Chipata

Dean's Hill View Lodge

Chipata, with its small town atmosphere and its strong Muslim and Indian influences, looks and feels like an old African town from the last century. Most shops are owned by Arabs or Indians and close early around five. If you turn off the Great East Road before arriving to the shopping malls, you will find the modern world only after looking well. Well, you will still see mobile phones and other electronics for sale, but the town itself doesn't look modern at all. There is no ATM or supermarket in Down Town Chipata.

At some point, its market is divided by a running creek which has been connected by a series of planks to form a bridge on which stalls are installed.

View from Dean's Hill View Lodge

Dean's Hill View Lodge, a cheap and nice place for backpackers, is located ahead of town coming from Lusaka, and behind amaize buyer and a brick fabric and next to a compound where locals reside. Walking by, children and people in general will wave and greet the Muzungu.

In town you will find a lot of taxi bicycles, which have a seat built upon for passengers. A ride back from town which should have cost me 3 pin, actually cost me 5.

Back at Dean's, someone hailed me, and it was this guy from Wales cycling from Cape Town to Cairo through a very indirect route whom I had met previously at Kalulu Backpackers in Lusaka.

Later Dean himself came in with a young German Shepherd called Mocca which is only about 4 months old. Dean's a nice English chap who is quite knowledgeable about the area and South Luangwa. We had a couple of beers with him.