168 km traveled, 900 m total elevation gain, 33° C maximum.
The road leaving Lusaka was predictably busy, but far from the worst we have seen. There was a tailwind to help propel us out of the city.
The road surface sometimes had a good shoulder, and sometimes not. We were accosted by many rumble strips and speed bumps.
For at least the first half of the day, dozens of trucks like this passed us. We were riding through a copper mining region, and these trucks were all carrying heavy copper plates of varying thicknesses. They could not be stacked any higher, as the trucks could barely get up the hills with this amount of copper.
Lunch was at 92 km, further than we usually have to ride for our midday meal.
20 km after lunch, we stopped at this café, which was highly recommended by the Tour d’Afrique riders from last year. It was Good Friday, and holiday travelers on the busy road had decimated the pastry case, so we settled for a cappuccino and some ice cream. We sat on the veranda, and were happy for a short break from the heat.
Another 30 km down the road, we took a break at this Coke stop, which was more of a bar. The only soft drink they had to sell was orange Fanta, which is a little bit too sickeningly sweet, so we just drank water and snacked. There were two dozen young men playing billiards and just hanging out there.
For at least the last 50 km, we had a tailwind to help speed us along. It turned from sunny to overcast, which dissipated the heat.
Thatched hut neighborhood.
Our destination was The Moorings Campsite, which was relatively humble, but at least there was hot water in the showers. It was both Kenny’s and Aussie Richard’s birthdays, so we were plied with cake after dinner.
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