Day 74: Mumbuluma Falls – Lumangwe Falls
It's windy and cool, and we don't get out of bed until sunrise (7:00). Shortly after breakfast, the "boss" drops by. He called yesterday to apologize for not being here. The people here are truly charming.
At 9:00, we hit the road again. We continue north on the "Scenic Route," parallel to the waterways and the border with Congo Kinshasa (DRC). The landscape becomes more swampy, with the Luapula River in the distance and a lake in between. Palm trees tower over the bushes, and huge old mango trees stand in the villages.
It's very densely populated here. And we see an incredible number of children. A population explosion looming.
And while yesterday all the congregations were firmly under the grip of Jehovah's Witnesses, today we see Pentecostals, Adventists, and many other Christian denominations.
For our own and other travelers' memories, the following should be noted about the road:
From Mumbuluma Falls to Mbereshi, it takes about four hours. The road is okay, but it has many potholes, which slows the journey. We could have perhaps filled up with gas in Mbereshi, but we don't really think it's worth it.
At Ntumbachushi Falls, we take a late lunch break and refuse to pay the full $35.
After that, there's a section of the road that's in good condition until Kawambwa. At least there's no diesel there today. Then the road gets rather bad. The once good gravel hasn't yet been repaired after the rainy season. We somehow miss the tea plantations of Kawambwa. The last stretch to Lumangwe Falls is surprisingly pleasant forest floor. In total, we're on the road for eight hours, covering 306 km.
And somewhere along the way, we get some delicious-smelling rolls from a bakery.
The Lumangwe Falls are stunning. Fantastic. And we're the only ones here at the campsite.
Today we pay $35 for camping for one night (2 x $15 plus car $5 / entrance fee to Lumangwe Falls included) and $35 for entrance to Kabweluma Falls, which we plan to hike tomorrow. We'll have to negotiate the second night's camping with the manager tomorrow, so we'll arrange it over the phone.
We admire the falls, get thoroughly wet at a viewpoint, have our first cold shower of this trip, eat leftovers from yesterday, build a fire with the wood that caretaker Kennedy brought us, and enjoy this spot.