Lusaka

I'm not really here for any reason other than necessity. There's no reason why you would visit Lusaka, it's a very dirty and dusty city purely serving and industrial and bureaucratic purpose. As it happens I need to stay here until Friday when my train leaves for Dar Es Salaam and before that to get my visa and train tickets. A necessity of travelling sometimes that you can't always be on the go.

I trek out to the Tanzania embassy and on the way back pass the British High Commission and wonder about recommending they invite all British travellers in for cream tea and scones, that would be a nice touch. It's into town next and stop by the shops and a wimpy to get another fantastic milkshake (becoming a regular occurrence).

People forever try to sell you things, the hawkers who wander the lines of traffic and try to sell to drivers are particularly optimistic. Papers and even steering wheel covers seem vaguely relevant and appropriate perhaps but Ive seen people selling monopoly sets and space hoppers. The day I see people bouncing on inflatable objects or collecting £200 to pass go and move on to Old Kent Road whilst driving will be the day I admit I'm wrong. Although maybe it isn't so outrageous given what actually goes on on the roads. I wonder if that monopoly set is a special Zambia edition where you move from mud road to sandy road and pass through non-operating stations, pot holes and get pick pocketed every time you pass go.

Getting my train ticket to Dar is a typically disorganised affair, after asking around I find myself in a stuffy office on the 2nd floor of a mostly disused building ironically guarded by a lazy G4S chap appearing extremely unthreatening but at least he showed up. The ticket lady in the office takes a while deliberating before eventually looking in her diary saying she might not have any 1st class tickets left but they might do in Kapiri Moshi when you go there tomorrow. She then admonishes me as to why I didn't come there earlier, I explain I'd only just arrive in Lusaka and you don't sell tickets anywhere else which gets an "oh really!?!" Look. She concedes she has some second class tickets which is also a sleeper compartment and I may well be able to upgrade when I get to Kapiri tomorrow, I buy this happy that at least ill be on the train.

The next conundrum is how to pay for my Kili trek. The company doesn't take card payment and you can't buy US dollars with your card, only cash (I.e you need to withdraw local currency and exchange that). It seems random luck as to which banks let you use your UK card, some let you draw a decent chunk of cash, others a little and some not at all. The great vagarities of this continent. I finally get enough currency to buy $400 which combined with the deposit sent via PayPal leaves me another $900 to get when I'm in Dar plus some for tips.

Tomorrow my bus leaves at 6am, too early really but the other option was 10am which would be cutting mighty fine to catch the train. We should arrive in Dar approx 3.30pm on Sunday which would be ace but I suspect it'll be late and get in sometime at night. May have to just crash at Dar station or find somewhere and go to the beach side camp I'm staying at on Monday. Also want to pick up the East African lonely planet at some stage. Lots to do when I get there combined with lots of relaxing on an Indian Ocean beach. Ciao P.S I should add; in my hostel in Lusaka I met Rick, an English guy from London who is midway through riding his motorbike from London to Cape Town. Hes already ridden around the world on a previous trip and has about a month left on this one. It was fantastic chatting to him for ideas as its exactly the sort of journey I'd like to do in Charlie the Landrover. He had been in Lusaka for a few days waiting for his girlfriend to fly out and meet him before moving on. He was also a pretty good image of Ewan Mcgregor with a November Moustache (a better one than me I might add). Good luck to him and maybe our paths will cross again some day.