|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
192km |
Meals
Leftover Mexican mince |
Weather |
Nkhata Bay,
Malawi
Witt & Jen |
31 August, 2004 |
Njaya Lodge camping |
11°37.239’S
x 34°18.304’E |
Odometer: 35121km |
Partly cloudy 91(F)
degrees |
|
It rained a little during
breakfast this morning, the first rain we’ve seen in a couple of months.
We collected Robert and headed off toward Mzuzu. We stopped briefly in
Livingstonia to have a look around. It’s a strange little town with
orderly red-brick buildings set on the plateau overlooking the lake. The
town was founded as a mission station (not by Livingstone though) and
currently houses a university. We arrived in Mzuzu at about 1130. There is
no international ATM in town, so we filled out some forms for a VISA cash
advance, which we were told would be ready in two hours. We had some lunch
and went to a very modern internet café where Jen discovered that a friend
of hers had won the bronze medal in the women’s triathalon in Athens.
After we collected our cash we immediately spent almost $100 dollars of it
on diesel. The supermarket was a bit disappointing, but we did pick up
some nice fruits and veggies at the market outside. In the afternoon we
headed for nkhata bay. We checked in at Njaya lodge and went to see about
a sea kayaking trip. The trip to Likoma island won’t run again for another
week, and the other trips didn’t seem as interesting so we decided to give
it a miss. We spent the evening on the deck at the lodge and were treated
to a beautiful view of the full moon rising over the lake. |
|
The Clock tower in
Livingstonia |
The mission
hospital |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
75km |
Meals
Lodge restaurant (fish & chips) |
Weather |
Makuzi Beach, Malawi
Witt & Jen |
01 September, 2004 |
Makuzi Beach campground |
11°55.136’S x 34°10.675’E |
Odometer: 35196km |
Sunny, 90(F) Degrees |
|
We watched a beautiful sunrise
over Lake Malawi from our tent this morning. After breakfast we decided to
go about 50km south to Chinteche where the beaches are supposed to be a
little nicer. We went to Kande beach first and set up a ½ day “refresher
course” with the scuba diving outfit there. Kande caters almost
exclusively to overland trucks, and as there were 3 in evidence while we
were there we decided to camp about 7km north at Makuzi beach. We were the
only guests there and we spent the afternoon relaxing, snorkeling, and
puttering about in a little sailboat they have. We enjoyed sundowners
followed by dinner on the deck overlooking the lake. |
|
Sunrise over Lake
Malawi |
Setting sail at
Makuzi Beach |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
13km |
Meals
Pasta with tomato sauce |
Weather |
|
Kande Beach, Malawi
Witt & Jen |
02 September, 2004 |
Kande Beach campground |
11°57.077’S
x 34°07.308’E |
Odometer: 35209km |
Sunny, 95(F)
degrees |
|
After breakfast this morning
we headed to Kande beach. The refresher course consisted of a brief
classroom session followed by an equipment review, after which we were in
the water for a dive. Our instructor and dive master was Ben, a 20 year
old (about) from South Africa who liked to laugh at everything. He was
good though, and we had an enjoyable dive around an island close to shore.
We saw many different varieties of cichlid, a small colorful fish found
almost exclusively in Lake Malawi. We spent the afternoon in shady
hammocks reading, and enjoyed a little Frisbee on the beach. Two of the
overland trucks left this morning, leaving the place nice and quiet. It’s
very well done, with a bar overlooking the lake and a beautiful white sand
beach |
|
Life is rough.. |
Kande Beach resort |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
0km |
Meals
Restaurant |
Weather |
Kande Beach, Malawi
Witt & Jen |
03 September, 2004 |
Chilinda Campground |
11°57.077’S
x 34°07.308’E |
Odometer: 35209km |
Sunny, 92(F) Degrees |
|
We scheduled another dive trip
to the island for this afternoon, so we planned to just hang out on the
beach and read in the morning. At about 1130 the wind started to pick up
so we decided to rent one of the sailing catamarans they have. I’ve never
sailed a cat before, and it was great fun. After lunch at the restaurant
associated with the campground, we headed out for our dive. Ben showed us
their “wreck,” an old VW thing sunk intentionally to add interest for
divers. The visibility was a bit better this afternoon, and the diving was
like swimming in an aquarium. After our dive we decided that we’d had so
much fun on the sailboat in the morning that we took it out again. We
enjoyed beers on the beach and a good meal of fried fish at the
restaurant. After dinner we met a group of travelers headed for Ethiopia.
There were 7 of them in two vehicles! And we thought we were overloaded. |
|
Kande Beach |
Kande Beach |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
312km |
Meals
pasta with veggie sausage |
Weather |
|
Mtunthana, Malawi
Witt & Jen |
04 September, 2004 |
Kathy's front yard |
13°01.880’S x 33°40.969’E |
Odometer: 35521km |
Partly cloudy, 88(F)
degrees |
|
We left Kande this morning
planning to visit an American Peace Corps volunteer whom we had met in
Livingstone (Zambia). On the way we stopped at a pottery factory near
Nkhotakota. They make some very nice stuff and it’s pretty cheap. We
managed to locate some more space in Rafiki so that we could buy some.
After lunch on the beach, we headed inland, eventually locating Kathy’s
home near the town of Mtunthana. She wasn’t there when we arrived, but
Aaron who helps her out, let us into her house. We talked with him for
awhile until she returned. We talked with her for quite awhile and learned
a lot about Malawi and the Peace Corps in general. Living in a single
place for a long period has given her a depth of knowledge that we haven’t
been able to get traveling, and it was very enjoyable to talk to her. She
lives in the same style of house that the locals use. It does have
electricity (most of the time) and running water, but in general Kathy
(and all Peace Corps volunteers) live at the same level economically as
the societies in which they are placed. |
|
Updated Information
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
155km |
Meals
Potato and carrot curry |
Weather |
|
Lilongwe, Malawi
Witt & Jen |
05 September, 2004 |
Kiboko Backpackers |
13°59.957’S x 33°45.563’E |
Odometer: 35676km |
Sunny 92(F)
degrees |
|
Kathy made us breakfast this
morning. Apparently it is what the locals normally eat and amounts
essentially to rice pudding. She added cinnamon to it and it was quite
good, although much different from what we’re used to for breakfast. She
and Tommy, another volunteer, showed us around the nearby Kumuzu Academy.
The school was founded by a previous president of Malawi and was modeled
after Eaton College in England. It was like stepping out of Africa
briefly, with it’s auditoriums, modern computer labs, and enormous
library. Today was the first day of a new term, and we saw a parade of
brand new Landcruisers and Mercedes go by as parents brought their kids to
school. The original idea was that the top two students from each district
in the country would be awarded scholarships to the school, but that has
been done away with in favor of cash, and now only the very wealthiest
Malawians (and foreign students from other parts of Africa) can attend.
There is a garden that grows vegetables, and apparently the school can be
entirely self-sufficient for up to six weeks. Kathy and her Malawian
counterpart Kevin are heading to Lilongwe today to attend a training
session on how to teach HIV/AIDS issues, so we offered them a ride. We
arrived in Lilongwe at about noon and said goodbye to Kathy. There don’t
appear to be any international ATMs in town, so we’ll have to wait until
tomorrow (Monday) to get cash and buy fuel to continue our journey. We
found a place to stay and spent the afternoon showering and checking our
email. |
|
Kathy's home in Mtunthana |
Kamuzu Academy campus |
|
September 6 .... |
