Day 73: Kasama – Mumbuluma Falls

We chat a bit with Stephanie and Luc and then head to Toyota. The spare battery is here, everything's fine!

The M3 takes us at a generally brisk pace via Luwango to Mansa (a total of 382 km), but we weren't expecting such a good road. There are potholes here and there, though – you definitely can't let your guard down and trust the 100 km/h signs :-)

In Mansa, a gas station is filling up with diesel – lucky for us. Once the filling is finished, the 20 or so waiting trucks and pickup trucks start competing with us and one or two other cars for the best spots. We do well and are third at one of the pipes.

We passed the wait with muesli, so we didn't explore the town any further, but drove straight to Mumbuluma Falls. Not spectacular, but the two cascades are nice to look at. And the camping spot is good. With just a toilet and no other amenities, $35 (740 kwacha) is a lot of money, but we're happy to be here after a long day.

Apart from us, only five locals are visiting the waterfall. A few young guys are doing laundry and would jump into the pool for some money – but we don't want to.

While we're cooking and eating, there's a lot of activity around us. Pedestrians glancing at the tourists, heavily laden cyclists on their way home, motorcycle taxis taking people and goods somewhere. Everyone greets each other, it's friendly and relaxed. The atmosphere is very pleasant, as it has been all day while passing through villages and towns. No begging, no shouting, the occasional whistle that simply serves to attract attention – "I saw you and I want to be seen too." Sometimes there's a "thumb up," often a broad laugh, and a wave. Sometimes we think, "Good heavens, you better keep your hands on your bike handlebars."

As darkness falls, the voices around us gradually fade, and when we go to bed around 8:00, it's almost completely silent. Only the owls continue to hoot into the night for a while.