Clozing the greasily air valve.
Jan 18, 2017 15:18:27 GMT
Post by onlyMark on Jan 18, 2017 15:18:27 GMT
I am having a bit of a road trip at the moment because Mrs M is away on business. I intend to do a rough circle in the south west of the country and it is about 1,500km or so.
Yesterday I set off at 8am and because of circumstances I kept driving until about 5pm with the only breaks being to have a pee and grab a sandwich or two out of the coolbox to be eaten whilst driving. I hasten to add the peeing, eating and driving didn't happen at the same time.
The object was/is to see how the country changes as I go around but not to stray too far off the road into the bush as it is fully now the wet season and getting bogged down in the mud is not an experience I wish to keep repeating. I’ve done that in many countries and that is one reason I enjoy deserts (and desserts for that matter). No mud and little if no rain.
It should be a trip around here –
To get from a place called Siavonga on Lake Kariba to Livingstone would normally mean a large back-track to a town not far from Lusaka, called Kafue. This takes hours and then you are still a hell of a long way from your destination. The map though shows a route running for a while parallel to the lake and popping out on the main road at Chisekesi, which is about halfway, and seems to cut out not only a large back-track but a large right and left through Mazabuka.
The road is designated as the D500.
This boded for bad things. Because the ‘D’ means it is worse than an A, B, or C roads. But Zambia doesn’t seem to have these designations anyway. There are T roads, M roads, D roads and what are probably even worse, RD roads. I assume T stands for Trunk, M for Main and D for “Don’t know what to call them”. RD will logically be, “Really Don’t know what to call them”.
I’ll be on an RD tomorrow by the way. We’ll see how it goes.
It started raining as I left Lusaka and kept raining until about 5am the next morning. The D500 turned out to be majority tarmac, which was a hell of a bonus but the last 50km or so was quite dire where the tarmac ran out. I was lucky to have 4wd to scrabble up some hills.
The heavy rain meant I didn’t take any photos but a rain slicked road and trees either side would be an apt description.
The plan was to stop the night at a campsite on the main Lusaka to Livingstone road but the rain became torrential as I reached it. I stopped at the turn to the camp and looked down the track it was on, the site being a good 2km down it. Thunderstorms, lightning and a track that disappeared under I’ve no idea what depth of water put me off. Never mind having to erect camp in a wet season downpour. So I headed off towards Livingstone for a good hour or so until I found a motel type place I had as a back up plan. No internet but dry and warm and a good hot dinner (two fish fillets, mashed potato, a side salad and a cola for 4 euro. Plus a cooked breakfast in the morning) so it was a done deal.
I was so tired I was asleep at 9pm and slept through to 7am this morning.
The rain has been off and on today but nothing serious so I had a steady drive to town. Being a little closer than anticipated gave me time to have a walk round a little known place and when I have a better connection, probably when I’m back home, I’ll post about it in this thread.
I will leave you for now though with this. Take note. You know who you are and I’m looking at you –
Yesterday I set off at 8am and because of circumstances I kept driving until about 5pm with the only breaks being to have a pee and grab a sandwich or two out of the coolbox to be eaten whilst driving. I hasten to add the peeing, eating and driving didn't happen at the same time.
The object was/is to see how the country changes as I go around but not to stray too far off the road into the bush as it is fully now the wet season and getting bogged down in the mud is not an experience I wish to keep repeating. I’ve done that in many countries and that is one reason I enjoy deserts (and desserts for that matter). No mud and little if no rain.
It should be a trip around here –
To get from a place called Siavonga on Lake Kariba to Livingstone would normally mean a large back-track to a town not far from Lusaka, called Kafue. This takes hours and then you are still a hell of a long way from your destination. The map though shows a route running for a while parallel to the lake and popping out on the main road at Chisekesi, which is about halfway, and seems to cut out not only a large back-track but a large right and left through Mazabuka.
The road is designated as the D500.
This boded for bad things. Because the ‘D’ means it is worse than an A, B, or C roads. But Zambia doesn’t seem to have these designations anyway. There are T roads, M roads, D roads and what are probably even worse, RD roads. I assume T stands for Trunk, M for Main and D for “Don’t know what to call them”. RD will logically be, “Really Don’t know what to call them”.
I’ll be on an RD tomorrow by the way. We’ll see how it goes.
It started raining as I left Lusaka and kept raining until about 5am the next morning. The D500 turned out to be majority tarmac, which was a hell of a bonus but the last 50km or so was quite dire where the tarmac ran out. I was lucky to have 4wd to scrabble up some hills.
The heavy rain meant I didn’t take any photos but a rain slicked road and trees either side would be an apt description.
The plan was to stop the night at a campsite on the main Lusaka to Livingstone road but the rain became torrential as I reached it. I stopped at the turn to the camp and looked down the track it was on, the site being a good 2km down it. Thunderstorms, lightning and a track that disappeared under I’ve no idea what depth of water put me off. Never mind having to erect camp in a wet season downpour. So I headed off towards Livingstone for a good hour or so until I found a motel type place I had as a back up plan. No internet but dry and warm and a good hot dinner (two fish fillets, mashed potato, a side salad and a cola for 4 euro. Plus a cooked breakfast in the morning) so it was a done deal.
I was so tired I was asleep at 9pm and slept through to 7am this morning.
The rain has been off and on today but nothing serious so I had a steady drive to town. Being a little closer than anticipated gave me time to have a walk round a little known place and when I have a better connection, probably when I’m back home, I’ll post about it in this thread.
I will leave you for now though with this. Take note. You know who you are and I’m looking at you –