In praise rage at Zambia buses

I was going to write a post about how impressed I am with the buses in Zambia. Some are huge 10 wheeled affairs that cope with dirt roads as easily as tarmac and while they could do with better ventilation, feel much more comfortable than you’d expect. Between the buses and the new Livingstone to Lusaka road, you can get to Kalomo from Livingstone in around an hour and a half for around £5.

On the journey back from Simakakata – much more on this later – one of the back wheels sheered its bolts, literally hanging on by a thread. Undeterred, the drivers carried on at around 10km/h the whole way to Livingstone.
The ventilation problem became a big issue – usually the only way these packed behemoth stay cool (and fresh) is by the through draft when travelling at speed. Combined with the heat and the rain – which leaked through the windows – things got a little ripe.
Next time, I’m travelling with the other operator, Shalom.