I thought I would make this public rather than private so that other Dopers can join in on the fun incase they have been there!
I lived in Katete in the Eastern Province as a teacher, it is close to Chipata.
But I know where you were, we went and stayed in Kasama for a while, and then went around Lake Tanganyika. We went all around Zambia, but Katete (and Lusaka obviously) was where I was based. This was in 2004. So a while ago now!
Of course you can!
I love Luangwe. Do you know Flatdogs camp?
Its just about one of my favourite places! It is actually where the idea for my name came from-we had hippos around so much.
I completely aggree with you about prefering Zimbabwe. I much, much prefer it, and it is so sad to hear what is happening there now. I stayed in a warthog orphanage camp there and it was so much fun. There was such a difference from Zambia as soon as you entered Zimbabwe. I remember thinking ‘Wow’. I had a lot of problems though when I went back into Zambia. The immigration officials arrested me for allegedly having a faulty visa and fined me a lot of money and gave me 3 days to leave the country. My visa was fine and perfectly genuine, they were just looking for money. It was all sorted in the end though and gave me a good experience of a Zambian prison cell (not that I thought that at the time, but looking back I now have a slightly different perspective!).
We also stayed in Kandy and Livingstone (which I really did not like!) in the South. I loved Lake Kariba.
I was there from 2002-2005, teaching people how to dig fish ponds.
I only made it out to Eastern province twice - once en route to Malawi (Lake Malawi blew me away - an amazing vacation) and once to go to Flatdogs! I agree it is an excellent place.
Over in Northwestern Province there is a place called Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage. The woman who runs the place has a pet hippo named Billie. The woman started raising Billie when she was but a wee baby hippo - nowadays, of course, Billie is the size and shape of an SUV, but still swings by the main building everyday to be hand-fed her two bottles of milk!
I think there were some Peace Corps people in and around Katete - did you know any of them? What did you teach?
Petrobey, how was canoeing the Zambezi? Did you have any close encounters with crocs?
love
yams!!
No I don’t, but it looks lovely. When I was last there (18 years ago!!) things were a bit more basic. On the plus side it was animal heaven; you could still go on night safaris off road - this meant I saw a lion do a kill spot lighted about 10m away from me. I’m glad everything’s a bit more regulated now, but they were amazing times.
It was fabulous, but I’m told it’s getting a bit overdone though (but maybe the Zim situation has calmed things). On various trips I did the river from just below the Kariba Dam down to the Mozambique border (where you get picked up by a bush plane). You’d have to paddle in the morning because of the headwind, but most of the rest of the day you just drifted on down. Zambezi water, either on its own or mixed with Mazoe orange squash, can’t be beat.
Crocs? Not an issue. Just don’t swim anywhere regularly, or where other people do.
Hippos? Well, apologies to the OP, but there scare the shit out of me. Had one swim under my canoe, and my parents were thrown out by another.
