Podroz do Malawi

Moja podroz do Malawi zaczela sie na lotsnisku w Lusace. Opuszczalem to miejsce gotowy na poznawanie kolejnego afrykanskiego kraju. Wszytsko byloby fajnie gdyby nie wiza. Nauczony doswiadczeniem zawczasu wypelnilem niebiekie formularze ze nic nie wyzwoze, i dlaczego wyjezdzam i pelen przekonania dokonalem odprawy. Zdziwienie nastapilo przy odprawie paszportowej. Okazalo sie ze wiza sie skonczyla tydzien wczesniej. Ups.. No coz celnik zaczal pytac, a po co bylem w Zambi, jak dlugo, czemu tyle razy i ze kara bedzie 4 mln kwacha i wogole.
Ponarzekal, ponarzekal z drugim sie skonsultowal. Na pytanie czy mozna dokupic wize, pomyslal przetrawil...
Nowa "wiza", oczywiscie nieistniejaca, kosztowala pozbycie sie prezydenta Franklina z mojej kieszeni.
Nastepna wizyta w Zambii nie wczesniej niz przed listopadem.

Wiza w wydaniu Zambii

Dalej bylo juz z gorki, albo raczej w gore. Lot do Lilongwe jakim boeingiem. Szalony pilot zaraz po oderwawniu sie od plyty lotniska zaczal skrecac. Pilot byl Murzynem jak nic. Strach ogarnal moich wspolpasazerow pod koniec lotu. Widok Araba modlacego sie do Allaha w samolocie - moznaby przytoczyc za za wszystko inne zaplacilem mastercardem. Pytanie skad wiedzial w ktora strone jest Mekka. Oczekiwanie na nastepny samolot w Lilongwe i 50 minutowy lot bo Blantyre...

Streets of Zambia

I had a chance to drive arround Lusaka. Here are best pictures from my trips.

First two - just outside of Lusaka city. It is raining season so all plants, trees, grass are very green.

30 minutes after rain stopped. And it is 15 km away from Lusaka -  rough road...

Crossroad in city center. Everyone has priority here!!! On left - public transport.
Colors of public/privte buses were recently changed after new president election.

Same crossroad 

Full story :)

In Hotel

Pond in my hotel is full of live.
There are small crocs visible only in the morning, taking morning sunbath on rocks.
In afternoons - yellow birds are flying arround nests.

Zambia in 2012

I was afraid that this visit in Zambia will be very short - my visa was only for 12 days. No way, on airport border lady told me to buy new visa, so I have brand new one.

Yesterday I was in Malawi embasy in Lusaka, to apply for another visa to Malawi. Becouse Poland is worst that 3rd world country it means that polish man must do visa to any black land country in Africa.... Good thing is that to get visa to Malawi here takes only 3 days, comparing to more than a week in Berlin.

Today my driver told me that whether here is strange this year. It is raining season and there are really few rains. Same story as with snow in Poland?

As allways small trips during a daywork are specialite de la maison. In really close aproximity to city center, one can drive on small hill 100m heigh - around 1700m above sea level. Even whith 4x4 Toyota it was not quite easy. Remainings of asphalt road and big rocks gave a lot of satisfaction on a top.
And of course fine view on area...

Airport in far view - it is not allowed to take pictures!

Lusaka in far view

News from today - next week Malawi tbc, later Mozambique, and return to Lusaka tbc.

Last trip of the year - Bratislava, SK

I have just arrived to Bratislava, via Vienna. I could see marvelous view on Slovakia capitol city from motorway.

 

View from my room

Well it is very close form Vienna to Bratislava, so it is easily afordable with motorway connection. 

According to wiki there is around 400 000 citizens here. It looks like really friendly city. 

And one can speak not only in english, but it is somehow similar to polish language. I paid motorway fee just talking polish :) I like it. The same in hotel. 

When I was entering the city I have passed Dunaj - Danube - Donau river.

Xmas carols in Joburg

Last weekend I had a chance to listen to Xmas concert in Nelson Mandela Squere in Sandton city. It was performed by Joburg choir - english & afrikeense carols, and african choir singing african carols in local language.

It was really special to listen to carols when it is about 35 C and You feel like a summertime.
It was also cool because atually audience was full, and many pedestrians just stopped and joined audience, singing carols together with african choir.

Concert was good to listen to, however it is better to be in Xmas time back at country and waiting for real snow.

Weekend in Joburg, SA

Yesterday I have arrived to Joburg. My project in Zambia is not finished, but it is posponed. Most probably I will fly to Lusaka again - my visa is valid for 12 more days. 

Joburg - Yestreday I have chance to be in office in local company. People are not as nice and kind as in Lusaka. But still they are quite open and talkative. We had a small discussion about languages and cultures - polish and aouth afriacan. Here it is a mix of all western europe culutures and african. Local language afrikaanse is much similar to dutch language. Of course main language here is english. 

I had a chance to go to Pretoria with Gautrain line, unfortunatelly it was short trip just to railway station and back to Rosebank, where my hotel is. Nevertheless it was good oportunity to see country from train perspective. My impression it is much more developed than my home country. Builidngs are very similar to those I could see in UK, in satelitties cities around London. Moreover small houses are quite similar to newly builded in south of France like in area of Nice, Marseille. 

For this weekend I have plans to discover close district of Rosebank, tomorrow Sandton. 

View from my room at 8th floor.