En so.... ry ons Zambië toe

[warthog]

The drive to Kapishya was, after the previous day, fairly uneventful. Again, some awesome sights.

Louise found time to give away some more clothes.

Just after turning right on the tar road, Marnus had his first flat tyre - the one I mistakenly referred to earlier. We stopped at Mpika for a quick re-stock of essential supplies…

And arrived at Shiwa Ngamu an hour too late to make the tour of the famous house. Pity…

[warthog]

It looked just the same as 6 years ago, when we stopped over en route to Serengeti.

This time however, we were early, and had some proper time to spend in the hot springs… Lekker!!!

The campsite is really nice, right on the river. Grass, clean ablutions, and space for a lekker proper fire.

And of course, we braai'ed…

[warthog]

We left the next morning around 7. We were driving to the Northern most point of our Zambia trip: Ndole Bay on Lake Tanganyika. Dewald was told by the guy from Ndole Bay that the road, from the turnoff at Mporokoso was 50-60-50, or something like that. First 50 good, next 60 not good, and last 50 better.

Wrong. The first 40 was fair, and the rest of the road to Ndole was just plain shit. No other word. A really, really shit road. Gravel. Poepstof. Serious potholes everywhere. I don’t think Forest ever got out of third, mostly to was 1st-2nd-1st-2nd. I hardly ever made 30km/h before having to brake hard for the next pothole(s). That road rates in the top 5 shittiest roads I’ve ever ridden, including The Escarpment and Van Zyl’s… I’d much rather drive at 10km/h on roads like that than not being able to get over 40 on a seemingly perfectly good gravel road.

[warthog]

But to get to awesome places, you often have to endure very bad roads. This was one of them…

The road was so bad, there is very few pic’s. Everyone just wanted to get there. You pass through a gate into the park, and it gets a little bit better from there, but just a little bit, and just for a little while..

Hannes was about the only one enjoying the scenery… these are just some of his pic's.

[warthog]

And the people were just going about their business.

[warthog]

Sometime on that road Ampie became really concerned about the Landie’s suspension… We were sweep again, and I could just breaking-up hear him worrying over the radio about getting messages on the the Landie’s computer about the suspension…

We decided early on to stretch out because of the dust, so we were a good 15-20 km behind Dewald when Marnus suddenly appeared like a ghost in the dust next to the road. Pap wiel nr 2. We were not quite on F1 level with wheel changes, but we were on the road again on short time.

And then you drive over a crest, and suddenly the lake is in front of you,

[warthog]

I had that deja vù… Serengeti… late afternoon, sharp downhill, Lake Tanganyika, light getting really bad, driving through a village, bad, loose gravel road… Could the angels, Augustine and Celestine be waiting again? This side of the lake?

Nope. (Though "Augustine" would be around much later...) We reached Ndole Bay Lodge just before sunset. Tricky place to drive into with campers/caravans. When Marnus’ and us arrived late at the designated camp site, it was really fair chaos, just about everyone else was stuck in the sand…

The Landie was first in our headlights, blissfully resting on it’s belly in the sand after the arduous journey, with the Kavango behind it in the same position. (When the owner of the place arrived, he gave it one look, and declared: "Leave it. It's not going anywhere... ) Dewald eventually pulled him out, to firm ground, where it remained until we had to leave... Apparently Dewald, Jan and Hannes all got stuck in the loose beach sand at some stage…

It gave Marnus and me ample time to take down tyre pressure to 1.2. When we eeeeeveeentually got the chance to pull in, we just glided into our spaces, no prob’s… Helps if you're on the right pressure...

[warthog]

What an awesome place. Awesome sights, clean sandy secluded beach…Very much like Jacobson’s at Kigoma across the lake.
We camped right on the beach.

There was a real terror of a wind first morning, blew everything not tied down, including Swambo’s hair and the lodge’s water pump right into another realm… It was also time for some repairs...

Hannes couldn't understand why the wheel kept going down, until we took it off... one of there monster potholes on the way...

Our "green" power plant.

But the wind died down later, and the rest of that day and the following were pure bliss…

Some washing was also done.

Fred and some of the boys went fishing, and caught some starters - very, very nice.

[warthog]

We all went out on a sunset cruise, some snorkelled, others had a swim in the lake.
(Note to self: DON’T DO SUNSET CRUISES ON ROUND BOTTOMED BOATS. JUST DON’T. PERIOD)
(I get seasick on the Sarie Marais in Durban harbour…)

Some snorkel'ed - including Gatcha Gooiby...

Most were in the water at some time.

There was again some awesome sights.

[warthog]

Marnus’ and us with Hannes’ drove into Ndole town the next morning. Not much to see, haggled at the market,

had a beer or more

with an awesome view

while Hannes and Julius went in search of good pic’s…

[Mud Dog]

Lekker, Hennie!
Amused by pic 2267 ... the one with the rural hut / shop, whatever, with straw thatch that hadn't even been trimmed but with a solar panel on the roof.

[warthog]

We had some of the now customary “Canadian’s Pulled Pork” one evening

and some awesome Venison Pie from Alta and Chrisna our last evening there.

Same evening Jan went to bed early, only to get up after being warned by Alta, to attempt (in vain) to protect his whisky stash from the hordes…

Just the be fair, it was not all Jan's whisky, he was just concerned about the Nika...

Jan, the honest man that he is, will readily admit that he remembers very little of the “kamp opslaan” the next morning… he really entertained us whilst we were packing up…

[warthog]

We eventually left another sliver of paradise. Here is just some more pic’s.

Relaxing is tiring business...

[warthog]

Ampie was really worried about the Landie’s suspension. He called Landcover SA from Ndole. and they gave instructions as to resets of the computer, but he was worried. They left about 45 minutes before the rest.

We followed. Marnus was second, us third. Dewald somewhere, as usual caught up and moved through.

Oh, and there is a story here. As we drove out of Ndole Bay, somewhere halfway through the village I realised that I had not closed and locked the Imagine’s kitchen flap/door. Stopped and remedied it. Shortly after, Dewald came on the radio. A local on a motorbike had stopped him and told him that one of the caravans in front’s door was open and it was leaking stuff, which the locals were picking. I confessed it was us… and kept going.

Some 12 km further a motorbike approached from my rear mirror. I slowed down to let it pass in the dust, only for it to wave me down. It was Dewald’s guy… who raced on to tell me that my kitchen (which I had already closed 12 k’s back) was open… I thanked him, and wished him well. When we pulled away, he promptly turned back… He drove all that way just to warn me…

The drive back was just as bad as coming in. Did I mention the road was really shit? Ampie was quite concerned about the warnings the Landie was flashing on it’s suspension. He called Landrover SA from Ndole and they assisted him in clearing some warnings, but the Landie was refusing to engage the higher suspension option… he left some time earlier from Ndole, to keep it easy.

Marnus and Dewald was ahead of me, when Ampie’s rather anxious voice came over the radio. We initially could not hear him properly, but then eventually we heard him… “ My suspension is nou finaal moer toe…” He got a message like Stop the vehicle and contact the nearest service centre. Problem was, nearest service centre was in Lusaka, which was only some 1100 km away…

[warthog]

Thanks Andy, Steers and the others that have been posting comments. Always lekker to know that people are interested...

Andy, there was a marked change in the locals' houses "inland" and those further north and closer to the lake. Inland was definitely more "formal" and "neat", where further out and closer to the lake was this style where the thatch on the roofs were long and appeared almost kind of unattended. But there were solars everywhere.

We kept seeing these bright blue container-like structures in basically every village, and wondered and speculated about it, until "The Hat" stopped and went to look...

It's a solar powered type of hammer-mill inside. The people bring their maize and they get it milled there for something like R15.

[warthog]

Please go check put Hannes' video on youtube up until here.

Later....

[warthog]

Ampie was living the nightmare. Being stuck in the middle of no-where… He was very cool… immediately got out, called the insurance, and started talking… (LISTEN: You MUST get insurance for this kind of sh.t.) Really.

Marnus and I decided over the radio that he would drive on to Mporokoso, which was some 60km away. He would unhitch the Explorer, leave it there with Lizette and Julius and turn back to come and hook Ampie’s van. We stayed with Ampie until he finalised a low-bed from Lusaka via his insurance. He slowly carried on at around 30km/h, because the Landie’s suspension had basically collapsed…

You wil note that there are very little pic's of things like this.... it's really as if everybody's greystuff just kicks into overdrive, and everybody just thinks... pity Tersia wasn't there... we would have had reams of pic's...

We all waited in Mporokoso. Marnus met Ampie about 40km out, and hooked Ampie's Kavango to the Prado. It was getting late, and as they were driving into Mporokoso, we started to drift out. There was a very nice looking lodge just as you drive out of Mporokoso. We left the Swanepoels there to wait for the low-bed, and drove on to the falls. I’ve asked Ampie and Chrisna to write about their part of the trip - from there - they did, and they sent it to me, I must just now find it… I’ll post it

In the meantime, i have these pic's...

[warthog]

We carried on. Another really bad road. Not the pot-hole bad of the Ndole road, but mud. Those cool/scary/exhilirating video’s you see on youtube and Voetspore, where they slip-n-slide through very deep mud? That mud. Only - when you watch those video’s, you forget that it does not always rain. So that deeply rutted mud? It dries. As hard as concrete. And makes for a terrible road. The road was in clear patches: the reddish parts were gravel road, and quite drivable, but the you get the greyish/white sections. That’s where the mud is come rainy season. 15-20 km/h towing…

The road was terrible leaving Mporokoso, but it slowly, very slowly got better. The Chinese are rebuilding that road, for at least the first 50km the bush was cleared on the southern side of the road. So in 2 years time, it will be a nice tar road driving to the falls.

We ploughed on. About 80km from Mporokoso one takes a right at a fork, towards the Park, and immediately the road is excellent. What a pleasure to be pushing 80-90 after some two and half days driving on 400km… You enter a gate, keep left and then suddenly you see a cloud… over a little rise, and then this absolutely beautiful sight

[warthog]

This was for me THE paradise place on the whole trip, so I'll just for now post pic's...

From Berin's drone...

And the rest will follow tomorrow.

[warthog]

So I'm wondering, is there anyone else but Andy, Firstgeer and Mars reading this?

[Mud Dog]

I'm still here and still mesmerised.

[Cinco]

Thoroughly enjoying the read. Keep checking for the latest installment.

[Dowe Koos]

Ja Hennie. Dit is avontuur wat julle aangepak het. Ons gaan ook volgende jaar via Malawi die noordelike deel van Zambië besoek. Jou storie vertelling gee my 'n idieë wat om te verwag as ons volgende jaar gaan. Geniet jou storie.

[Family_Dog]

Hennie, there are many of us following this story, not everyone posts though.

"You are not alone"

-F_D

[FIRSTGEER]

Keep it rolling Hennie

[warthog]

Awesome. Yes. Amazing. For sure. Mind-blowing - Absolutely. Rememberable - FOREVER!!!!
There is no pictures that can do justice, we all tried...

It was really, really breathtakingly beautiful. Right up there in the top 5 most beautiful places I’ve seen in my life. It’s not that far, it’s not that difficult, so if you can, go stay there in that thunder for a day or two… The water’s sound in the campsite - literally 50m away - is such that whoopee and and all that jazz is very much allowed in tents and caravans, as your close-by neighbour - like 2 m away - will be non the wiser because of the noise of the waterfalls. Natural oordonderende white noise.
Constant rumble, 60-60-24-7, 356 days…

[warthog]

We camped right there - where the red circle is...

And this was the view from camp...

Some were braver than others... if that water takes you, you'll probably end up somewhere north of Ethiopia...

[warthog]

And just 6km downstream from the Lumangwe Falls in the Kalungwishi River there is another waterfall - Kabwelume Falls... also spectacular...

[warthog]

All the time we were there, that song of Brian Doerksen just stayed in my head....

"How can you say there is no God,
when all around... Creation Calls."

[Dowe Koos]

Stem saam met jou oor daardie song

[FIRSTGEER]

Hennie it is my dream to one day be able to travel and see and learn what you guys have experienced .I can unfortunately only do short 10 day trips (and thats really pushing things to the limit) because of my present circumstances but hopefully we can also ,one day, travel further north for longer periods and see Africa.

For this reason I follow and try to live the experience of what travelers like you and other members experience.
Truly thank you for sharing.

[JohanM]

Hennie, ek geniet die trip report baie! Regtig interesante plekke wat julle gaan besoek het.

Sal graag so bietjie die statistiek wil sien van jou verbruik op die 4.0V6 en dan ook so op die reis dit wat jy nog het van plekke se tarriewe.

[Haboob]

Hennie,
We are all following your story and are mesmerized by the photography and unwinding tale...

[ROOFER]

I've drooling from the very first post you put on Hennie !!!
I absolutely love your story telling ability and the pics so off an Awesome Creator .

[warthog]

From the falls we were really heading back. The initial plan was to spend the next two days at Kasanka National Park, but Dewald and Hannes’ research showed that there was not that much to see, the main attraction is an annual bat migration, but that was only in October.

So we left Lumangwe Falls. Took some organising to get all the caravans out again….

We turned right at the T, and immediately the horrible road was back. But the white clay parts were getting less and less, and the red gravel more and more. We made good time to Kawambwa, where all took on some fuel. From here some serious calculations started regards to fuel - petrol is mur expensive in Zambia - R18,50+/l, while in Botswana it was just over R 11/l. I was planning to roll of the ferry at Kazungula on the Botswana side with just fumes in the tank…

It was tar from there - newish Chinese road. I chatted to a local at the petrol stop, he proudly told me he helped the Chinese to build the bridge over the Lumangwe river we crossed some 15km back. Was very critical about the Chinese - said the roads they build are shit… Potholes after just few years (his words).

We turned south on the main D79. It was a lekker uneventful drive. We stopped at a “viewpoint” to look at the DRC across the river - not much to see.

But goodies, is there plenty water there!!! Amazing. We drove over this (new) (Chinese) bridge. Impressive. We stopped on the bridge, and as far as the eye can see, it was this huge mass of water.

[warthog]

Some more pics en route.

Hannes sourced another lake on our way south, at a town called Samfya on Lake Bangweulu. We found a lodge, but decided to carry on down the road next to the lake. It eventually dead-ended a few k’s further into what appeared like a building site. All along the road was a proper squatter camp…

Dewald and Hannes walked in, while the rest waited. I was about to turn back and look for somewhere else when Dewald called over his hand-radio. Come on in.

Yet. Another Africa surprise. Another beautiful campsite right on a lake.

Clean ablutions and very nice and neat campsite.

Dewald chatted with the manager, and supper was organised. He took a chance, asked can we maybe eat on the beach? Sure, no problem.

These pictures speak for themselves. Another truly magical unforgettable evening…

It was a combination/share of pork, chicken and fresh fish. I think everyone had a bit of each, and it was simply delicious. A place I'll go back to.
Plus we got to see France and Belgium in the soccer semi’s. Sad end to wonderful evening…

[warthog]

APOLOGIES! There are very few pic's from about the falls on the way back....

We left the next morning around 8. It was now just driving. Fair roads, and we stopped at The Fig Tree Cafe for coffee and some late afternoon snacks. We reached Fringilla Farm around 5. As I drove in through the gate, the owner said: Jammer, ons is vol. (Sorry, we’re full) Awesome stopover. Clean ablutions, grass, water... we braai'ed...

And we got to see Croatia beat England. Man, that was nice in a pub filled with a busload of Poms…

Another early morning. Lusaka’s traffic improved not even a touch in the two weeks since we passed through. Target was again Camp Nkwazi just short of Kazangula, plus we got some very good news: Ampie & Chrisna’s Landie was back on the road, and they would be waiting for us at Nkwazi to complete the journey with us.

We turned right towards Livingstone, and this time that 70 km did not seen that bad.

Really. It didn't. (Don't know why though...)

We made good time once we hit the tar again. But then….

About 40 km from Livingstone, we had spread out a bit in two groups, Dewald, Jan and Marnus up ahead, and Ferdi, Hannes and me as sweep some 3 km behind them. I had just been guided past a copper-train when there was just this sudden loud THUD and jerk, and everything started swaying…

[warthog]

Everything was like in an instant. I looked up and saw the Imagine was not level behind me, and my immediate instinct was that the right tyre had popped. Instinct got everything together and just guided Forest gently left to a standstill, just off the road surface, as there was no shoulder. I got out, and saw… It was not the tyre that had popped, the Imagine’s whole right wheel was missing. Gone. We had glided to a stop on the wheel hub. All the wheel nuts had sheared of completely. It was the bare wheel drum… (the fins’ edges on the drum were quite nicely rounded of though…)

[warthog]

I remember going back and calling it on the radio. I apparently said that there was “groot bollie” (bollie was not the word I used) and everyone must turn around, the wheel was gone. ( I remember absolutely none of that). I remember then going and getting the jack out etc to start the “repair”.

Everybody turned around immediately, and soon we were busy. By the time the front bunch stopped back with us, I was already busy jacking the Imagine up, as I was worried that the drum might have been damaged. Nothing, spun freely. I asked the young guns to go search for the wheel, and Bennett found it some way in the bushes.

Hannes organised some branches for road markers, and Alta and Bennet did traffic duty. The wheel drum’s marks on the road was about 120m long…

While Jan, Dewald and Marnus helped me to get us back on the road, Ferdi and Hannes went up ahead to Livingstone to source a new set of wheel studs and - nuts. We fairly quickly scavenged three studs from the left wheel, and were back on the road.

[warthog]

Only afterwards did a lot of things come back to me. Just before the wheel came of, Forest suddenly felt different, a kind of strange vibration. I remember taking my foot of the gas, and thinking it might just be the road surface…

There is so much that could have gotten wrong… I had just gotten back left after passing that copper train, it was a straight piece of road, tar and not gravel, good surface, no potholes, no people next to the road where the wheel narrowly missed an abandoned little shed… oegh, endless possibilities for even greater disaster...

I remember, after I got out, seeing a truck sideways in the road some distance behind me. Shortly after the others arrived, a truck slowly approached from there. When he reached me, he gently blew his hooter. As I looked up, the driver looked at me, held his hands as in prayer, made the sign of the cross, and held his hands in prayer again. His message was clear… it was only Grace.

He then smiled, gave me a thumbs up, and drove of. I only afterwards realised that it must heave been the truck I had just passed before the wheel came of. He saw, knew before me, the wheel coming off, and stopped dead in the middle of the road to offer us protection… Another “Augustine Angel”.

God is good, all of the time. All of the time, God is good.

[warthog]

Our ride back, all the way home after that, was kind of...reverential. (Is there even such a word?)

We camped at Camp Nkwazi at the exact same site where we were on our way North, but I unhitched, and started jacking. Opened nothing. I needed to get Gump in full jacket.

Everybody helped, be it with a beer, a hand, a spanner, or just a word... All of us on the trip are Christians, and I think everybody just kinda got a wake-up again - There was a Bigger Presence that day - I call Him God. He kept us safe, ánd on six wheels ánd on the road.

Just like He kept Ampie and Chrisna safe, and all of us...

[Dowe Koos]

Ja Hennie, stem saam met jou. Die Here is goed vir ons, glo hy het ons ook opgepas met ons onlangste trip in Namibië. Ek geniet jou verslag. Mooi fotos wat jy daar opsit.

[Mud Dog]

Very happy to read that you were all safe without any serious damage .... it could, as you said, have been a lot worse than that. You could look at it from the perspective that you were travelling under a protective blanket and the wheel incident was just to remind you of that before you became too complacent.

[Mars]

Uitstekend Hennie!

[warthog]

Right. Last stretch...

It was also really lekker to have Ampie and Chrisna back, we missed worrying over the Landie….We left around eight next morning. Short hop - just across the border to Kasane. This time the border was much easier, and soon we were on the ferries across.

We camped at Big 5 Chobe, same place where we stayed on the Botswana trip. We got a nice big campsite right on the river’s edge - much better than the previous time, but the bathrooms were being renovated, so it was bit further to other bathrooms.

Annica was showing of her back-up vehicle.

We arrived quite early, which gave me the opportunity to get new discs for Forest’s brakes - they had started to squeal. I had hoped that the squeal was just dust or a stone, but nope. So when I refuelled, I asked one of pump jockeys about a workshop. He got on his phone, and three minutes later the workshop came walking around the corner. Young one, with an assistant, just behind the fuelstop under a tree… He used my jack, got the right wheel of and pads out, and walked with me across the road to the spares shop. I paid for the pads, and we went for a coffee. Got back half hour later, and job done. I checked, made sure the wheel nuts were tightened (their were) and Bob’s your uncle.

[warthog]

Most of the rest went on a sunset cruise on the Chobe, in the hope of again experiencing what we saw four years ago - elephant crossing the river… Us and Jan and Alta stayed behind - I wasn’t really lus for a boat again…

On their way back they passed our campsite, and I managed to get them in the perfect spot…

We braai’d together for the last time, and some serious reminiscing was done, good music was enjoyed and a few tears were shed.

We greeted the next morning at seven. Us, Jan and Ampie were aiming for the border, the rest had a shorter trip, and planned to stopover in Botswana. The drive was uneventful, except for the Landie playing up again... some message that made Ampie stop a few times to reset things. We re-fuelled just before the border, and chucked everything full of cheap Bots fuel.

Groblersdrift on the Bots side was a breeze, in and through in about 10 minutes. Then we got stuck behind a fuel truck who insisted on crossing the single lane bridge while there were already cars approaching from the opposite side. A standoff… Eventually the idiot in the fuel truck came back, and it was an interesting exercise because by that time there were about 50 vehicles backed up who had to be manoeuvred to make space for the fuel rig.

We eventually crossed into total chaos on the SA side. We had forgotten that it was the end of the school holiday… there were about a gazillion people - they actually let the vehicles through to park right outside - we could actually have just driven through, but I did not want to explain next time I use my passport how come I was actually not yet back in SA…

We made camp after dark about 4k’s from the border - really lovely place. Had supper in the restaurant, and got to bed fairly early.

[warthog]

We broke camp for the last time early Sunday morning.

We were to meet Heleen in Naboomspruit. We drove some 7 000 km through Africa, and never once even remotely felt in danger or threatened. Yet at the very first robot we stopped back in SA, a bloke grabbed at Ampie’s door and tried to open it… figures.

We had a last breakfast, and greeted outside the Wimpy. A few k’s out of town, I switched the radio of for the last time. Deja vu. That empty feeling, and the sudden stillness in the car…

We arrived home around 2 that day. 7 245 km. What an awesome, awesome privilege.
(It’s just 2 years… not that long. And a few of us decided on the trip to do an in-betweener next year to southern Namibia…)

[warthog]

And then, just now, my better half just reminded me why we do this...

And as The Man with the Hat said: "Wat sal ek onthou? Die mere, die watervalle, die eindelose water, die mense met glimlagte, die tamaties langs die pad. Maar die lekkerste van Zambia was die journey saam goeie mense!"

Louise: "Die reënboog waterval. Die mense se breë glimlag terwyl hulle klippe breek, sukkel en struikel. Die sterre wat hier neffens jou kop sit."

Memories...

[Mud Dog]

Thank you Hennie!

An interesting and entertaining read that perked me up each time I saw a sequel had been posted .... I usually start at the bottom of all new, unread posts and work my way up to the last and latest, but almost without fail went straight to this thread if it appeared amongst them.

So now ..... I'm ready for the next trip.

[Mud Dog]

I switched the radio of for the last time. Deja vu. That empty feeling, and the sudden stillness in the car…

I'm getting a similar feeling right now that your story has come to a close .........

[FIRSTGEER]

Hennie a very big thank you for sharing this amazing trip with us.The photos and your commentry really kept me spellbound and envious .I am glad you guys arrived back safely.Cheers

[JohanM]

Hennie,

Dit is fantasies die skrywe en ek het baie lekker gelees en saam gereis. Mooi plekke wat julle gesien het en ook n baie interesante roete wat gevolg is.

Lyk my ek moet nou maar ook saam ry volgende keer.

[Family_Dog]

Thank you for the great report Hennie, your writing makes one feel that we are part of your team!


-F_D

[warthog]

The final chapter. I found the Swanepoels' story after the Landie broke down from Ndole… in their own words

“From Best 4x4xFar to Best 4x4xTar…

Chrisna:
The suspension troubles started on the way up the Escarpment. The first warnings came after Kapishya on the way to Lake Tanganyika (Ndole).

We tried to ignore the first signs, and had a blissful time at Ndole.. (NOTE: When I asked Ampie what he will remember about the trip, his answer was: “Sunrise on Ndole’s beach with a cup of coffee.”)

About 60km from Mporokoso the Landie told us: STOP. Do not proceed. Contact your nearest service centre. The suspension was gone. We got to Mporokoso @40 km/ph, and there our ways split, the rest went on to the Falls, and we stayed in, let’s just say, the ‘fanciest’ lodge in Mporokoso whilst we waited for the low-bed… The insurance coy was really good, they gave very good advice and assistance - we were stranded more than 1 000 km north of Lusaka…

And this is where the story of our Landie Angels begins… Angel nr 1, Alfred from IVRS Towing Company in Lusaka, left Lusaka at 19h00 on the Sunday we broke down, and arrived at 13h00 on the Monday after 1 000+ km…

He pulled the Landie on to the low-bed, and hitched the Kavango. Alfred literally had 15 minutes rest on his arms while he waited for his food. And as soon as he swallowed the last bit, he said Let’s go. We got into the tow-truck’s cab, me in the lucky middle seat…. and hit the long road to Lusaka…

Ampie:
The road from Mporokoso was really bad. It was tar, but more pot-holes than tar, and especially after dark it became a real nightmare drive.

Chrisna:
I had packed enough snacks to keep Alfred and 2 more drivers awake. If Alfred just looked a bit tired, I passed on a packet of chips or something. He was not impressed with Yogi-sip, but the biltong really kept him going. I kept a little bowl on the dashboard stocked….

We arrived at Mpika around 22h00. Alfred said that the truck drivers sleep from 24h00, and he wanted to leave then. So we slept for three hours until 01h00 on the Tuesday. Ampie and I in the hitched Kavango, and Alfred in his truck’s cab.

Very clever plan. It really made the driving a bit easier, but it was still a nightmare. The truck’s dashboard lights weren’t working… so speed, lights, fuel, etc was a guess at best…. We did make good progress. Our initial ETA in Lusaka was 10h00, but that didn’t happen.

Ampie:
The initial ETA was 10h00, and we made good progress. But then, about 100km from Lusaka, the truck had an engine failure, and we grinded to a halt… Alfred shone his torch into the fuel tank - the gauge wasn’t working - and saw that it had run empty. Luckily I had a full jerry on the Kavango… and we were back on the road in no time.

About 10km further, a sudden noise at the rear. Alfred got out, and saw that the one inner wheel’s tyre was flat, and the outer wheel’s nuts had come loose - one was already missing, and the others were all loose… Alfred started making plans, switching wheels/tyres/wheel studs/nuts around…. we were back on the road eventually, missing a wheel somewhere at the back…. meantime he had called a colleague to come and help.

We however made it to Lusaka at 15h00…. Landrover investigated and diagnosed the suspension pump as moeg. It was replaced the next morning. We carried on the next day. But then about 100km beyond Lusaka I started getting “Engine Failure” warnings… We initially thought it was an oil problem but we carried on, slowing down or stopping to reset things, and we finally reached Pretoria…

Chrisna:
Ampie forgot some of the other angels. Mr Weeza was the owner of the tow-truck company, and was an unbelievable help. In Lusaka Mr Mtaka helped us a lot. When we started experiencing engine trouble after Lusaka, the technician at Landrover in Lusaka, Timothy, was an absolute angel. He, after hours, remotely gave Ampie a course over the telephone in “Landrover Management and Mechanical Engineering”… We camped at Moorings, there was no power, and we were really panicking over the red alert, and Timothy late at night, step-by-step helped Ampie to manage the problem.

The next morning, the farm manager at Moorings helped us with some extra engine oil, but it didn’t really help. We limped into Choma, and the petrol attendant phoned Clive… Clive was the local mechanic, he arrived with a little suitcase, and his tools. He drained and replaced the Landie’s oil entirely. He gave us his cell number for incase we run into trouble up to Livingstone.

In Livingstone we heard about Mr Follie, who looks after Landrovers in Livingstone… Mr Follie replaced the Landie’s air filter, but he said something about the turbo hose being too soft… He also immediately said we had bad diesel in our tank… the reason for the alerts.

Mr Follie's shop in Livingstone...

We just took it easy, and although we had to stop a number of times with Jan and Hennie to clear the alerts, we did, finally, made it home safely.

Angels. Everywhere.”

(NOTE: When we stopped to refuel in Lusaka after Fringilla, a guy walked up to Dewald at the fuel station. “So, did Ampie make it back safely?” Turned out to be Alfred - the low-bed driver. He was at the fuel station to…..?

(Drum roll………..)

wait for it…. …

To pick up another …….

Landrover.

[Family_Dog]

Land Rover drivers have such fascinating tales to tell. Hilux drivers are positively boring, with nothing to relate.


-F_D

[ROOFER]

Wow, thanks for sharing Hennie !!!