Trip to Lake Tanganyika

From Great North Road

Trip to Lake Tanganyika

This morning, just shortly after 3 am, I arrived back in Lusaka from Isanga Bay on Lake Tanganyika, where I have just spent the last ten days together with Jim Smith; his father, Dick; and Jim's three children (how did Jim manage to have such wonderful children - I think the credit can only go to his wife, Sylvia).

I cannot put into words how lovely Isanga Bay is- you need to visit it to appreciate it - clear, blue waters; white beaches with palm trees blowing in the breeze; orange sunsets over the water (especially for Arthur); skiing and knee-boarding (not me); falling out of the boat (me); goggling amongst the rocks; Dick telling me about his days on the Mines in Kitwe in the early 50's; palm nut vultures; paradise flycatchers; brown house snakes; blind worms, jellyfish; African oranges served with what was supposed to be a caramel sauce (yes, my caramel sauce failed, but since I haven't made one for the last twenty five years, you can't blame me; the silence of the Zambian night ... I could go on forever.

And then of course there was the trip back conducted in true Zambian fashion - fixing punctures on the side of the road; police officers without enough to do when you arrive at Mpika on Sunday afternoon or when you arrive at Kapiri at midnight, almost falling out of the vehicle (I have to admit to these things because I know that Jim is going to tell you if I don't - he's already told half of Lusaka); the trip from Shiwa to Lusaka taking seventeen hours.

But no time today to sort out all the photos. Plus I still have photos for you from the trip I did to Luapula province and some of the waterfalls in August.

Chimpembe Rapids
On the Kalungwishi River. And just so that you know this too - I fell into these as well (yes, I always manage, somehow, to fall in or out of things) except that this one was one of my more spectacular falls - I was carrying two cameras so ended up with both legs and both arms in the air. And everyone (including myself) was only concerned about saving the cameras (which we did) - as my head disappeared under the water for the fourth time, somebody relieved me of my cameras and someone else pushed my legs down. And thankfully no one was quick enough to get their camera out.