Onwards to NdolaShiwa Ngandu, Pink house, Colonial relic?
Got up and headed for an ATM, big mistake, pay day for all government employees, Monday and machines out of cash after weekend and van needs to drive with armed security to top the up. 28 people in the queue and an hour later limited to 20 notes. 1 Kwacha equal to about 15p machine only does 50s, not very rich today.
Owner of guesthouse still willing to drive me 80k there and 80k back plus time to visit. Actually got back at 6pm. Great trip, got some piccys and saw the view. Arrived and spent an hour in the shade watching wildlife around a lake, (amazing, animals drink when it is hot). I think it is going to take something special to impress me animal wise. Paid to visit the house and really can not decide how I feel, Gore Brown tried to build UK in Africa 120 years ago. Some noisy terriers and ridgebacks which all turned out to be harmless. Fact it is still working. A massive estate employing people who live on the land. There are all sorts of things laying about, train boilers, a whole traction engine and all sorts of bits that are out of character. The house is a cross between a British stately home and a hunting lodge, has been run down but on the ay up. They do trophy shooting but as the man said they would kill the animals for meat anyway so charge a lot of money and sell the horns as a trophy.
Highlight of the day was I asked for local fish for dinner, so we drove down to the lake, cross country and bought the fishermans whole catch on the shore. Drove them back to the guesthouse and just poured them into the freezer. Am really looking forward to dinner tonight when done.
Dinner was excellent Roasted then grilled fish with chilli dressing and rice. Personally cooked by the owner/director of the Kennan Guesthouse, Martha.
After a bad night sleep, mosquitoes and heat got up at seven and had my omlette, said goodbye and headed off.
Once again no petrol stations but when I found one 330 km later filled up. Roads are tarmac and straight, the occassional bend. When I stopped for petrol had to put my foot down and paddle round the corner, could not get the bike to turn. Funny because I managed the left into the petrol station and the uturn round the pump. Did another 100Km and was really fed up, stopped at a police check point and he said Forest Inn was a few km away so looked out for it. Only 12-00 ish when I flew past, uturn and back to it. Booked in to camp for 2 nights and sleep. Figured I could sleep in the tent as it is just a mosquito net with a cover. Melted Wednesday away until about 4 when it all went quiet and darkened, thunder, lightening and rained all night, got up Thursday morning at 6 and rain stopped by 7 so packed up and hit the road. half hour down road stopped and donned waterproofs and deluge hit for next 200 km, saw little but spray and bad accidents with overturned lorries, head ons and vehicles going off road??????
Road works and diversions. They want to repair a road so they carve a dirt track around the place and we head off through the mud and puddles, decidedd to follo a lorry and stay in its tracks until it went up to its axles so waved a car past me and followed then saw a path on other side so took that as it was at least above water until the tarmac, then a 6 inch bump up to the tarmac and round the car and lorry onto the road.
Got to Ndola, across the tiny Dambo, sure it used to be much bigger, on up to the roundabout, straight over, first tarmac road on the right, Kabelenga Road, straight down the hill I used to speed down on the old push bike to the bottom and turn right, the Coppersmith Arms.Still there But now called the Royal Hotel with 153 rooms all on the ground floor. Bit different and lots of people who want to keep me company tonight. Interesting I must say. Must have left Ndola in about 1968 and still the same.