Malawi

Mzuzu




Just a few people of the 24

After getting our stamp pretty quickly for Malawi, we were ushered towards a minibus bound for Mzuzu. We were told there was space. But as we peered in to the already crowded bus, with people poking out the doors, we knew it wasn’t going to work. Suddenly, about 5 people were pulled put the bus and seats were made for us! I don’t think the others were going that far, so were dragged onto another.

We bounced along at record speed, another Lewis Hamilton on our hands! We curved around rolling hill tops and paddy fields, before finally the lake was revealed. Its sheer size, with no land to be seen on the other side, just the horizon, made it feel like we were by the sea again.

For a 14 seater minibus, we knew full well these things could see around 20 people. With already 20 of us crammed in, with people standing and crouched over by the door it was impossible to fit more people on. But as we pulled up to the side of the road to 5 people waiting for a lift, the word ‘impossible’ was thrown out the window, probably to make more room for the POSSIBLE. All shoved in, sharing kids on each other’s laps, a grandma perched on a teenager, armpits in faces, hands everywhere for support and still enough movement for people to be buying tomatoes and bananas out the air holes in this tin truck we call windows, we were off!

As a baby gripped my finger so tight and stared at my strange muzungu face, giggling his little heart out, and people were laughing at the squashed in mess of this bus, I was reminded why I love Africa so much. Life is just life here, and nobody complains, just gets on with it!

We arrived in Mzuzu mid-afternoon and found a nice quiet backpackers place. There was nobody else there despite its pretty easy going feel. However, this was just a stop off for one night before we headed to Nkhata bay the next day. Only 2 hours away, but not wanting to go on anothe journey just yet, we settled down for the night.

Nkhata Bay

The next day, we headed to Nkhata bay, a beautiful spot by the lake and stayed in this little lodge with a cool backpacker feel and lots of travellers for once!




Lake Malawi

The stories were flying of everyone’s travels…people who worked/volunteered in Namibia, Zambia or South Africa, others who were volunteering in Malawi, people cycling the world for years, others doing the same Cairo to Cape Town route, or heading in the other direction.

We took a boat trip that day with everyone to see some fish eagles dive into the water for some fish kebabs our Captain had made. Then went out to some rocks where the brave ones cliff dived, and even the extremely high captain took some daring leaps and dives…where there were moments we thought he wasn’t going to surface!

We went out further to a beach where the locals were pulling in fishing nets and the cute kids came to sit next to you. The guys were playing football with the kids for a bit before we all joined in with the locals playing a triple jump…jumping over 3 vines with only one pace in between each. The last person sets the distance that the last vine is moved out further…and everyone jumps again…until our little legs can’t handle the stretch anymore. Funnily enough I was out pretty quick! 


Sunset view

 

Watching the boys play football on the beach against some locals, I lay in the sand whilst surrounded by the kids. It was a gorgeous day, sun shining, really nice people. It felt like we had only hit the backpacker route.

A few drinks in the evening, we were ready for a good sleep in our amazing 4 poster bed (whilst paying only the price for camping), with a view over the lake we would look forward to in the morning.


Mayoka view

We ended up staying three nights at this place. We went snorkelling and swimming one day just by the lodge and took out their paddle board as well for a spin, and can’t begin to tell you how peaceful it was. With water so clear, and not a cloud in the sky, it was a beautiful few days.

The following day, it was so clear that we even took out a canoe to a snorkelling spot about half an hour away, which was gorgeous- loads of colourful small fish.




TOILET!

I know I’m going to be going on about a toilet here, but hear me out! The toilet was pretty cool. There were two long drop toilets with wooden tops, with only one in use at a time. One is closed for 6 months whilst it turns into compost, and the other being used. With the used one, after each use, you have to put a spoonful of sawdust and a spoonful of ash down the toilet to aid the process. It’s a really good idea, and trust me, after seeing floaters bobbing along the sea from the ferry back from Zanzibar having being released from the city, I can’t think of a better way for a hotel to have their toilet!

Mzuzu

Before we knew it, it was time to go. We headed back to Mzuzu so that we could get a bus the following morning at 7am. We stayed at the same place as before, but in their caravan. Sounds pretty cool, yeah? But it was small, damp and reminded me of ‘my big fat gypsy wedding.’

We had planned to get to the capital, Lilongwe, and then just over the border to Zambia by minibus before the end of the day.

We got up early and managed to just secure the last two tickets on the coach. Everyone had boarded and all the luggage stowed away, engine on. But then the conductor said we needed to get off and would be transferring to a bus that was heading to us from the depot. Oh dear, good start.

But we managed to all board the next one, only 40 minutes delayed, and we were off. Having been told it would be a 4 hour journey, we budgeted for 5. We trundled along, not too fast and reached a town at 12pm, about 2 hours away from Lilongwe. So 6 hours then…we could live with that, no rush. But then this screeching noise was coming from the coach, and we kept on stalling. We managed about another 500m before we conked out on the side of the road.

The conductor and driver disappeared for a while, and we were left with no info. After about half an hour, we were told it wasn’t going anywhere, but there was another coach we could get on that should be here in 20 minutes…but pretty full already, and only standing spots. Did he expect all 60 of us to squeeze on?




KPMG secondment??

We decided to leave the coach and try our own luck, and with 3 guys we had met at the lake before, and 3 other girls that were also on the same journey, we all got into a minibus. About 5 guys got in all at once and the driver started whizzing away. At this point, the ‘replacement’ coach had just arrived and we shouted at the minibus driver to stop. Not because we wanted to try our luck with this bus, but it just didn’t feel right. Every other minibus was jammed to the rafters. As I’ve said before, 24 people. Every other minibus that had offered to take us didn’t leave until they were full. But with only 12 people and plenty of space and them saying it was full, it just didn’t feel right. Especially when they wouldn’t open the doors for a while when we eventually got them to pull over.

So we all managed to get off and squeeze up the aisle of this coach. But the driver tried and failed to get the engine to run properly. I know! Apparently something wrong with the clutch. So we stood, waiting, crammed, for half an hour before we both decided to jump off and try attempt number two in securing a minibus.

Lilongwe

This time it was full, and my half a butt cheek without a seat can testify to that. It took 3 hours to get to Lilongwe…god knows if the coach got fixed. We arrived at 4, a very long day, and decided against trying to get to the border (especially as we barely had any money). So we parked ourselves in a hotel and ended up booking a bus straight to Lusaka (a 12 hour journey to Zambia’s capital) for Monday.

We had the whole of Sunday doing nothing in Lilongwe, as most shops and museums shut down for the day. It was am especially long day as we were up at 6am, impossible to sleep through the noise of the city.

Our bus left at 6am, but luckily our hotel was right by the coach so we didn’t have to suffer a long walk to get there that early. And as everyone loaded up and the sun was rising, we headed off to Zambia.