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Departure: Fringilla Lodge
Destination: Kitwe (Lowden Lodge)
Date Time Start: 2018/05/16 07:30
Date Time End: 2018/05/16 12:30
Total Travel Time: 05h00
Odometer Start: 88,416
Odometer End: 88,727
Total Distance (km): 539.10
Weather:
Fringilla Lodge: Clear skies at 17C
Lowden Lodge: Partly cloudy at 29C
Trip Summary:
This was a straight drive up north. Mr Pringle warned me not to take the M6 road short-cut to avoid Ndola as the tar road is very bad and takes longer.
Traffic through Ndola was hectic with all the huge trucks driving through.
By now I was use to the traffic control points before and after each town you travel through. Being polite and answering some basic questions get's you through without any delays. So far only one control point asked to see my drivers licence.
The T2 highway is a toll road through which you go through 2 toll gates. Motorcycles do not pay. In both cases there is a gravel road detour to bypass the new toll gates being built. The gravel road is not maintained along with the rest of the highway. There are section where the road will not last much longer while other sections already have pot holes. The large trucks have caused the tar road to have ruts. Some are sever so you have to watch the road all the time. Where are the toll fees going?
Lowden Lodge Entrance
Camping under a Jakaranda Tree
Vendors sell Charcoal along the road
I arrived at Lowden Lodge and Janet Kay, the owner, was busy with some customers, so I waited on the veranda.
This lodge is like a farm house with cottages. Janet returned to say the gentlemen were from Internal revenue Services and checking up.
I asked about camping and she indicated that she does not have camping facilities but would see if she could make a plan. Kitwe does not have much in this line of accommodation.
Goats on the road is common
T2 Highway is a toll road with no maintenance
She came back and said that I could use the front lawn and she would open the gym and I could use the shower and toilet in the gym. She provided a kettle so I could make coffee as well.
She asked if I wanted dinner at 19h00, which I gladly accepted.
After pitching the tent, arranging for all my clothes to be washed, I got a cold Mosi beer and started catching up on my WEB page.
Travelling though a village
There were 7 other guests at the Lodge, on business travel, so dinner was a social event with everyone exchanging their reason for being in Kitwe. Dinner was like sitting down to a home cooked meal instead of a restaurant. The guests indicated they where frequent visitors and always stayed at Lowden Lodge when traveling to Kitwe as nowhere else do you get a better dinner and service. Janet will even pack a meal to take on your travels the next day. All the guests were either from South Africa or ex-South Africans now living in Zambia. I think they thought I was crazy when I said I am on vacation and wanted to see the town where Lynne was born.
GENERAL:
When travelling through rural communities and villages, you find people selling the product of the labour along the roads. This could be anything from sugar cane, charcoal, tomotoes, melons, butternuts, thatch, chickens, hand crafts, etc. You see so much of it I am not sure how everyone makes a real living - I am sure there is a supply chain business model to ensure their products are sold or there is an opportunity to develop one.
Accommodation: Camping
Lowden Lodge target market are VIPs and is situated on a farm and has a number of chalets. The main building has a veranda to sit and relax, a lounge, dining room and an honesty bar. The gym is meant for guests staying at the lodge.
There is a large swimming pool and pretty garden.
As this is not intended for camping, there is no electricy or water where one can pitch a tent. Luckily they have a external bar counter near the gym with power where I could work on my laptop.
Dinner with guests at Lowden Lodge
Spot the mystery vehicle in the garden (unlocked with keys in the ignition)
Vendors along the road
Google Sites
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