During our 2007 trip to South Africa we stayed with Nadxi and Jerry at Shoestring Airport Lodge Backpackers and we stayed there again this time. Was so great to see Rob, the owner, waiting for us after 25 hours of transit! Great to see his wife and daughter as well. He offers free aiport transfers, and he took us back again on Saturday for our flight to Lusaka, Zambia.
Lots of great birdwatching at Shoestrings, even though at the end of the street you can see the aircraft parked at the airport. For a fee, they will arrange transfer to the Johannesburg bus and train stations, which are great distance away.
The flight to Lusaka was delayed due to the Airforce needed the airspace to flyover the Presidential inaguration activities. When we got underway it was quite interesting because a group of Zambian traditional leader were on their back from a cultural exchange with China! They were colorfully dressed and interesting to talk to. Julian, son of a chief, has gone in his father's place and told me of plans they were making to establish an eco tourism project in their tribal area of Zambia.
When we arrived in Lusaka airport there were singers and a film crew to greet the chiefs! Fun.
We changed money at Barclay's office just before exiting the airport. Chachacha Backpackers do not have free airport transfers, but they do have a "meet and greet" service that takes some of the stress out of arriving in a new county. You know, the kind were they hold up a sign with your name on it? Cost was $30 US or the equivalent of $26 if you paid in Kwatcha. We may or may not have been able to get it cheaper, and we were glad we did it this way.
The taxi driver they hired was quite familiar with Chachacha's location. We were shown the area to set up our tent, did so, and checked to see if they were serving any food. No, in fact the day before Lusaka had been hit by a freak windstorm and the electricity was still off. Came back on later in time for us to get a shower. No food though, so Laura scrounged us up some snacks.
Met lots of interesting travelers in our two nights here, walked to the very modern Manda Hill Mall and at the Game department store purchased the propane canisters for our camping stove. (We discovered later that we should have been more careful and tried to fit our stove to the cannister while in the store. They did not work for us, and not cooking our own food could be a budget buster.) At the Shoprite grocery store we bought some food supplies to take along with us on the next leg of our trip to South Luangwa National Park. Our bags are even heavier now.
We walked downtown and tried for the Post Bus but it was fully booked. On the way to the bus station a man tried to pickpocket Laura's waste bag but it was empty.
The touts at the busy bus station were a little annoying but we found the company office, Jordan, that had been suggested by Violet of the staff at Chachacha.
A white man we think may be the owner of ChaChaCha called up a Dean's Hillside Camp for us in Chipata and verified that they allowed tent camping, and gave us tips on how to get there. (On previous trip we learned that not all "Camps" allow independent traveler tent camping.)
We have to get up in the middle of the night tonight and have been told there will be a taxi just outside the gate ready to take us to the bus! Adventure travel.... of the budget variety. Stand by for news of how this works out!
We could fly to Mfuwe, but the cost would be as 5 to 10 times as much as the bus. So off we go.... Come with us!
We are posting this from Kilimanjaro's, a very upscale combo cafe/gift shop/ internet place with safari theme in the Manda Hill Mall with wi fi at reasonable rates, but very slow. We learned from Tom that the internet cafe in Arcades Mall was much faster.
===============================================================
For more pictures of Joburg Airport, Lusaka shopping,and ChaChaCha Backpackers, visit here: http://www.traveljournals.net/stories/29280.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
