From the road.... and
Just another day fixing the chain on the hill...
the capital of Zambia seems treacherous, not very interesting - traffic is crazy...
We made it through Lusaka on the way out until the cars and especially the trucks became fewer and far between. The sky grey the wind head on: cooling us a little. Temperatures have been kind, but humidity is an issue.
...and then I got bored on the road - can’t say it any other way, just feeling bored and wanting to be somewhere, relaxed and reading my book. (Which is Dervla Murphy’s “The Ukimwi Road” (cycling from Kenya to Zimbabwe) A journey she did when she was 60 (like I!!) years old in 1992)
Our road north presented with gentle ups and downs, checking for traffic in my mirror, chasing one thought or the other...I couldn’t care less. Pedaling and yawning, pedaling and yawning. The landscape...oh well....
I made myself a little excited thinking really hard that I am in freaking AFRICA! The place I dreamed of riding my bike. ...but even that only lasted a few minutes until I needed to yawn again and find a reason to stop and sigh...eat some nuts, drink a sip.
Pedaling too slow, because when you are bored you move in slow motion. James asked me what’s going on and I told him- there is no cure...just have to bore it out.
Next day wasn’t much different, but we -undeniably- are chipping away at the distance to Chipata one km at a time.
“How are you?” How are you - how are you - how are you?”
The locals and especially the kids scream at us constantly: “How are you?” And when we tell them “fine, good” they keep asking the same question...not sure if that is the extend of their English vocabulary....or what is the story? ”...fine...how are you” I haven’t even asked the question.
One highlight was when some schoolchildren chased us - I slowed down to take this little clip:
And then I watched a bus speeding down the middle of the road honking at us, but also at the children. There are goats, baby goats and cows, calves grazing, sometimes crossing the road. These drivers use their horn instead of their brakes! There is no slowing down, even when children are present and there are LOTS every day. They walk and walk and walk and run...few are on bicycles or get a ride on their relatives/friends bicycles. They walk an hour or two to school and then home again!
My thoughts drift to my home country of Marin County, CA where we have guards and flashing lights and visibility wests/gear to make sure the kids are safe.
Sometimes I see a little one (probably 6 or 7 years old) walking all by herself along the highway and I can’t figure out were she is going.....she was looking at us with big dark eyes...more scared of us then of the no-brakes-honking trucks and busses. Strange world....
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