Journey to Zambia

This last week our journey took us to Zambia for a great time of relaxation and site seeing as a family. Although our first day in the car was a long one (13 ½ hours), we made it to Lusaka, the capitol city of Zambia. We stayed overnight then continued our journey to Livingstone (only 7 hours), at the very southern border of Zambia to see the famous Victoria Falls. Here are a few highlights from our trip…

 Once in Zambia, we were constantly trying to talk with people in French. When we received blank stares, we were reminded we could speak in English.  Even Connor was constantly greeting people with Bonjour.

Our scenic drive…we love African trees and the small villages we drove through. The roads are drivable and the people are very hospitable.

Victoria Falls…we now understand why it is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. While the hike around the Falls made up for our 2 days in the car, the kids did great. Macy loved the “shower” (the stretch of bridge we walked across and were sprayed by the water falling) and Connor loved seeing the rainbow below us.

Our safari…we were able to take the kids on a drive through a National Game Park. We saw elephants, zebras, baboons, deer, water buffalo, giraffes, warthogs, vultures and from a very long distance what we think we saw hippos in the river. It was a chilly ride once the sun began to set, but great to see the animals.

 

Drinking pasteurized milk…our milk in Lubumbashi is all long-life, shelf stable. We took advantage of this treat and consumed two gallons during the week.

Meeting a couple from England at our hostel that has been cycling since Norway. Their story is amazing about the hospitality of other’s across the world. They have been riding for 14 months and over 22,000 kilometers. From Livingstone they were cycling to Botswana to make their way to Cape Town, South Africa and then fly to Chili and ride through the America’s. They are finishing in Alaska. We really wish them the best of luck and look forward to following their blog and journey.

One day we just hung out around our hostel, which was filled with young college aged students. Gavin and I felt old, but nonetheless, Gavin and the kids played hide and seek and we filled our quiet time by listening to Princess Songs and Name that movie line. The kids definitely have Gavin’s memory. It was a fantastic day of relaxation.

Finding tortillas, salsa, microwave popcorn, packed brown sugar and peanut M&M’s at a grocery store. We were like kids in a candy store!

Gavin finding and purchasing some plants. His green thumb couldn’t help but buy some plants for a great price.