At the beginning of our second week in Zambia, we set out for Livingstone with Heather and Andy and their two children, Zeke (aka Crusty) and Ellen.  For weeks prior to traveling we had been struggling to figure out our plan for trekking the 500 or so kilometers from Lusaka to the former capital.  The night before our trip, we were invited to Heather’s Uncle Mkongo’s house for a cookout.  His house was located just south of Katrina and John’s in a compound near the Tuesday Market.  In fact, Mkongo worked as an accountant for the market after retiring from the Ministry of Finance several years ago.  Uncles, including Mkongo, Henry and Joe, and Aunties, including Alice, Ida, Beatrice, Elizabeth, and Lovness, along with scores of cousins, were all there.  The spread was bountiful–with a variety of salads, spicey greens, grilled chicken and perfect nshima better than any church dinner roll.  The Mosi flowed freely and soon there was dancing and ululation lessons for the mzungu women.  I have included several pictures from the event here.  So–back to our transporation dilemma.  After some negotiation (and purchase of new tires) Mkongo agreed to allow us to use his minivan for the trip.  We would later come to find out that it was actually the property of and, therefore, the good graces and permission of Alice, his wife, that allowed us to use the car.  Once this fact became public knowledge, the car was dubbed “Alice” and “she” became our matron saint for the trip.

Our odyssey to Livingstone actually became just that.  We left about 12:30PM and arrived in Livingstone at about 8:30P.  Along the way, we passed through Kafue, Mazabuka (the sugar capital), Monze, Choma and Kalomo.  The road between Kafue and Monze put Alice through her paces—with truck size potholes and a variety of hazards, including carts, bikes, oxen, and overloaded semis.  I bought phone minutes from a woman in Mazabuka who ran a thrift store.  As we listened to a looped recording of her voice advertising winter clothing, she told me about her four children–two engineers, a biochemist and a high school senior deciding between medicine and computer science.  Along the way we learned about Andy and Heather’s meeting on the road to Livingstone.  (In 2003 (?), he had missed a plane for Zimbabwe and was forced to use his last kwacha to buy a bus ticket for Livingstone.  He took the last seat on the bus next to a beautiful, but lonely looking young woman.  They struck up a conversation and he discovered that she was a journalist in Livingstone.  When she found out he didn’t have any cash, she bought him lunch at Tooter’s bus stop in Monze (in the 5 minutes they were given to get off, get lunch and get back on the bus–we ate there on the way back to comemorate their first date).  After getting to Livingstone, she helped him find a room for the night and then he sought her out first thing the next day to get her number before setting off for Zimbabwe.  The rest, of course, is history.)  In any case, Alice finally pulled in to Chapa Classic Lodge late on Monday night.  This was our home base for the next 4 days.  Over that time, we explored Livingstone, Victoria Falls and the Zambezi up and down river.  The Falls were truly awe inspiring. We took a wonderful sunset cruise above the falls and a couple days later did some whitewater rafting downriver.  A highlight was taking high tea at the magnificent Royal Livingston.  After putting on airs for some outrageous desserts, we roamed the grounds and had close encounters with a breeding heard of impala (with a particularly aggressive female) and a pack of indifferent zebras.  I have included pictures of the many, many great things we did and saw in Livingstone and surrounds in the attached gallery.  Enjoy!