To finish off our trip in Southern Africa, we visited our friend Annika in Lusaka, Zambia's fast growing capital city. Annika has been living in Zambia for a few years now, and we've wanted to visit her ever since she moved here. Unfortunately, we only had two and a half days to visit with her and check out Lusaka. In that time we managed to pack in a lot of sight seeing and souvenir shopping to round out our trip.
To travel to Lusaka from Livingstone you have a few options. You can drive yourself, which takes about 7 hours, take a bus in about 12 hours, or you can just fly. Being time-conscious we opted for the latter and made our way to the Livingstone airport to board one of the smallest planes we've ever seen. Christina was not a fan.
Luckily, it was just a short one hour flight to Lusaka. Annika lives on the edge of town in a neighborhood called Ibex Hill. Most of the houses here are in small gated communities of a few houses. The city is relatively safe, so security is taken less seriously here than in Johannesburg, but it's still common for people to have gates, electric fences and security guards.
Our first impressions of Lusaka were generally positive, and not that different from our experiences in Zambia as a whole. Electricity is an issue here as well. Annika let us know up front that there would be set hours with no electricity (similar to the situation in Livingstone). The main difference being that Annika doesn't have a generator, so when the power's out it's out.
That evening we got a bite to eat at a nearby shopping plaza and took a stroll around Annika's neighborhood. Later in the evening some of Annika's friends came over for a barbeque (or as the Southern Africans call it, a "braai"). Despite a bit of a fire (oops) all the food was delicious and it was great to meet and talk to some of the people that live in Lusaka.
Since we only had one full day in Lusaka, we wanted to make the most of it. We got up early and went to get some coffee at an expat-heavy place called The Deli. From there we went to the city center to check out downtown and the Kamwala Market. We really love visiting local markets when we travel (like Cusco's San Pedro Market, Lima's Mercado Central, Mexico City's Xochimilco Market and Seoul's Namdaemun Market). Markets are where people from all walks of life come together. It's great people watching and a great place to find interesting food and trinkets.
The Kamwala Market is huge. Part of the market is in a concrete building and it's obvious the market outgrew that area years ago. The market sprawls out for what seems like at least a quarter mile in multiple directions. Vendors build makeshift stalls using wire, cardboard and wood. Annika told us that the city cleared all the land once, but that the market sprung back up within a short time.
As for goods, to us there seemed to be very little difference between what most vendors were selling. There were many clothes vendors, especially for women's kitenges, which are multi-purpose wraps women use to cover their legs, use as a shawl, carry babies, etc. There were also some food shops and assorted plastic items shops. While not the best place to shop for souvenirs, we did walk away with a few kitenges as well as a Zambian soccer jersey and an interesting experience. We don't want people to think this is the only place to shop in Lusaka; there are plenty of newer malls as well. Malls are pretty similar around the world, but Kamwala is something unique.
Annika got advice from her Zambian friends on where to take us for a local meal. We went to a restaurant not far from downtown called Matebeto. Matebeto is the name of the traditional meal a bride's family cooks and brings to the groom's family before the wedding. This restaurant was like a meat and three place we're accustomed to in the south combined with a Korean meal full of banchan! You order your meat (choice of steak or fish) and then all the side vegetables and nshima come out for you. Nshima is a staple starch for this part of the world made from cornmeal (think super thick grits). You eat everything with your hands by balling up the nshima and using it to grab other items. We weren't great at it, but it got the job done.
While here, we got to try a local traditional alcoholic drink called munkoyo. Basically, munkoyo is just made of the same stuff as nshima, with the addition of some roots. It's really bitter, so you add sugar to make it more palatable. Some guys in the table next to us advised us on the amount of sugar to add (lots). Overall, the food at Matebeto was really great! This meal was probably the most authentic/traditional meal of our entire trip.
After lunch we decided to visit the Lusaka National Museum. The museum had lackluster reviews in travel books, but it was an ok way to spend an hour or so near downtown Lusaka. The exhibits were pretty similar to the museum we visited in Livingstone, but not done quite as well. The grounds for the museum were quite nice, though, and there's a few nice statues depicting life in Zambia; including a statue of a man breaking the shackles of European colonialism. This statue is pictured on kwatcha (the currency of Zambia).
After checking out the museum, Annika suggested we visit the Protea Hotel for a drink and to take in the view from up high. On our way, a rare dry season thunderstorm popped up and it poured for a good 10 minutes. Driving to the hotel, which is located in a more recently developed part of town, we noticed lots of beautiful jacaranda-lined streets. There were also some large traffic circles with monuments or small parks. Annika told us that it was common for Lusakans to take their wedding photos in the traffic circles because there's so little green space in the city. We didn't notice any parks in Lusaka the entire visit.
The area near the Protea Hotel was filled with strip malls and western style shopping centers. Many of these are relatively new developments, showcasing Zambia's economic growth in the last decade or so. Unfortunately, we'd consider much of this bad urban design contributing to a city that seems very car-dependent already.
On the way back to Annika's house that evening we drove through Mtendere, a compound that Annika used to work in with her previous job. Compounds are poorer areas, similar to the townships of South Africa. Houses are very small and informal (sometimes made of metal or scrap material). Some houses have running water and toilets, others don't. The people are generally tightly packed into compounds, which can have a tremendous population in a small area. While in Mtendere we visited the school Annika used to work at. Although it's very poor, Mtendere is a very lively neighborhood - there were lots of shops, restaurants and gathering places.
The next day we were scheduled to return back to Atlanta, via Johannesburg. In all, we'd be in airports or on planes for about 24 hours so we were eager to get out and do something calming for a bit. We went to a farm outside the city to have breakfast and do some last minute souvenir shopping. On the farm is a restaurant called the Sugarbush Cafe which is attached to a leather goods store called Jackal and Hide. The food is very nice and the grounds for the cafe/shop are full of flowers. Not a bad way to unwind. We also did some shopping at another store called Afrikolor, which has some excellent pottery.
Lusaka is not a tourist town, unlike every other place we visited on our two week trip. It was really great to see how a real city in Zambia functions without being propped up by tourism. While Lusaka may not be particularly glamorous, it provided us a unique view of what life is like for people in this region of the world. The people living here were all very warm and friendly, which may be what we remember the most. But it's clear to see that Lusaka (and Zambia as a whole) has some major challenges to overcome. They're fortunate to have passionate, caring people like Annika to help.
To travel to Lusaka from Livingstone you have a few options. You can drive yourself, which takes about 7 hours, take a bus in about 12 hours, or you can just fly. Being time-conscious we opted for the latter and made our way to the Livingstone airport to board one of the smallest planes we've ever seen. Christina was not a fan.
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| Walking on the tarmac to the airplane at the Livingstone airport. |
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| So...this plane takes us to our real plane, right? |
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| A bit cramped. But it was actually a nice plane. |
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| David is having a great time. Christina on the other hand.... |
Luckily, it was just a short one hour flight to Lusaka. Annika lives on the edge of town in a neighborhood called Ibex Hill. Most of the houses here are in small gated communities of a few houses. The city is relatively safe, so security is taken less seriously here than in Johannesburg, but it's still common for people to have gates, electric fences and security guards.
Our first impressions of Lusaka were generally positive, and not that different from our experiences in Zambia as a whole. Electricity is an issue here as well. Annika let us know up front that there would be set hours with no electricity (similar to the situation in Livingstone). The main difference being that Annika doesn't have a generator, so when the power's out it's out.
That evening we got a bite to eat at a nearby shopping plaza and took a stroll around Annika's neighborhood. Later in the evening some of Annika's friends came over for a barbeque (or as the Southern Africans call it, a "braai"). Despite a bit of a fire (oops) all the food was delicious and it was great to meet and talk to some of the people that live in Lusaka.
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| Annika's house in the Ibex Hill neighborhood. |
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| Annika's dog Benji was super friendly! |
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| Yum! Gelato. |
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| Ibex Hill's roads, and many roads in Lusaka, are not paved. The government is actively paving many of the roads around town. |
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| A paved road in Ibex Hill. Similar to Johannesburg, you can't directly interact with most of the houses. |
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| Ibex Hill sunset. Personal water towers were common due to electricity sharing. |
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| Paul's braaing! Note: don't put this many charcoals in a small grill. |
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| Annika outdid herself with so much food. |
Since we only had one full day in Lusaka, we wanted to make the most of it. We got up early and went to get some coffee at an expat-heavy place called The Deli. From there we went to the city center to check out downtown and the Kamwala Market. We really love visiting local markets when we travel (like Cusco's San Pedro Market, Lima's Mercado Central, Mexico City's Xochimilco Market and Seoul's Namdaemun Market). Markets are where people from all walks of life come together. It's great people watching and a great place to find interesting food and trinkets.
The Kamwala Market is huge. Part of the market is in a concrete building and it's obvious the market outgrew that area years ago. The market sprawls out for what seems like at least a quarter mile in multiple directions. Vendors build makeshift stalls using wire, cardboard and wood. Annika told us that the city cleared all the land once, but that the market sprung back up within a short time.
As for goods, to us there seemed to be very little difference between what most vendors were selling. There were many clothes vendors, especially for women's kitenges, which are multi-purpose wraps women use to cover their legs, use as a shawl, carry babies, etc. There were also some food shops and assorted plastic items shops. While not the best place to shop for souvenirs, we did walk away with a few kitenges as well as a Zambian soccer jersey and an interesting experience. We don't want people to think this is the only place to shop in Lusaka; there are plenty of newer malls as well. Malls are pretty similar around the world, but Kamwala is something unique.
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| Breakfast at The Deli. They had great WiFi, so lots of expats like to work here. |
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| Downtown Lusaka. There's really just one main street in town with a few tall buildings. |
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| Kamwala Market near downtown. |
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| Part of the market was in a structure, but most of it was informal cardboard and wood stalls. |
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| Despite being a bit chaotic, it was great to see a local market. |
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| Busy shopping day in Lusaka. |
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| Lusaka skyline from Kamwala Market. |
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| The market sprung up along the train tracks. |
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| It was a dusty and haphazard, but also lively and colorful. |
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| Kitenges for sale. |
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| The market was very colorful. Many shops sold a wide variety of kitenges. |
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| Paul and Annika looking at kitenges. We ended up buying a few. |
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| Kamwala Market is right next to the main part of downtown. |
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| An overhead view of the market and train tracks. |
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| Cardboard roofs are the rule of thumb. |
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| The view down Cairo Road, the main street through town. |
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| A skyscraper being renovated on Cairo Road. |
Annika got advice from her Zambian friends on where to take us for a local meal. We went to a restaurant not far from downtown called Matebeto. Matebeto is the name of the traditional meal a bride's family cooks and brings to the groom's family before the wedding. This restaurant was like a meat and three place we're accustomed to in the south combined with a Korean meal full of banchan! You order your meat (choice of steak or fish) and then all the side vegetables and nshima come out for you. Nshima is a staple starch for this part of the world made from cornmeal (think super thick grits). You eat everything with your hands by balling up the nshima and using it to grab other items. We weren't great at it, but it got the job done.
While here, we got to try a local traditional alcoholic drink called munkoyo. Basically, munkoyo is just made of the same stuff as nshima, with the addition of some roots. It's really bitter, so you add sugar to make it more palatable. Some guys in the table next to us advised us on the amount of sugar to add (lots). Overall, the food at Matebeto was really great! This meal was probably the most authentic/traditional meal of our entire trip.
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| You have to add a lot of sugar to munkoyo to make it taste ok! |
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| You can see the huge piles of nshima. |
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| Paul's steak was giant. |
After lunch we decided to visit the Lusaka National Museum. The museum had lackluster reviews in travel books, but it was an ok way to spend an hour or so near downtown Lusaka. The exhibits were pretty similar to the museum we visited in Livingstone, but not done quite as well. The grounds for the museum were quite nice, though, and there's a few nice statues depicting life in Zambia; including a statue of a man breaking the shackles of European colonialism. This statue is pictured on kwatcha (the currency of Zambia).
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| Metal dude with a spear. |
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| Inside the museum. Lots of places we visited in Zambia get most of their lighting from the sun since electricity is unreliable. |
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| Jacarandas in bloom. |
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| Some other nice flowers on the grounds of the museum. |
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| Break those chains of imperialism! Take that England! |
After checking out the museum, Annika suggested we visit the Protea Hotel for a drink and to take in the view from up high. On our way, a rare dry season thunderstorm popped up and it poured for a good 10 minutes. Driving to the hotel, which is located in a more recently developed part of town, we noticed lots of beautiful jacaranda-lined streets. There were also some large traffic circles with monuments or small parks. Annika told us that it was common for Lusakans to take their wedding photos in the traffic circles because there's so little green space in the city. We didn't notice any parks in Lusaka the entire visit.
The area near the Protea Hotel was filled with strip malls and western style shopping centers. Many of these are relatively new developments, showcasing Zambia's economic growth in the last decade or so. Unfortunately, we'd consider much of this bad urban design contributing to a city that seems very car-dependent already.
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| Jacaranda-lined boulevard. |
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| View from the Protea Hotel. This area of Lusaka is developing with Western shops and amenities in pretty bad urban form. |
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| View back towards downtown from the Protea Hotel. |
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| Zambia just celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence last year. |
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| Coca-cola is everywhere. |
On the way back to Annika's house that evening we drove through Mtendere, a compound that Annika used to work in with her previous job. Compounds are poorer areas, similar to the townships of South Africa. Houses are very small and informal (sometimes made of metal or scrap material). Some houses have running water and toilets, others don't. The people are generally tightly packed into compounds, which can have a tremendous population in a small area. While in Mtendere we visited the school Annika used to work at. Although it's very poor, Mtendere is a very lively neighborhood - there were lots of shops, restaurants and gathering places.
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| A school in Mtendere. |
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| Some shops. |
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| These guys are gathering to watch and bet on football matches. |
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| A classroom at the Mahatma Gandhi School. |
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| The school grounds were pretty nice! |
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| Lively street scene at sunset. |
The next day we were scheduled to return back to Atlanta, via Johannesburg. In all, we'd be in airports or on planes for about 24 hours so we were eager to get out and do something calming for a bit. We went to a farm outside the city to have breakfast and do some last minute souvenir shopping. On the farm is a restaurant called the Sugarbush Cafe which is attached to a leather goods store called Jackal and Hide. The food is very nice and the grounds for the cafe/shop are full of flowers. Not a bad way to unwind. We also did some shopping at another store called Afrikolor, which has some excellent pottery.
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| Pancakes! David's last meal in Zambia. |
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| Jackal and Hide |
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| Sugarbush Farm grounds. Lots of flowers. |
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| Kitenges at Afrikolor. |
Lusaka is not a tourist town, unlike every other place we visited on our two week trip. It was really great to see how a real city in Zambia functions without being propped up by tourism. While Lusaka may not be particularly glamorous, it provided us a unique view of what life is like for people in this region of the world. The people living here were all very warm and friendly, which may be what we remember the most. But it's clear to see that Lusaka (and Zambia as a whole) has some major challenges to overcome. They're fortunate to have passionate, caring people like Annika to help.
