COPPERBELT MEMORIES

Driving on the dual carriage way between Ndola and Kitwe was hair raising but a beautiful experience too. The trip looked shorter than when I used to ride mini buses, many years ago. As seen in the photograph, the island separating the road in the opposite direction was overgrown by grass and bushes ( to more than 2 meteres in many places). I recognized this as a danger. At almost every crossroad, the horn had to be used as people sprang up from nowhere onto the road. The grass denied me the chance to admire the beautiful crafts that are usually dispalayed along this highway. In one or two locations, I spotted toy cars, paintings and crafts which add to the beuaty of this highway if grass is cut. A copperbelt energy company usually cuts the grass but only where the power lines are located. The only hope that the grass will get 'cut' is when th bush fires arrive in June.

I took a ride along Chingola road to check out a farm of a relative. Passing by Ganerton, I was told that the suburb is now a shell of itself having lost a lot of people due to insecurity. The situation was better than a few years ago but the huge acreages with horses and well micured lawns was a thing of he past.

My favourite past time in Zambia has always been a roadside market. It is here that one can eat a freshly roasted cob of maize and just chat with whoever. At Mufulira turn off, we decided to stop by and pick up some chickens, tomatoes and rape vegetables. We were mobbed by the merchants. Everyone wanted to sell us something. The choice was so vast that we pretended we were just there to meet someone. We chatted a bit and took a photograph (see insert). We finally picked on one seller and got 3 chickens at a very good price. I was tempted to buy a roast cob of maize but i turned out that the cob was too hard for my teeth!