We paid a little extra and were able to keep our room in Lilongwe until after dinner. We spent the day reading and changing kwacha into dollars for onward visas, a much more tedious a task than you can imagine. The Lilongwe airport was dark and deserted when we arrived around 8 PM. A few passengers arrived, then a Kenya Airways ticket agent and finally the immigration guys. The plane actually left ten minutes early and we arrived in Lusaka at one in the morning.
Joey had arranged for a room in Lusaka – well not actually in Lusaka but 20 km from the center. But they were kind enough to pick us up at the airport. The Kilimanjaro Lodge is first-class with beautiful rooms, actual wi-fi, a full schedule of satellite programs, and a price to match. Being far from town could have been a problem but Aston, a Brit with business interests in Zambia, scored a ride into town and invited us along. We met his business partner, Richard, and visited their motorbike shop and gun store. We will probably stay at their lodge in Livingstone, too.
Parts of Lusaka have a very South African feel – paved streets, well-dressed people, and malls with all the familiar stores. Our goal was to arrange to visit one or two of the national parks. After several starts and stops and a change or two of minds, we booked three nights in Kafue National Park at Kiambe Lodge, 200 or so kilometers from Lusaka. Once again it is more than we are comfortable spending but it’s a bargain compared with some of the options. We also negotiated a good (comparatively) deal with Winston for round trip transportation. He drove us back to Kilimanjaro and will pick us up in the morning.
