Zambia and Botswana

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  Check point in the middle of nowhere.

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  The lady in the middle spoke good English and the family were all happy to receive pens and pencils

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  Unloading and Loading is all done by hand and hard graft

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  I had a lot of this ………straight roads

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  Another ooops

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  Loved the cloud formations in Tanzania and Zambia

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  Charcoal at the side of the road for sale

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  Believe it or not this was being driven just prior to my arrival!!

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  Where there is a will there is a way

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  Road side markets

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  I got out and shopped at these markets to a huge amount of friendly laughter at my kilt.

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  There isn’t much industry around

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  National hero’s stadium just outside Lusaka

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  Red Cross HQ Zambia

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  Always a bit dodgy driving in Africa when it gets dark!!

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  Pure dirt roads for about 30 miles. Yes its the main road

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  The pot holes are everywhere in Mazabuka, Zambia

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  I gave this farmer three shirts, he was a lovely guy

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  I’d love to spend a day with them although I suspect it would physically almost kill me.

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  Nearby farm dwellings

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  Munali Nickelmines owned by CNM a London based company

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  Members of the Zambian Red Cross very impressed. Many still there well after 5pm

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  They made me very welcome

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  Two local business men at my hotel who would not believe what I was doing !

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  My fixers at Kazangula. An amazing river crossing on the junction with Zambia and Botswana but with Namibia and Zimbabwe also bordering the river. So four countries meeting in one place

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  They are building a bridge due to open in 2020 length 3028 ft give or take a few feet I think !

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  Traffic waiting to cross, the fixers get you passed all this

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  I was on the ferry loading deck within 30 minutes of arriving

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  New bridge in the background

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  Tracy enjoying the ride into Botswana

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  The locals at Nata in Botswana gave me and my kilt a warm welcome

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  I loved sleeping in my mossie tent in Africa. You can see all the night stars whilst lying on your sleep mat

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  This was me shopping and No they weren’t as scary as I look in this picture

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  Cannot believe I missed the Equator in Kenya

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  Lots of tourists wanted photos with me in my kilt !

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  Botswana Red Cross Boss

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  and some of the lovely staff

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  These two young guys in Gabarone helped me find some local food that was delicious. Note the car keys around my neck, they never left me its the only way I dint lose them!!

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  A group photo

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  Then the waitress insisted she got in on the act

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  Getting ready for a staff Christmas dinner at the Oasis hotel, in Gaberone

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  Just looked on Google and it says £55 per night. I’m sure I never paid that much!

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My Hero, above is called Bright. He is a lovely guy and was my fixer at the Zambia/Tanzania border and afterwards assisted when I was detained at a Police Road block about 5 kms away from the border for “evading customs”. I sat with Terry the police officer who detained me, for about 30 minutes waiting for “Interpol officers” to come and interview me but they never arrived so suggested to Terry (who was another lovely guy) that he calls them and that I take him back with me in my car to their office so we can speed thing up. Fortunately on the way I saw Bright in the crowd, which was a bit of a miracle because he still had my passport and had forgotten to hand it over amongst the bundle of papers you collect at borders. He agrees to come with us and to bring his brother along too. So all four of us traipse into their customs office for a young guy to tell me I was in serious trouble. Well I listened for at least 15 minutes before telling him, It wasn’t my fault it must be their fault as they should know what they were doing and I hadn’t a clue so rely on them for guidance. The fact I left with their consent proved that. Bright joined in and told them what happened. About 30 minutes later at a stand off I said, “I’m fed up now so either arrest me or get on with what you need to do” There was a big pause and he said We need to examine your car and that’s what we did before I was released to carry on my journey, dropping Terry, and Bright and his brother off on the way!