Lilongwe-Lusaka aboard Kobs bus
I had this trip figured in my mind. The plan was for me to board the Kobs Bus at the Lilongwe bus depot that goes to Lusaka. Spend the night in Lusaka. Travel the next day to Livingstone to finally see the Victoria Falls and bungee jump.
As usual, it was not as easy at it sounds and it did not happen as I planned.
Firstly, there was no bus departing from Lilongwe on the day I decided to start my journey. I should have double checked the day before. I didn't. End of story.
Not wanting to be deterred from my much-anticipated holiday, I implemented Plan B. Take minibus to Mchinji then a shared taxi to the border. Have my passport stamped with my visa. Then, get another bus from Chipata to Lusaka.
Well, as it turns out, the bus situation is the least of my worries.
Big problem! I can't get my visa at the border. Had to go back to the big city that is Lilongwe. (You can read about it in an earlier post.)
Two days later with visa troubles sorted. I was cheerfully making my way to Lusaka. The first hour at least. Even before we reached the border, we already had a breakdown in Mchinji. Woke up from my slumber thinking that we were already at the border only to find out that we were having mechanical troubles. Fortunately, the driver and the conductor with the help of the locals got the problem sorted and we continued with our journey. Spent about 45 minutes at the border where we all have to get off the bus and walk to the immigration office to have our passports checked, visas stamped for the others, exit cards filled in for the locals. Got back on the bus and then we headed to Chipata where we had another bus stop.I thought it would only be for a bathroom break but we lingered waiting for more passengers. Started off again after more than an hour. Then in the middle of nowhere, another break down. I couldn't believe it! I was beginning to think the trip was jinxed. Another two hours of the journey spent sitting idly on the bus wondering if I will ever reach Lusaka. Good thing I had enough supply of biscuits and water. Help eventually arrived in the form of another bus that delivered the necessary spare parts. Relief!
Watching the scenery change from my bus window while trying so hard to ignore the gospel music that was blasting from the speakers, I noticed is the stark economic difference between Malawi and Zambia. On the Zambian side, things seem to be happening. Roads are better paved. Transport system is in better order. There are none of the overcrowded minibuses looking like they are ready to fall apart, more houses with corrugated iron roofing. But again, what do I know? I was just passing by. Things are not always what they seem to be in the surface. I will let the economic experts be a judge to that.
I arrived at Zambia's capital in the middle of the night. Six more hours before I have to take another bus to Livingstone. Back home, I would have just lingered at the bus depot and waited for the next bus but here it is not happening.
A lone female stranger in a strange land's dimly lighted and bustling bus depot is a magnet for crooks, I think. So off I headed to Lusaka Backpackers hostel where I had a few hours of snooze time and a shower.
Lusaka to Livingstone aboard the Mazhandu Bus
The trip was uneventful. Mazhandu Bus was way much cleaner than the Kobs bus I boarded the day before.
Arrived in Livingstone after eight hours and checked in at Fawlty Towers, a nice, clean and quiet hostel right in the middle of the town.
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