Lusaka was very civilized city. Big shopping malls were crowded by local people. The gap of people's life between country side and here was huge.

ルサカの市街地に入るとでかいモールがあって買い物客の車で混み合っていた。これまで見て来た地方の生活とのギャップが凄まじい。



Super market was just like one in western countries. The price of goods were also almost the same. Since I came from Malawi, the cheapest country to live in Eastern Africa, I was very shocked how things got so expensive.

スーパーの中は欧米そのもの。値段も欧米や日本のそれと変わりない。マラウイから来ると物価のギャップでおかしくなりそうだ。



I've been thinking how I would move after Lusaka. If I go to the west towered Livingstone, the distance to Cape Town is closer. However, I started interested in going to Zimbabwe because some cyclists I met on my way told me they had this country the most interested.
Zimbabwe is one of the trouble spot in east Africa, the only country where the history of civilization had been created and Mr. Mugabe has been running as president.
That sounds interesting, isn't it?

ここまでずっとこの先のルートを考えていた。さらに西に進めばリビングストンを経由してゴールは近い。けれどジンバブエも気になる。
ここに来るまで会ったアフリカ北上サイクリスト達はジンバブエが良かったと言っていた。
ゴタゴタ続きの国だけれど、この辺りの国々で唯一文明があった国、人種差別政策を乗り越えて独立した国、ムガベ大統領の国。なかなか面白そうではないか。


I decided to go south to Zimbabwe. But there was one concerning on the way.
From the border of Zimbabwe, the stretch about 80km, a safari area covers entire region including the main road. Some people warned for animals such as elephants and lions.
I've heard that the American cyclists I met in Lusaka had hitched for this section. I was getting nervous.
This turned into another headache even though I could make a desolation of my way.

おのずと方向は決まった。ただここで問題が1点、ルサカからジンバブエの国境を越えた後の約80kmくらいの区間がサファリエリアでライオンが出るらしい。ルサカで会ったアメリカ人サイクリストはこの区間はトラックをヒッチハイクしたらしい。ルートは決められたのにまた悩みが増えた。

Kids are always sweet. Their cloth are normally really torn out and they don't wear shoes, but their smile is always really blight.


子供達はどこの国でも可愛い。ぼろ切れのような服着て基本裸足、それでも眩しいくらい無邪気に手を振って来てくれる。



Not only kids, people always gave me warm greeting, especially when men on old chinese bike with a lot of things on the back smiled to me as they passed by, I always felt really warm.
These days, one thing keeps staying in my mind, it doesn't go away.

大人は大人で山ほど物を積んだ中国製の安いポンコツ自転車ですれ違いざまニコニコっと親指立てて挨拶してくれる。
こんな生活をずっと続けていて、最近よく考える事がある。



Many people dominated the image of Africa as poor, unhappy, unfair etc.. all kind of negative perspectives.
However, since I have been cycling Africa for quite a while and communicated with many different families and people, I started feeling that the image of Africa I had might have been wrong.

Do they actually have decent happiness or peace as African?
What people do to Africa is just self satisfaction, isn't it??

In our measurement, of cause African's life is hard and sentimental. But actually this is Africa, what we as people from developed countries thought to be hard or sentimental is nothing special, really normal life for African.


「アフリカ人＝物が乏しくてかわいそう」というのが世界一般的な感覚。でも最近それが疑問に思えて仕方が無い。彼等は彼等である程度幸せな生活を送れているんじゃないの。そもそも「かわいそう」という感情は我々先進国にいる人間が自分の物差しを元に勝手に感じた感情で、彼等にとっては我々がかわいそうと勝手に思った生活は当たり前で普通なのではないか。



Now, there are many organization and individual have been helping African countries.
What I've seen for African was that help or supports by others became very common in Africa. It seemed people were expecting somebody's help. They don't try to do things by themselves.
For instance, now many schools and hospitals have been established, but the skill and motivation of teachers and nurse are very poor. They don't try to improve education or medical level of their counties because U.S. aid, JAICA, World Vision, whatever will support.


そをな事を思い始めたのはやはり民泊を何度もして彼等の生活を見て来た事が大きい。
勝手に「かわいそう」だと感じて勝手に支援を始め、勝手に彼等に物や金をを与えたりした結果、アフリカ人の多くが支援慣れしているように感じる。
学校が沢山できても先生が育たない、病院ができても看護婦が育たない。そんなのも良い例なのではないか。


Support is easy if you just send some money or things. Of cause as African, if someone gave them things for free, it's the best. However, just giving things will make people spoiled.
If someone really want to support, they should help to educate how they make money or things. Do things by themselves.

勝手に支援をしてくれて、アフリカ人は迷惑なのではないか。
アフリカ人にはアフリカ人のペースがある。タダで何かをもらえるのは誰でも嬉しい。でも支援の仕方によっては国や人をダメにする。本当に支援をするのであれば、物や金では無くて彼等に物や金を得る方法を教えて、彼等のペースで物事を進めさせるのが大事なのではないかと思えて仕方ない。


It's hard to explain in English but it was what I was thinking.
Cycling Africa gives me many ideas and things. I think it was right choice that I chose to come Africa.

久々に真面目な内容になってしまったけれど、アフリカを走っていると、考えさせられる事が本当に多い。ここにいるだけで彼等からたくさの事を学ぶ。この旅のゴールをアフリカにして良かったと最近良く思う。

5 days from Lilongwe, keep pedaling to the West. This is middle of rain season. The vegetation is so green.

リロングウェから5日間、ひたすら西に走る日々。雨季真っ盛りで辺りは緑一色です。





African Sky. Wow always
しかしアフリカの空は綺麗



I have been getting many flat since Zambia. I am not sure but guess its because of many broken glass on the road.

ザンビアに入ってからパンクが続発。ガラスの破片が多いからなのか。前輪はもう寿命かな




As soon as I crossed the border of Zambia, the price of things became triple up to 5 times as much as in Malawi.
Just a shitty guest house costs $10. Now, I am back to camping strategy as I had been doing before.

ザンビアに入ってから一気に物価がマラウイの3倍～5倍に跳ね上がった。クソ宿でも$10近くしたりするので、久々に民泊生活に戻っています。




I'm camping at a community or villages. It's tiring but fun. I'm always surrounded by kids.

正直民泊は疲れますが、やっぱり宿泊より楽しい。西アフリカでもこんな感じだったな～と思い出しながら子供達に毎日取り囲まれてます。



Zambian is also gentle as other black African countries. The differences as far as I've found are more cars and distance between villages are wider.
In Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi, I could find a place to eat easily at noon. However, Zambia is difficult.

ザンビアのアフリカ人も他の国と変わらず穏やかです。マラウイよりはおとなしいかな。ここに来て変わったのは、村と村の間がかなり開き始めたのと、車が案外走っている事。ケニアやタンザニア、マラウイではある程度走れば何かしら食べられる村を見つけられたのに対して、ザンビアは飯屋がある村が結構限られる。
小さな村を出るとしばらく森の中を走らないといけない。



I don't have much complain but the only thing I hate here is too many drunk people.
Almost all adult who tried to talk to me were drunk.
The one who drunk a bit is okay but I hate some for too drunk.

ザンビアで唯一気に入らないのが酔っ払いがかなり多い事。大抵の大人は昼間から酔っ払っていて話しかけられると必ずと言って良いくらい酒臭い。
ほろ酔いならまだ良い、絡んで来る奴とか支離滅裂の奴とか正直うっとうしい。


Now, I'm trying to get to the capital city of Zambia, Lusaka. From there, I have to decide to go south, Harare or go west, Livingstone.

今目指しているのはザンビアの首都ルサカ。ここから南にハラレを目指そうか、さらに西進してリビングストンを目指すか決める予定。