Relaxed getaway this morning, a 0800 breakfast for a 0900 getaway, and we beat that by ten minutes or so. However, we had got about 800 yards up the sodden track towards the road back to Chipata, when something underneath went bang, big-style. A U-bolt, a major component of the leaf spring suspension, had snapped. Gary was underneath in no time. He loves this sort of stuff. Yes, he had a spare and yes, he was going to do it there and then. We travellers were ferried back to the camp we had just left, by Konrad, the site manager.
A mere 90 minutes later we had the call that Gary had fitted the spare, and off we set to Chipata and the same retail park we had visited a day or two previously. Folks took lunch and/or used the ATM. Tonight's camp was barely five miles out of town, so we were there pronto. Tents up, washing-up duty (from breakfast) done, a sit by the pool with a Fanta, some fat-chewing, and then our hopes of a peaceful night were shattered by the arrival of another truck, full of youngsters, who chose, for whatever reason, to put their tents ridiculously close to our area. The bar is on the other side, so we are effectively penned in between those enjoying the bar and those nattering in their tents. We breakfast at 0500 tomorrow, so sleep might just be at a premium!
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