Into Malawi

Monday 20th March

An easy day, and a late start.  We were even packing away our tents in the daylight.  A novel experience, in fact, I can't remember when I last did that.  It does have the effect of slowing you down, there isn't the same sense of urgency created by the rising sun.  The sun is up now, no need to 'beat it'.

It was a flat 90km which we cruised through, and a rest day the next day too.  There has been alot of hype about Chitimba Beach, and the rest day that ensues there.  Namely because there is a punch party tonight.  Malawi brews it's own gin, vodka, rum and cane spirits.  I didn't realise this before arriving, but apparently Malawi Gin and Tonic is a popular expat drink.  They also sell alcohol in small affordable sachets, like ketchup sachets, and the liquor is super strength.  I haven't seen them yet, but have read about them;

' The super-strength liquor is called masacheti - derived from the word sachet because it used to be sold in small plastic pouches. The sachets cost as little as 100 Malawi Kwacha (14 cents) making them affordable to both the poor and the young.'  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malawi-alcohol-youth/malawi-urged-to-ban-cheap-super-strong-liquor-destroying-young-lives-idUSKBN171129  Not sure it is encouraging a healthy society.

So a flat an easy cycle.  The whole thing took us about 4 hours, at a cruisy pace.  We stopped for lunch at 48km.  We passed through a few small settlements.  One we stopped at because the boys wanted a drink.  I spotted the buckets of baked/fried goods and went over for a look.  I really enjoy trying new things/foods.  One of the buckets had the usual Mandazi (fried coconut dough balls), and then the other two had bread rolls, and then bags of small biscuit looking things.   I bought a bread roll and a bag of the biscuity things.   We were surrounded by people at this stop, not new people who gathered around, but people who were already present.  Sitting around the village.  When I approached the three woman at the buckets and asked how much, great hilarity ensued.  It felt like the whole village was in hysterics.  I didn't get an answer.  I also didn't understand the hilarity.  I think that they didn't understand the question, but were amused by our interest.  I managed to communicate in the end, through gestures.  The cost was minimal - 30cents for the both of them.

Back on the road we meandered along the lakeside.  Passing more red brick houses, some of them with thatched roofs and some tin roofs.  Small herds of cows, ropes tied around there heads and held by the farmer - walking their cows down the road on a lead.  

Settlements with long tarpaulins raised off the ground with carpets of silver fish drying.  

Tarpaulins on the ground filled with cheese smelling cream coloured cassava, also drying in the sun.  Cassava is a root vegetable, grown along the Northern shores of Lake Malawi.  Once harvested the roots are kept in a pot for 5 days and then crushed and left to dry.  The dried product can then be used like a flour to make a polenta type thing.  The best roots aren't crushed but are kept and cooked as a breakfast food.

After about 80km we descended to the lake front.  It is a huge lake, covering about 1/5 of the whole land mass of Malawi.  It was really nice to see such a large body of water after so long.

 It really brought home that we are approaching Cape Town. One day, all being well, we will be cycling towards the sea at Cape Town!

We are staying at Chitimba Beach Lodge.  Right on the lake front.  It is a lovely place, very well kept, and obviously owned by a Western couple (Dutch incidentally).  There is a camping area surrounded by wooden chalets.  Running water, hot and cold with showers with a tap.  And covered sinks for washing.  There is a bar area.  It is clean, pleasant and comfortable.  After the usual afternoon before-rest day chores - washing, airing out tents and sleeping bags, sorting out the bike 

I went to the bar to suss out the internet situation and get a drink. Three Malawi gin and tonics later, I was feeling a bit sleepy, so retired to the sofas by the bar for some internet time. I was developing a headache, unfortunately. I think it was lack of water during the day, and then alcohol.

The afternoon passed quickly, and soon it was Punch party and gift exchange. Gift exchange was simply that we had all drawn a name out of the hat, and had to buy a wearable gift for the rider whose name we had selected. I had Steph's dad, and had found a gold hat and mask while in Mbeya. It was actually a very funny hour, everyone had done really well, and almost personalised the gifts brought.

Anton had a new pair of crocs (he cycles in crocs).

Aedo had a smal orange t shirt.

Neal got some homemade knee and elbow pads because he is so accident prone.

The punch was also very pleasing, I suspect pretty strong, but so palatable that I could consume it easily. I had been looking forward to the evening, however had to retire after dinner due to an impending migraine.

The heat was stifling in the evening. I had the doors to the tent open, but the inner tent closed against the insects. I don't know why I bother, they still seem to find a way in. Last night's delight was a cricket type thing, and three mosquitoes. Every time I tried to extradite the cricket, it made a loud flicking noise and launched itself across the tent. After 5 unsuccessful minutes I came up with ingenious idea of trapping it in my glasses case. Great, i trapped and released it, outside my tent. Sleep could then ensue.

At about 7.30 the wind suddenly got up. It came from no where. The doors of my tent were flapping wildly. There were branches falling around us. And the leaves were whipped off the trees, making a sound like raindrops on the fly. I now trust my tent to keep me dry in the rain, to withstand the wind, and to dry rapidly enough in the afternoons after a cycle. I used to be scared to pitch it in the open, but now I accept it. (Having said that, the heaven’s have opened as I am writing this. I hope I am not proved wrong). The wind lowered the temperature to a comfortable level, and the rains never came. There was thunder, and lightening, but no rainfall.

Tuesday 20th March Rest Up

I was awake pretty early, 6am. Just in time to watch the sunrise over the lake.

There was a lone fisherman paddling past, and someone sitting with their dog on the lake. Would have been nice to have Maisy here to walk along the beach with.

There are activity options here. Some people are going snorkelling, woodcarving, on a guided village walk or having a traditional Malawi cooked lunch. I was torn between taking myself up to Livingstonia (a 16km, 900m ascent hike) or having a relaxed and easy rest day. Reading my book, and just generally enjoying the environment.

After an easy breakfast, good coffee and an apple, Steph appeared. She was keen to go for the walk, so we decided we would do it. We anticipated a 4 hour trek up, and then an hour or so’s drive down. The road was essentially a dirt track, meaning that it took a long time to drive the 16km. We were about ready to go when David appeared and decided he was keen too. It was now fish, and /i had been ready to go for 2 hours. Getting tetchy, as I had intended to go early, and be back in time to have a quiet afternoon, I tried to be patient. ‘I’m just going to have some breakfast…’ David said. His most recent phrase, which sums it up to a t is ‘I’m 100% ready, I just need to…..’ And then he disappears for 15minutes. This was no exception. He ordered breakfast, then went off for a shower, wash his clothes, sort his bags….ah!

Finally we set off at about 9.45. Just as it was getting hot.The ascent took us the estimated 4 hours. It was a hot and sweaty climb. I hate being sweaty. It was verging on the sweatiness acquired at Bikram yoga. I had been a bit concerned about walking and how it would affect by calf, but I have found that the motion of walking seems to help. I think it stretches it out. I have taken to waking up in the night with various tweaks and cramps in my legs of late. Last night i had a quad and calf episode. Not horrific, but not something I have experienced before.Anyhow, the walk provided great views over the lake and surrounding countryside. 

There were a few tornado looking brown clouds over the lake. We spotted about three. They would arise from the lake surface and funnel out. Turns out they are actually clouds of billions of flies, gathered together to procreate. They emerge from the water, mate, and the female layers her eggs which sink down in the lake until they are ready to hatch. At this point the larvae rise to the surface, emerge as flies and the process cycles round. (http://www.nkwichi.com/blog/the-lake-fly-burger/).

As we neared the top of the climb (Well actually, we thought it was the top, but really the surface simply levelled out and then continued to snake along the ridge line before ascending again, for another 6 km.) there began to be some people and houses along the way. 

There were school kids along the road who followed us and tried to show us the falls. Everyone was very friendly. Most of the stalls (all three) were playing loud music and the people were jubilant. We also passed some men standing by a hanging dead goat. 

When we returned a few hours later the goat was no longer there, but a small charcoal stove was smoking.

On reaching the top we entered the village. It felt like a re-enactment village. It was peaceful. There were shops along the right, and a marketplace with fruit, veg and fish. 

A hospital. At the very top there was a ‘village circle’ beside a clock tower.It felt like a quaint South East England village, like some of those around Thetford. 

We entered the ‘Craft and Coffee’ Shop. The guidebook had said they served ice cream too. It was a minimal shop, with a few plastic tables and chairs, and then some wooden benches and a table (like picnic benches). There was a fridge in the corner, with coke and sprite. Some flasks on a shelf. We ordered tea and coffee, and asked after the ice cream. “No, no ice cream. It’s not cooked yet.” ‘Right, and when will it be cooked?’ “Next Monday.” I think there is a miscommunication once again. Nevertheless we enjoyed our drinks, the outdated Malawi guidebooks, and some fried dough balls which I had bought on the way up. It was a relief to be out of the sun for a bit.

I had read about vehicles which would take you down the hill again for $3. We hadn’t seen many cars on the way up at all, maybe two in the whole four hours. The guy in the cafe phoned someone, and said walk down to the market and ask for Mike, and he would take us down. We did this. Turned out Mike needed 12 people before he would leave. God knows how 12 people would fit in his Pajero, and he would charge 2000kawacha ($3). Currently he had five. We waited about an hour - David had chips, Steph had ugali and spinach. We met a man in the cafe, who spoke amazing English. 

He was very impressed, and confused, by our cycle trip... and commended us on our strength (this comment on strength is particularly common). He also asked us to guess his age - he was 67! The people here age very well.

We returned to Mike. He now had 4 people, but would take us down for 25000shillings. I felt we were being taken for a ride. And had wasted the last hour. We needed to be back at camp by 5pm for rider meeting, dinner and to put in our permanent bags. Steph, the master of haggling, got it down to 5000 each for us, and then the locals I;m sure just paid 2000. It was a bumpy ride down, and all of us were suddenly struck with how far we had walked.

We arrived just in time for dinner. Literally.