A Letter from Lusaka
270 days have now passed since our arrival in Zambia and we are considering citizenship!
COVID 19 has placed a giant sized spanner in our overlanding works, but as recently reminded to us by a German gentleman, “If you go on an adventure, then you had better expect an adventure!” Very true.
We continue to reside at Dylan’s farm, with the occasional trip out, whilst waiting for news on the opening of African land borders. Our planned route remains unchanged: Zambia -> Tanzania -> Rwanda -> Uganda -> Kenya -> Tanzania -> Malawi -> Mozambique -> Zimbabwe -> Botswana -> South Africa. The way things are looking, we may ‘suffer’ a one year delay. Our visitor permits allow to stay in Zambia until January.
Life on the farm has its good and bad days. We have come to like the farm cats and dogs and, unfortunately, one of our favourites, ‘Sausage Dog’ was bitten by a puff adder in the garden and died shortly afterwards. A very sad day and a stark reminder that Africa is not to be messed with.
Big Bertha’s Carnet (Carnet de Passages en Douane), a sort of vehicle passport, expired in August, but the Zambia Ports authority very kindly extended it 3 months until end November. We will buy another for our onward journey and hopefully the Ports Authority will stamp out from the old one and stamp into the new one, keeping BB legal.
Our medical insurance expires in October and the renewal premium remains reasonable, however COVID 19 cover will be excluded for countries listed by the UK FCO as ‘only essential travel’ (which includes 99% of Africa).
Our Zambian in-country tour has been stifled by a front wheel hub oil leak, but this is now being resolved and we hope to spend September touring the north before the real heat sets in.
Lusaka is starting to feel like home. We know our way around the city, we know where we can buy stuff, Dave knows his way around the car/tool shops and we have a great social life.
We will keep you posted…. Until then we both hope our readers are well and keeping safe.
David and Francine
The farm animals
Puff adder – lethal
Farm life
Thank Dave, always nice to read your updates.
Stay safe and health,
Dago
Thanks Dago!
Good to hear from you and to know all is still well with you both. Turning in to quite a saga and not one that you had arranged.
Stay well and safe. Shame about the Sausage Dog.
Hi Fred, Yes Dylan is devastated.
Sounds like the ideal place to be ‘stuck’, apart from the snake incident of course!
poor little dog.
I hope all the ‘legal’ bits and pieces work out ok.
Stay safe, I hope you can get moving soon, fingers crossed.
Lots of love pauline & John xx
Hi Pauline and John, hope you are well. Yes the snake incident rattled us (no pun intended).
Well it certainly beats being stuck in the UK since March. Hope your trip can continue sometime and you can sort out the interminable paper work ! Good luck.
Hi Adrian, the paperwork is proving to be quite straight forward. We are pleased we did not run for the UK.
African adventures will be imprinted in your memory for ever!
Enjoy, it wont happen again!
Regards and keep safe!
Stuart
PS. HSR still to get a spade in the ground!
Come on Stuart…sort the HSR out!!