Zambia roadtrip: mud, elephants by the tent, and endless hospitality

Our Zambia roadtrip brings us back to Donkey, right in the middle of the rainy season — with mud, elephants outside the tent, and more help from strangers than we ever expected.

Zambia roadtrip: back with Donkey in Lusaka

After another smooth flight we land in Lusaka. It’s such a relief flying with only hand luggage. 20 minutes after landing we’re already in the car heading for Donkey. We duck into Shoprite for dinner and breakfast supplies, then drive on to the storage yard. Moments later we’re standing next to Donkey again. What a feeling, seeing Donkey again!!! Raimundo turns the key and, without any trouble, he fires right up  welcoming us back with a cloud of black smoke.

Link naar car storage Lusaka

We unpack our things, reconnect the battery, and make a cup of tea. Meanwhile we video call with Fred and Henny. Everything’s fine. That evening we eat our Shoprite dinner, brush our teeth, and go to bed early. After almost 12 hours of sleep we feel rested again, and we’re back on the road.

Back in Lusaka and on the move again

We book an appointment at Mudpackers for some canopy reinforcement, then drive to Dylan’s place, where we also stayed over New Year’s. Charlie and the dogs greet us enthusiastically again. Dylan tells us his power is out, so no hot water for showers or the washing machine. We take our laundry to the laundromat instead. It’s remarkable how prices can suddenly halve after a bit of chatting.  Back at Dylan’s place we heat water and shower with our own shower. Wonderfully simple. That evening Dylan joins us and we catch up. 

After two days we drive on to Mudpackers. The reinforcement was supposed to take 2 hours. But we’ve been in Africa long enough by now to know it would probably take longer. And it does  almost the whole day. We wait it out in the café next to the garage. By the end of the day we drive on, and just after dark we find our spot to camp for the night.

Farm stay, Chipata, and the real Zambia

We camp on a farm where there’s really only one spot  but an older French couple with car trouble is already there. They’ve spent years traveling through South America, and we trade stories and tips. In the morning we get fresh eggs from the owner. Small things that make life on the road so good.

We drive on through Chipata, deeper into the country. At a fuel stop, women with baskets full of vegetables and fruit try to sell us everything. When we say we don’t need anything, they ask for money instead. When we tell them that actually, we need money from them to keep traveling, they look confused and bewildered and walk off.

Along the way we help an ox cart with a flat tyre. With our compressor it’s pumped back up in no time, and the man drives off with a big smile.

Wild camping, help, and the road north

We wild camp near a village, which means we’re woken at 6:00 am by a man speaking to us in his own language. Eventually he comes back with a group of people, one of whom speaks English. They want to know if we’re okay and whether we need any help. As soon as we say everything’s fine, they leave again. By then we’re wide awake anyway, so we decide to get moving too.

Further along we help a woman who’s fallen off her bike and needs to retie her bag of maize meal. Small moments that become so normal on the road  but are actually pretty remarkable.

South Luangwa – elephants by the tent

At Wildlife Camp, just outside South Luangwa National Park, we feel at home right away. In the morning we watch elephants wander past from inside the tent; at night hyenas and lions move through camp.

We stay longer than planned, soaking up life in the wild.

We buy vegetables and fruit from Thomas  all of it straight from his own garden. Otherwise we’re back to eating local: nshima, rice, vegetables, and meat. Simple, and good.

Toward North Luangwa – mud, help, and getting stuck

We try to push on toward North Luangwa, but the rainy season makes everything uncertain. Rivers, mud, and bad roads set the pace  and the route.

Along the way we hit a steep riverbank. Locals appear to help within moments. It’s still incredible how helpful people are here. A little further on, we grab our own toolbox to help a motorbike rider sort out a chain problem. We’re glad to give something back for once.

Then it goes wrong. Raimundo drives into a deep hole and we’re stuck fast  one wheel off the ground, the truck sitting at an angle, rear bumper on the dirt.

Digging out gets us nowhere. Eventually help arrives from the village, and a solution is found for a small fee. Miranda hesitates, but we don’t really have a choice. With jacks, stones, and a lot of pushing, Donkey comes loose again. We spend the night in the yard of a house. To our surprise, the woman who lives there hands us a big bowl of rice  cooked especially for us. That moment gets to us. That evening Raimundo teaches the kids to count in English, while Miranda shows them videos of elephants and lions. For a little while, we live in their world with them.

A tree in the road, the river too high: we turn back

The next morning we wake up with kids gathered around the truck. We say our goodbyes and drive on.

A tree blocks the road. With tow straps and a recovery strap, Donkey pulls it aside without any trouble, and we continue on.

Further along, a river stops us. Too deep, too risky  two vehicles have already gotten stuck here before us. We decide to turn around. North Luangwa will have to wait for another time.

Luanzi, Chipata, and a fix for everything

We pass through Luanzi, where we eat nshima with goat for €1 a plate. Along the way, it’s the kindness of people that keeps standing out.

In Chipata we stay a few days at a campsite. With too little sun, Donkey needs to plug into the grid. With some creative work from Edwin  wires, a plastic bag as insulation  we simply have power again. We wander through town, do the laundry, and slowly get ready for Mozambique.

Zambia, we’ll be back

And then our time in Zambia is up, and we’re standing at the border with Mozambique. What a country. What people. So friendly, so relaxed, so ready to help. We look at each other and know for sure: this isn’t the last time in Zambia. We’ll be back.