Dinsdag in Malawi / Zambië

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Dinsdag: Sengabaai – Petauke (Malawi)

Ek is redelik vroeg weg van Sengabaai. Dit was koel, selfs koud, en bewolk.

Kort na Salima het ek ‘n bekende figuur gesien, ‘n fietsryer wat ek twee dae terug reeds ontmoet het, Rainer Höll uit Duitsland is met sy fiets na Lusaka onderweg. Ek dink die langafstand fietstoerders is die helde van reis oor Afrika. Hulle doen dit met eie krag. Wat my die meeste van hulle opgeval het, is die vriendelikheid en positiwiteit wat hulle uitstraal. Rainer was geen uitsondering nie.

Die pad vanaf Senga oor Lilongwe tot by die grens was taamlik vervelig. Na die grens was Zambië weer Afrika. Ek kon die bos ruik. Die pad het net verbygevlieg tot by Petauke waar ek oornag het.

Die pad is ook die pad van swart varke, regte swart varke, en hul kleintjies. ‘n Mens sien hulle langs die pad wei, in die veld, en gereeld hardloop hulle voor jou oor die pad. ‘n Mens moet dus oop-oog ry. Ook die baie boerbokke het nou kleintjies. Die klein bokkies se padmaniere is net so swak soos hul ouers s’n. Die klein bokkertjies (intensiewe vorm van bokkies) hardloop wild en wakker en speels oor die pad, ongelukkig ook soms voor voertuie in. Dan is dit die einde van die klein bokkertjie.

Ek het baie polisie padblokkades gehad. By elkeen is ek vriendelik gevra van waar, waarheen, en dan met ‘n vriendelike ‘Drive safely!’ laat ry.

Na drie reise oor Afrika wag ek nog vir die eerste polisieman of soldaat wat omkoopgeld van my eis. Attitude?

Die enigste kleur in die dorpies langs die pad is die huisies of winkeltjies wat selfoonmaatskappye in hul kleure laat verf het. Dis die enigste manier hoe hulle die landelike bevolking kan bereik wat nie toegang tot koerante het of TV kyk nie. Baie slim.

En so gaan my reis met soveel wonderlike ervarings voort, en einde se kant toe …

English

Tuesday: Senga Bay – Petauke (Zambia)

I left Senga Bay quite early on Tuesday. It was a cool, often also cold, ride.

After Salima I recognized a cyclist on the road, a guy that I met two days earlier. Rainer Höll is from Germany and is cycling from Nairobi to Lusaka. I admire these cyclists that do these long distance tours. They do that with own power, but even more admirable is the friendliness and positive attitude that all of these cyclists radiate. They are clearly an admirable bunch of people.

The road from Senga via Lilongwe to the border was a bit monotonous. After the border in Zambia I could feel and smell Africa again, and my heart was happy. The 430 km from Senga to Petauke where I spent the night passed too quickly.

This road in Zambia is also the road of the black pigs. One sees these pigs and piglets walking next to the road, in the fields, and quite often they run across the road without any warning. One has to ride carefully. Also the goats now has many small one ones. The small buggers are chasing each other, frolicking, and quite often running across the road with disastrous results. I wonder why the piglets don’t get killed.

I had many police road blocks on the route on Tuesday. At each one the same polite questions: From where, where to, and then with a friendly ‘Ride safely!’ I was sent on my way.

I still wait for the day that a policeman or soldier asks me for a bribe. After three Africa crossings it hasn’t happened once. Attitude?

The villages along the route are quite dull. The only colour is the houses or shops painted by cell phone companies in their colours. That is the only way how they can reach the rural population without access to the printed media or even TV’s. Very clever.

And so my trip with so many wonderful experiences goes on, and closer to its end …