-- Log 2 --

Malawi

Left Doogles, Blantyre in the rain, did a quick bit of shopping and headed for the hills, well in this case the “hill”. 

Accommodation

Zomba Plateau - Zomba Forest Reserve – 5 040 feet AMSL
Zomba is a delightful town 68 kms from Blantyre



Arrived as the mist settled on the plateau.

We were pleased to meet up with the German couple we had met at Vilankulo. Rudolf said that we had missed Henri and Jenny by about 3 hours – maybe we will catch up with them at the Lake. We quickly set up camp as the mist rolled in. Next Roland and Sophie arrived from Blantyre – they are a wonderful couple from Belgium, who have travelled Africa for the past 16 months, and are now travelling back home. They have a lot of experience, but are not boastful, and are always willing to share their expertise. As the evening rolled in so did the cold, and wet weather. Six of us cuddled in our little tent and spoke, laughed and shared experiences till late in the night. Lynne thank you for the sides to our awning from all of us.

Roland and Sophie left in the morning and we decided to stay another night. The day was cool and damp so we snuggled in our tent and read. Rudolf was having some problems with starting his Combi. Next morning, Den and Rudolf decide to get to the bottom of the problem and after a few hours discover that one of the fuel pipes had perished, a temporary fix put the matter right. We hope to meet with Elizabeth and Rudolf at Cape Maclear to let them know what the road is like to Liwonde National Park. 

What a difference when there is no mist!	View of Lake Chilwa from the top of the plateau. Stunning! GPS Location - S15.21.548 E25.18.176

Highlights/Lowlights

Meeting with good company and making new friends. This is what it is all about. The views were stunning and the drive was well worthwhile. The fruit and veggies sold on the road up to the plateau were excellent. There were new potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries, guavas, granadillas etc. All excellent quality!

Cape Maclear – Fat Monkeys – GPS - sorry did not take the reading!

We tried to get to Liwonde National Park, but the bridge had been washed away, so we headed for Cape Maclear. We had decided to stay at Chembe Lodge, but we were waved down by a young man who asked Dennis if he was Mr Williams – talk about being a ‘marked’ man! One never knows if one should own up or not! Anyway young Benjamin told us that Henri and Jenny were at Fat Monkeys and that we should go there too (not quite the message – anyway) we headed off to Fat Monkeys. It was great to see that Henri and Jenny were well and that they were on schedule. The scenery at Fat Monkeys is stunning, the only draw back being that we were continually being harassed by hawkers who would not take no for an answer. There is security at Fat Monkeys and they do a fair job at keeping the peace in the area. Finally we decided to take a boat trip to do a spot of fishing and to feed the fish eagles. As we had pledged to do business with Benjamin we kept our word. His initial price was ridiculous, and Dennis sat down with him and came to an agreed figure for a two-hour trip. Next day all went well. Feeding the fish eagles is a privileged experience – unfortunately the digital would not work (can you believe it!). We also saw the local fresh water fish at the island. It was a good trip although no fish were caught. On our return Dennis duly paid Benjamin, and was asked for more money. Really that is not the way to do business, and all in all made us very angry. Are all Malawians like this? Actually – no they are not!

View of one of the Islands from Fat Monkeys Beach – Cape Maclear	Aah the life – under the Mango Trees

Met up with Henri and Jenny at Fat Monkeys – great to see you folks!

Took the ‘short cut’ from Monkey Bay to the main road – 90 kms – 2 hours. It was better than the 300 km round trip. The road was potholed and was once tar but is now more dirt than tar – in a way that was a blessing. The area had been badly affected by wash aways and many bridges have still to be rebuilt. Of course this will all take time. We did see the most amazing bird life along this road.

Salima – Wheelhouse Marina – GPS S13.46.597 E034.37.072 1894 feet AMSL

18.5 kms from Salima is the friendly Wheelhouse Marina. Lovely shaded lawns offer a welcome relief from the heat of the day. The ablutions are clean and there is hot water. There are email facilities and international telephone facilities. Joe is a wealth of information and is the most helpful person I have ever met. He is continually picking up or dropping off backpackers. He helped get us spare fuses and cable for the battery from Lilongwe and all in all has been an absolute star. Speaking to other campers and backpackers the tale is the same. Joe thank you very much, we all appreciate your effort.

Met a delightful young Israeli lady who has been travelling alone for the last 4 years. She was excellent company and we had two meals together. We shared our dreams and expectations. There is much in store for you Noah – take care and do not let go of those special dreams! 

Wheelhouse Marina	Wheelhouse Marina – Salima

The road calls – it is time to move on again. The road we would like to go on is closed due to bridges being washed away – so we will have to backtrack and take the main road up to Nkata Bay



Where to from here?