When was the last time you truly enjoyed a hot shower? When was the last time you felt grateful for toilet paper in the bathroom? When was the last time you literally drooled over a food menu because you felt spoilt with choice?
On Tour d’Afrique, we’ve learnt to stop taking things for granted. When I arrived at our camp in Lusaka, even though my expectations for a hotel campsite in a capital city called for some minimum standards of civilization, I showered in ice-cold water and had to go back to my tent to fetch toilet paper. Did it bother me?—Not majorly, it was just another day. Always look on the bright side—e.g. the grass was cut short (a real luxury when camping that’s been more the exception than the norm over the past weeks).
There was no food at our hotel, so most of us took a taxi to a mall. Lusaka doesn’t have much to offer in terms of touristic highlights, but hosts a surprising selection of modern Western-style shopping malls complete with great restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlours and the like.
I shared a taxi with Anmei, Bridgette and Phil to the so-called Manda Hill Mall. Mugg & Bean—a top-rated coffee shop cum restaurant—was located there, our google research had told us. Our priorities were aligned: coffee and food. When I opened the menu, I felt like in heaven: salads, burgers, steak, dozens of coffee and smoothie varieties, …. whatever I might possibly have wanted, they had it all.
Living in a modern city where these kinds of eateries and restaurants are available 24/7, going to Mugg & Bean might feel like an everyday affair. To us, it felt truly special, so much so that we went back there for dinner less than three hours later!
Stage 59: Jehovah School Camp – Lusaka (Zambia), 104km
Road & traffic condition:
Rougher tar with more potholes, but still good. Surprisingly calm traffic cycling into Lusaka.
Weather:
Pleasant. Heavy rain showers again in the afternoon, but by now we’re so used to occasional rain that it doesn’t bother us much anymore.
Culinary highlights:
Western-style food to our heart’s desire. I absolutely loved my massive Cobb Salad at Mugg & Bean, accompanied by a nice glass of Chardonnay 🙂
Group highlights:
Rest day tomorrow.
Personal highlights:
Very relaxing afternoon—late lunch at Mugg & Bean, followed by 2 hour (!) pedicure (the best pedicure treatment I’ve ever head, including lots of massage pampering—for less than 20 USD), and then we met up for dinner again at Mugg & Bean.
Hallo Baby,
Have been enjoying your travel journal since my last reply – with a lot of chuckling this side. Describing lots of meaningful insights, too!
I love the photos speaking thousands of words – some beautiful skies and cloud formation.
Ja, African society is very vocal – loud. Something of a far cry from somewhat sedate northern and central European cultures. West meets Africa. Those “young men” you’ve met have, no doubt, realised that “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” and would probably love to engage in some Dirty Dancing and then take you home to Mama. You’d be any Mother-in-law’s dream – a strong, healthy young Intombazane. Somebody who can help with the carrying, cooking and cleaning – AND an added bonus with that Bicycle – could even fetch the kids from school – at LEAST one on the handle bar and one hanging off the back wheel. You’d fetch a hefty Lobola – and make your parents back home very wealthy indeed! And proud!
So, you see, you ARE “addictive” – even the nunus (insects) love you! By the way a low-dosage cortisone cream would help with the itchy-bites.
Scary-scarry legs which may look like subjects of a chicken pox outbreak ; a swollen eye parading as tho’ you’ve done a few rounds with Mike Tyson – all these – just battle scars of a Go-Getting Girl leading an Active and Full life braving her path thru the Great African continent.
As you’ve now reached southern Africa I’m starting to feel pangs of nostalgia as certain names and places are becoming more familiar to me.
Great “Alex means business” idea and conclusion you reach. Sounds like it would open up many interesting opportunities!
Looking forward to the next episode.
Happy pedalling!
xxx
Thanks you!
Reading your long comments always makes me smile. As said before, I think you should seriously consider writing a book or blog yourself. It would be a great read for sure. Thx xx