Safety Tips in Zambia

En ningún momentto sentimos sensación de miedo o falta de seguridad , a pesar de que hay momentos de mucho "barullo " y de mucha gente , sobre todo cuando nos acercamos a las estaciones que están junto a la frontera y el tren se llena de gente que intenta cambiar dinero
Nosotros recomndaríamos que aparte de las normas de seguridad que se tomarían en cualquier parte del mundo se tuviera en cuenta :
- Durante las paradas en las estaciones no tener abiertas al mismo tiempo la ventana y la puerta del compartimento
- Durante la noche bloquear la cerradura de la puerta del compartimento
- Si vas a salir del compartimento a parte de recomendarle tus maletas a las personas que hacen la limpieza del vagón es muy útil llevar una pequeña cadena con un candado para dejar el equipaje bloqueado
Insistimos que a pesar de estas recomendaciones no tuvimos ninguna sensación de inseguridad en todo el viaje

At no time we felt fear or lack of security, although there are times when there are a lot of "commotion" and many people, especially when we reached the stations that are close to the border and the train is full of people trying to change your money
We should recomend apart from the safety standards that would be taken anywhere in the world that you teke into account:
- During stops at stations have not opened at the same time window and the compartment door
- During the night lock the locker of your compartment door
- If you come out of the compartment besides recommend to the people who do the cleaning to keep an eye on it is very helpful to keep a small chain with a padlock to leave their luggage locked to the seat

We emphasize that despite these recommendations wev did not have any sense of insecurity throughout the trip

3 more images

The bus driver from Lusaka to Lilongwe in Malawi was a skillful, but reckless driver. He drove the big bus at top speed on the narrow Great East Road. Passing slower cars all the time. This was normal for all the buses, according to frequent passengers. No accident happened, but I had my thought about his driving.

Take a look at the pictures (4 pictures of one scene). The bus was driving in 120 km/h and a truck came in the other direction. The distance between the vehicles is incredible small.

While most people see the falls from the safe side- for the view across- some people want to see it straight down. They want to walk in the pools at the edge. I don't know how many fall off in a given year, probably not many, but it's a real possibility, and 100 meters to the rocks below doesn't sound fun.

You always hear about the grandeur of Victoria Falls, but you rarely hear about the monkeys. There are lots of them, and they wander and get in the way. They're wild, but of course tourists like to feed the animals, so they can get a bit nasty if you have food and they want it. Be careful around them, and don't be afraid to kick. Mostly they'll just watch you, disinterested and stationary, but it's a problem in the area, and they can attack. Careful driving!

I have heard many people reporting on problems when exiting Zambia. The customs officials have been requesting up to 350 UD dollars for exiting the country. In some cases the visa has been intentionally issued few days too short on arrival.

So, check the dates on you visa when you get it. It's best to ask to meet the supervisor/manager if you end up in problems.

Zambia has got one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world, with estimation that one in three black Zambians have the virus today. Hence use prevention; else you probably play Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun.

Too bad I didn't bring $50 or $100 bills. All I had was $20's and $10's. Some bureau of exchange places give you nearly 400 kwacha less per dollar if you use $5, $10, or $20 notes to exchange. I only found one place that gave 200 kwacha less for smaller bills. I am sure it is the same for Euro and Pounds.

For Zambia you need pills to prevent malaria and some vaccinations. Ask some months before your trip your GP or a hospital, preferably with a department for tropical diseases, what you need and when you should take these.
Please remember: malaria is a real killer.
Read about malaria on http://www.malaria.org. There are clickable links on the last page of the travelogues to websites about malaria and vaccinations.