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Follow Al on his cross country bike tour!

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Real Africa and Victoria Falls

2017-05-21

Last evening I met a local who agreed to show me the real Africa. I met him at 9 and had a four hour bike tour of the non-tourist areas of Livingston. Unfortunately none of the many pictures I took came out. All pictures were fuzzy and I will try to use my iPhone if I can keep it charged.

Some of the things I learned:
In the game parks anyone can build a thatched house without paying. They keep the elephants out of their gardens by mixing elephant dung with chili peppers and burn it at night. The elephants hate the chili smell.
I viisted a quarry. Just surface diggings where people pound out rocks, then carry them to near the road and break them up by hitting rock against rock until they are all a similar size. They then are able to see them for 50 cents a wheelbarrow.
The non-tourists markets do not allow bargaining. The clothing for sale is used, from the US and Europe. My guess is the donation bins you see in Ann Arbor.
20% of Zambian children do not go to school. There is no free government education. Many charities are running the schools.

Last night there was a hippo outside our tents. Makes you think twice about relieving yourself at night.

At two the biking group met. Nine people, 2 couples and 5 men. 2US. 3 Germans, a Kiwi, a Brit, and tow Brits living in the Cayman Islands.

We biked to Victoria Falls, but alas, no photos.

Tomorrow breakfast is at 6 and the real riding begins.

I'm off to my tent for an early bedtime.

Messages

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Speaking of hippos outside your tent at night, more people in Africa are killed by hippos than any other animal. Just some random information. Sent 2017-05-26 from Old Uncle John

Al, What type of bike are you riding? Are there any medical professionals in the Group? Sent 2017-05-22 from Bob and Bonnie