Just before I went to sleep I took my weekly malaria pill. I've been lucky with these Lariams up until now as everybody I've spoken to has had very disturbing dreams from them. My dreams are normally pretty disturbing so I think the Lariams have had a reverse affect. Either way, they've prevented me from getting Malaria so I've been happy but last night the pill got stuck in my throat and caused me immense discomfort for much of the night. I couldn't sleep at all but I guess I shouldn't complain as it was still better than getting Malaria.
Due to this, I said some very tired goodbyes this morning and really was not in the mood for cycling but was comforted by the fact I only had about 50km to do. As I cycled down towards Kasangula to catch the ferry I was hailed down by a man standing next to his Land Rover in a lay by. I may have a Motorsport Engineering Degree but the best I can do if you've broken down is help push! "Would you like an icy cold beverage" he said in a thick South African accent. "Would I?" "Yes please" we could've only talked for 2 minutes tops before he jumped back in his car and drove off! What a splendidly generous man I thought!
I carried on only another hundred metres and came across a cyclist coming towards me. He was from SA and cycling to Zanzibar for "walking with lions" He was pumped when he heard where I was from and bombarded me with enthusiasm and questions "how's the bike!" "How's the road?" "you had any danger?" "how are your legs feeling?" A few fist pumps and high fives later, he gave me one of his "walking with lions" wristbands and we both went our separate ways.
I had hardly left Livingstone and was getting more attention in the last 300m than I had in the rest of Zambia! The exit stamp took seconds, a kind man showed me to the right door and then tried to exchange some notes with me but I used the fool proof "no thankyou, my friend the other side is sorting it out for me" I try to have next to nothing left when it comes to money but this time I did have about £20 in Zambian kwacha. Still, I don't ever use the guys on the border unless I'm dying for a drink and need to get something there and then but I knew I had only 20km to ride the otherside so decided to hold on.
Getting on the ferry was easy too, it was only big enough for one lorry, one car and a few foot passengers and it took only 2 minutes to get across the river. At one point of the crossing I was in Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia but I won't count Namibia as a country ive been too as I didn't jump over a line to get on it. The ride in Botswana was easy too and I managed to find an ATM in Kasane which is a tiny little tourist hang out situated on the Chobe river.
I think I picked probably the most expensive campsite to stay in as the pool and lodges all looked pretty plush but the camping rate was ok so this caveman roughed it with the rich old people for the best part of the day. Chobe river lodge ran all along the river and there were alot of warning signs saying "beware of hippos and crocodiles" I took a wander along the river and heard a noise that made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I'm not scared of many things or I normally find out I'm scared of them after they've done something to me but if there's one nightmare I have, that's one on one with a snake in close proximity. I've held snakes, had pythons around my neck etc etc but today I found myself alone and heard that distinct rattling sound. I froze, it was coming from around a wall, despite needing to change my pants i had to check it out. I know curiosity killed the cat, it was probably going to bite the idiot aswell. I poked my head around the corner to find a water sprinkler happily soaking the freshly cut grass.
That was enough exploring for me and I returned back to the tent to cook dinner. No hippos, crocodiles or rattlesnakes for dinner just one annoyingly brave squirrel that threatened to take my whole loaf of bread to such an extent that I couldn't enjoy my noodles. After my rushed dinner (squirrel's fault) I walked back towards the main building area to find a group of Warthogs eating grass on the freshly sprinkled lawn. One guy got right up close to them and coaxed the daddy in by making the kissing noise you normally do to cats. I tried doing the same and got a little one within cms of my hand before he squarked at me. I say "squarked" because it was a cross between a pig squeal and a bark. This scared the already soiled pants off of me and i put the blame down to the stinking mozzy spray that I had covered my hands in minutes before.
I managed to Skype home and make up for missing yet another Mother's Day. I don't know what it is but March doesn't seem to be a month that I'm in England for. Anyway, as I always say, I don't need a day to know how amazing my mum is all year round. I'm probably, no correct that, I'm definately the hardest son I know to parent and I cause my parents constant sleepless nights (mum especially) that i dont know whether I'm better away from England or not! Either way, they're the best and no matter how more absent I am from them or they are from me, the heart is at a constant maximum with fondness.
A good day in the end despite the tired morning. I'm in Elephant country now and the next 4 or 5 days are listed as "bush" in my "schedule" so I'm pretty sure I may have a bit more to deal with than a rogue sprinkler and a squarking Pumba!
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