some more modern villages built with bricks. Dr. David Livingstone , 1813-1873 ,died here of malaria [or a wound he got fighting a lion day's before he died] afterwhich his 2 companions cut his heart out,planted it under a tree and carried his body 1500km to Tanzania coast from where he was shipped to England....what a legend. We were shown pictures of the hut that was built for him to die in...strangely nothing has changed in 150 years.
The road further north is strait and boring - almost saw my ass when I deliberately rode into a flock of diving falcons to see how close I could get.After another rain cloud we came to Samfya next to Lake Bangweulu-stunning lake with white beach sand.We were told lake fishing is banned,yet we could buy some at the camp...wonder how mush longer there will be fish left in the lake. That night another storm passed over just while we were eating which turned our fish braai into fish soup. We found shelter in a half built building,but quickly returned to our tents when we saw the size spiders that were hiding there.

Hubs640 · « **Reply #146 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:26:27 pm »

Camp at Kasanka

Hubs640 · « **Reply #147 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:27:11 pm »

Livingstone Memorial

Hubs640 · « **Reply #148 on:** February 21, 2013, 06:28:11 pm »

Camp spot at Bangweulu - check the white sand....

Hubs640 · « **Reply #149 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:04:02 pm »

Day 26 - Samfya to Kawambwa [ 280km , 60% mud]

When we woke it was still raining - the half built building created some shelter for us to pack the bikes out the rain. Roadkill came up with this brilliant idea of taping our boots closed to keep it dry,but 10km further the rain stopped.It took 80km of tar road to get to the next town,Mansa,quite big and even have a Shoprite store. I calculated my fuel consumption for the first time - managed 470km on 1 tank at 26km/l...not bad. We fueled up and did 20km of tar to the edge of town till we got to the dirt road - bad at first with big potholes,but opened up gradually as we went over the mountain and started to become fun again....the mud was a huge challenge at first,but soon got comfortable and could manage to keep up with Roadkill-he had a close call with a goat that came out the bush and I nearly hit a little girl that came from nowhere...at that speed and muddy terrain its difficult to swerve out,so needless to say we calmed down a bit. I also accidentally popped a wheelie going over a bridge too fast only too hit anchors for a stupid goat crossing the road. In Kawambwa we got fuel and Roadkill felt like a steak,but could only manage a piece of cow...no cut,just a lump of meat,nothing wrong with that.We discovered a waterfall [Ntumbachushi] just out side town - it looked deserted,so we decided to camp there....was very nice to fall asleep to the thundering noise made by the falls.

Hubs640 · « **Reply #150 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:08:50 pm »

The shelter at lake Bangweulu

Hubs640 · « **Reply #151 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:09:39 pm »

Muddy road leading to Kawambwa

Hubs640 · « **Reply #152 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:10:37 pm »

The butcher in town....very African

Hubs640 · « **Reply #153 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:12:27 pm »

Ntumbachushi falls - the spray that came off there was amazing

Hubs640 · « **Reply #154 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:40:18 pm »

Day 27 - Kawambwa to Nchelenge [100km , 90% gravel]

We woke to a friendly dude[at first] and had a nice chat with him till he pulled a book out and charged us $15 p/p for the camp! I was furious - the was no toilets,no showers,nothing and he wanted to charge us the most expensive rate we have paid thus far! Anyway,we hiked up the falls and had a refreshing bath in the river and missioned back to get going again-we stopped in town for some supplies and hit the road. Immediately out of town the road turned to a dirt track from hell - just as you get going,you hit a ditch or trench or just a big hole in the ground - I was surprised to see that my baby could take those punches! Roadkill eventually got a puncture in the front wheel[with that road it was bound to happen with one of us] which he managed to fix just as it started pouring down. We had a big crowd of youngsters watching and a group of army troops that came by warning us not to go too close to the DRC border. It is also surprising how many people use bicycle's for transport and how few of them can actually ride them. We hid from the rain for a while,but accepted it and got going in it. A while later after much frustration we got to Nchelenge[it was funny becuase it sounded like challenge which is exactly what it was getting there] to Lake Mweru -the border between DRC and Zambia. We settled for a place called Moira with a double room to try and get some clothes dry and had a few beers and chicken and chips to sooth the aches and pains. Our money ran out,but could exchange dollars on the black market...always good to travel with some dollars.

Hubs640 · « **Reply #155 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:44:07 pm »

Our camp site at the falls

Hubs640 · « **Reply #156 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:45:30 pm »

Up stream where we had a bath....nature style

Hubs640 · « **Reply #157 on:** February 22, 2013, 04:46:14 pm »

Puncture time....that is a fake smile if anyone was wondering.

Hubs640 · « **Reply #158 on:** February 23, 2013, 12:17:31 pm »

Day 28 - Nchelenge to Mporokoso [ 280km , 60% mud....heavy mud]

Was difficult to get going - with the constant rain its difficult to keep a positive attitude and a sore body to go with it. Roadkill's puncture rapair looked a bit dodgy and with cash and supplies running out we needed to get to a sizable town and soon. We decided to take the tar road back to Kawambwa and from there aim for Lake Tanganyika for a well deserved day off,but it was still long to go to the lake.The tar road was just as bad,but it was nice to see all the plantations of vegetables alongside the road. From Kawambwa we took another dirt road past Lumangwe Falls[ the second highest in Africa] toward Mporokoso - the road turned into snot mud and again we were fighting to stay up once more. Its impossible to deflate your tyres for better traction because of the hidden rocks and difficult to get momentum because of the huge pools in the road. First Roadkill put his bike down and soon after it was my turn....and a bit later again!By the second off my panniers was so buckle that they would not close properly. After a few hours we got to Mporokoso...not what we were hoping for-one horse town and its got mad-cow disease.We managed to find some black market fuel,but we were short on cash and with no bank or exchange in town we could only manage 8 liter between the 2 of us. This meant we had no money left till the next town which was another +- 100km further.Just out of town it started to pour down again and the road was even worse than before!At 4pm and 35km out of town we had enough for the day-I saw a village in the bush and decided to ask them if we could pitch our tents there for the night.This was no easy task,but eventually they understood and gave us shelter and some malasha to warm our food.The chief stopped in his fancy car with army in to confront us-we were aloud to spend the night as long as we are gone by the morning and not influence the people. That night we shared our last food with the elder of the village while the rest stood staring - it was awkward,but not once did I feel threatened.Roadkill entertained the youngsters with photo's off his phone till the battery died.After supper[which was one tin of pilchards and noodles] I crashed into my tent...what a day!

Hubs640 · « **Reply #159 on:** February 23, 2013, 12:27:45 pm »

Lake Mweru at Nchelenge