Day 53: Kaingu Lodge – Pioneer Lodge (Lusaka)

On the way from Kaingu Lodge through the forest toward the Great West Road, our winch is used for the first time. Hurray! Everything works as it should, and the tree that had fallen victim to the elephants is cleared away after just under half an hour.

When we drove this route last year, it was crowded with people in places, and Julia, the lodge owner, had told us about the relocation of people living illegally in the national park. Now it's empty. Only a few huts remain, belonging to locals who have a historic right of residence. The areas freshly cleared last year are quickly becoming overgrown. What a difference! Nothing remains of the lively and prosperous little town at the intersection. Whether that's good or bad is beyond our ability to judge.

In Lusaka, we first go to Toyota; our 60,000 km/h service is due (and we're still collecting stamps...). Our various attempts to contact us yielded nothing other than an automated confirmation of receipt. The Toyota CFAO network was already a disaster on the West Coast :-(. But we get an appointment for tomorrow morning and hope for a good repair shop.

Then we'll have cheesecake and coffee at East Park Mall in memory of our stays last October and our meetings with Carl.

We'll arrive at the Pioneer Lodge at the last minute at sunset, and since we know there's no kitchen capacity for us today, we'll get some delicious sushi to go from John Dory's.