“That’s the dodgiest border crossing I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen a lot,” says the woman behind the desk at my backpackers in Livingstone, Zambia.
“I was there a few weeks ago with my Congolese friend -- and he’s literally seven feet tall. People were all over us. Even with this guy, speaking French, we barely made it.”
“You should take a plane.”
“Oh,” is all I can say.
I had recently navigated the Kazungula border crossing (between Botswana and Zambia) by myself, and while I got through without incident, it was no picnic.
I learn that there is only one airline that flies to Lubumbashi: Air Zimbabwe. To buy a ticket, you have to go to the Air Zimbabwe office in Lusaka -- Zambia’s capital. A one-way flight costs at least $330. And the schedule of flights isn‘t available on the Internet.
I have promised to meet my host, a Congolese senator (yes, senator), in Lubumbashi on Thursday, July 9, and I have every intention of fulfilling that promise. I sleep on it, and waking up refreshed, I decide to go overland. It will be far cheaper, and it’ll be an adventure.
Below is the story of my overland journey from Livingstone, Zambia to Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. I usually like to tell stories here through pictures, but it was difficult to take photos during parts of this journey, so I’ll give words a try.
The story has 8 parts. To read them in order, click here for "Journey Part 1," and then click "Newer Post" to read the next installment.
To start with the border crossing itself, click here for part 6.
Enjoy!
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2 comments:
Wow. Did you meet the Senator?
Amazing story! Look forward to hearing about DRC. - Andrea
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