Zambia and Malawi used to be part of the same country and it shows. There really is not a lot of difference from the seat of a bicycle to be honest no fabulously differing cultures or tribes but here are a few bits and pieces as i experienced it.
“How are you” this is the most practiced expression by the children roadside here. It’s a whole lot nicer than the mindless and irritating “you you you” of Ethiopia. Of course it’s about the only thing they know how to ask, so if it is at all possible to respond to them as you pass at speed they stand open mouthed not knowing what to say next. Many of the riders have their own games they play in anticipation and in response to the repetitive greetings of the road. Of course my favourite response to “how are you” is ... “very well thank you very much from asking”, by which time I am long gone and they are left with this slightly confused ‘what tha...?! ’ expression on their faces. The question and who will ask it is usually identifiable by the childs inhaling of a breath, the filling of the chest and straightening of the body in preparation for a loud and well pronounced delivery. Of course this presents an opportunity to amuse the rider for as soon as these signs are recognised you get in first with a question of your own and that just confuses everything. It’s fabulous.....! The expression changes, the body posture deflates and no sound is emitted .... Well, we riders get bored !!

It’s funny to watch the kids as you near them. There is the group dynamic sorting of who will ask the question, this is usually the kid that has been elbowed closest to the roadside and then there is the group, all of whom ask ‘how are you” over the top of each other but start 1 second apart in order as you ride by.
Then there is those you never see, usually a pre pubescent high pitched yell from somewhere deep in a field or up a tree or from a distant doorway.
But it is so refreshing, they are genuinely excited, often to the point of jumping up and down, running and screaming (with or without pants) and often also in the arms of their parents specifically to watch us ride by and wave politely.
The housing is simple rondavels with thatched roofs usually in small groups and often families. Lots of roadside stalls again trading and selling produce. Goods transported as headwear and babies tied by local fabric to their mothers backs. Great wide panoramic vistas, 1 in particular reminded me of a familiar view at home of the Border Ranges between NSW and Qld.

One spectacular day of riding included the drop into the Luangwa Bridge and river with a quick photo stop at possibly the best located village in Zambia and the climb out again to an excellent ‘coke stop’ and market 2km up the road.

Lots and lots of bike riders a pretty universal sign of a poorer economy.
One very curious and disturbing local habit of the riders is to ride on the opposite side of the road, that is to say directly toward you. We figured it has to be in order to see oncoming vehicle traffic. With plenty of notice and obvious hand signals I had few problems. The same however cannot be said for Michael who is now missing 3 teeth and split his upper lip completely apart losing part of it entirely. Fortunately for Michael we had a surgeon (Bill) join us 2 days before this occurred. TDA went into overdrive and Bill was miraculously able to commandeer a local operating room (and this really was in the middle of nowhere) and  ‘repair’ him brilliantly.

Because of Bills’ actions Michael has been able to remain with the ‘tour’ (I've included the before pic at the base of the blog if you are up to it ... be warned it's nasty). Just 1 more to add to our ever increasing list of ‘mishaps’... concussions,breaks,dislocations,stitches, Laura & the bus, Reiner & the tar ... surprisingly Sam remains in 1 piece after being in 4 vehicle crashes and 1 horse and buggy crash.
This also happened on our 2nd longest day of riding (200kms) most of which I again rode with Anke and it was hot !!

Above pics .. Anke,Paddy and a 'coke stop'. This is pretty much what we look like on the long hot days of riding.

 .... on an associated note, a huge personal thank you to each of you who have received or given a ‘well’ as a gift in the last few years. We have made use of quite a few of these in remote villages when they have been available. 

Rest day in Lusaka was a hotel for 2 nights. Good food read 'milkshakes' and ice cream which surprisingly has not readily available here in Africa.

Did a bit of shopping at the local market where we found some of the best African 'art/craft....' we have seen anywhere.

and below is Michael before Bill repaired him.

*
*
*
*
*
*
*