As I have mentioned previously, communications have really sucked in the southern African countries that we’ve visited so far. It’s by far the worst in Zambia though. We’ve been here nearly two weeks and have not been able to make or take a call on our Zambian mobile phone SIM card. The network has been down the entire time. Use a landline? Outgoing calls are blistering expensive. International incoming calls do not work because Zamtel, the incumbant operator, is also broken.

Of late, we’ve discovered the joys of using our laptop as a SkypeOut Internet Phone. Unfortunately, the microphone is at the top of the lid of the laptop and the speakers are underneath — until I get a headset, one has to accept looking like a twit whilst on the ‘phone.

It works great right up until the power fails and the hostel’s wireless router drops the connection…

To all Western readers: Do not take your infrastructure for granted, you lucky buggers! (Never again, will I.)