This is the 15th of a series of blog postings from Clare Bottle, who will be telling us about her travels in Zambia - supported by transport charity Transaid - to see what the transport industry is like out there:
I spent the morning in my room at the Fairview Hotel, drafting my report of recommendations for CILT’s Zambia section. My head was spinning with ideas, but using yesterday’s briefing notes as a basis and incorporating the feedback from the meeting I was able to draft a structure and start marshalling my thoughts. I have to finalise the report next week and send it through by email.
I spent the morning in my room at the Fairview Hotel, drafting my report of recommendations for CILT’s Zambia section. My head was spinning with ideas, but using yesterday’s briefing notes as a basis and incorporating the feedback from the meeting I was able to draft a structure and start marshalling my thoughts. I have to finalise the report next week and send it through by email.
At lunchtime Gary and Victor picked me up and Gary treated us all to a slap-up meal at Sandy’s Creations, just outside Lusaka. This oasis features fertile gardens, exotic plant sales and a classy café where you can sit on the veranda under a parasol, dining on crisp salads and decadent cream cakes. All this and a decent wifi internet connection too! We made an effort to look businesslike by checking our emails.
After lunch it was time to sort out our photographs. Between us, we’d accumulated about 500 digital pictures. I used an expensive hi-tech machine at Manda Hill Shopping Centre to print some copies. A couple of the wedding, for Wilton and Melai; some for Victor to show his wife the white coat and hardhat he wore at the copper mine; and for Lloyd and Shelly, a small selection of the many snaps I’d taken of their adorably photogenic family. We ended up at Gary’s house burning a CD of image files for Transaid’s marketing team, while the TV kept returning to a sensational trailer for “World’s Worst Air Disasters”. With less than 24 hours until my flight home I had to insist on changing channel.
In the evening, Lloyd, Shelly, Gary and I went from one extreme to another, to celebrate. We started with cocktails in the uber-trendy Rhapsody bar and ended up with Mosi (Zambian beer) in a local joint, watching Gary get beaten at pool. If I use the word ‘seedy’ to describe Mike’s Carwash, you’ll understand that it’s meant as a compliment. This is the real Lusaka and a good night was had by all.
If you’d like to know more and would consider sponsoring me, please visit my charity giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/clarebottle.
Clare Bottle is a freelance logistics specialist, with experience and market knowledge in storage, packaging and transport; she is also a Board Director and Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK.