Lusaka smells of dry powder. Its light, white, horizon hides. The city is in chaos, other African cities, where traffic pollution fuels and the heat rising from the ground confused view. Lusaka is ugly, ugly, no apparent charm. Lusaka is a city of passage for tourists, coming and flee for the incredible landscapes that are outside the capital of Zambia. Cocks crow, in chorus, before the sun rises awakening to a strange city environment, far, kids.
My arrival in Lusaka was not good. I took a bus from Livingstone brought me to the capital. I sat in front of the only white person who was in the bus: bought two seats to be comfortable. Each bus station in Africa is a chaos in which everything is for sale. At each stop we made the scene was repeated. People who sell things unlikely; people lying on the floor, surrounded by dozens of packages and bags. Food for the trip offer hard boiled eggs and fruit Chilli Sauce, much fruit. It's fun to look out the window and watch the wild life that is outside. It's great to see women wear the bags over their heads in perfect balance.
Arriving at the bus station I lit a cigarette Lusaka. A group of guys pounced on me saying it was forbidden and was arrested. The leader was a guy with a safety vest that put. A skinny man, who cried a lot and ended up asking me for money when I told him not to worry, we went to the police station, which fortunately saw in the distance. "You'll pay more", I said. “Vamos, no problem ", was my reply. He said goodbye telling me not to repeat it and asking me to buy a coke. I sent him to hell. But, among all the fighting someone stole my notebook in which he carried a diary of all travel notes. A hard stick, luckily, was settled five days after, when the police told me that the notebook had been found (When I talked to the types of the tourist office and told me Descojonado retrieval in Zambia was a great story to write a book).
The next two nights, and after a row with a taxi to the wrong place, I slept in a hotel "?, el Comfort Zone, of a Sicilian family. 40 euros a night for a room without water in the sink and no hot water in the shower. Decided to stay because there was a connection to the Internet and was exhausted (pasta, yes, cojonuda made it). I talked a lot with Crhistian, a Sicilian de 33 years recommended me to bring gun. "Traveling alone is risky without being armed?, I said. Exaggeration, certainly, hundreds of passengers kicking this continent. You're not Corleone?, asked. "I'm from a town next door", I explained with a laugh.
To travel alone without being armed is risky?, I said. Exaggeration, certainly, hundreds of passengers kicking this continent. You're not Corleone?, asked. "I'm from a town next door", I explained with a laugh
After two nights in Lusaka to Lower Zambezi flew (tell in the next post here; the best hotel I've ever been in my life; the best safari I've done). I spent three nights of luxury and returned to the damn capital. I'm going straight to the Cha Cha Cha, backpackers hotel. I can hardly 30 EUR sleep in a room with an old bed and nothing else. Bathrooms, Shared, are clean and the garden has a small pond. It is the cheapest I can find. As I said, compared with other continents, Africa is very expensive. (India a better room cost me 3 euros per night).
The next morning I walked part of the city. Nearly five hours walking. I went into the central market: a maze of alleys where they sell damaged the world remains. Areas had a foul smell, but it was fascinating to watch each stall. Broken rakes are offered, twisted screws, porn magazines, Wigs, cd six centuries ago ... There was no food, only useless things to my eyes and here are offered for sale.
I went into the central market: a maze of alleys where they sell damaged the world remains. Areas had a foul smell, but it was fascinating to watch each stall
Then I went to the House Tazara, to ask about the train that takes you from Lusaka to Dar es Salaam. Where are you? “Español”. “Ohhhhh. I'm a fan of Spain. Tell, tell him I was a fan of Spain ", I told the security man. I was clapping and chocábamos hand as she explained: "I'm from Spain by Torres. It is the world's best. And Xabi Alonso. I'm from Liverpool. ¿Sabes?, Xabi Alonso scored the farthest from the Premier, 60 meters. The Beckham was only 50 ". “Ya, now playing on my computer, Real Madrid, tell. "Real Madrid? Ah no, go, go, in the robasteis Alonso, I said jokingly. Football, being Spanish, is the conversation that works well in Africa.
After Tazara information, I believe that ultimately, unfortunately, I will take no, I went to the National Art Museum. Like many African museums policy mix, ethnography, nature. However I was pleasantly surprised by some of his modern paintings and I died laughing reading a newspaper clipping of the years 60 in which a local scientist claimed, after independence, that Zambia would reach Mars by the USSR and USA. "In seven years, Lusaka may be more important than NY or Paris, said. It was common to all processes of independence of the continent, they thought at first that democracy would be a wealth mana to end years after realizing that only a few stomachs of his brothers had grown (in Ebony, Kapuscinski, perfectly explained the phenomenon).
Then, I ended up eating at a restaurant, the Lusaka Club, Lonely say that in offering the best steak in Zambia. A tribute after the night before in a Oreo had dinner and then I had breakfast. The meat was cojonuda and distinctive ambience of the African (in a man's shirt did not fit more flowers).19 EUR.
Tomorrow my days just Lusaka, a place where I spent five nights in which I have always wanted to go and I have always opted to stay. I hope, because everything is possible in Africa, In five days is in Chitambo, front of the tree under which is buried the heart of Livingstone. “¿A Chitambo? Chitambo nobody wants to tell me in the tourist office. 800 miles separate me from the place. I said in the first post of this country who came looking for David Livingstone.
