Malawi adventure

Malawi is know as the 'warm heart of Africa', and we were all looking forward to lazing about on the beach, sipping cocktails and taking the occasional dip in the warm water to gaze at the tropical fish...

Unfortunately we also managed to pick the week when an unseasonably bad weather front hit the region - just our luck. Rain is unheard of here in August, but as the black clouds gathered we realized the freak weather wasn't just hitting Pakistan and Russia. So instead of basking in the sunshine, we spent most of the week hiding in our tent, curled up in our sleeping bags and bracing ourselves against the wind to walk down the beach.

That's not to say we didn't have a great time though, and I would make the 2 day journey all over again. We set off at 4.30 am from Lusaka, arriving 550km north east in Chipata at 1 pm, the only incident being a bag of kapenta fish falling on Jenny's head. From there we squished into a taxi stuffed with 8 people (I had to sit on a strange man's lap) to the Malawi boarder. From there it was pretty straight forward as we hitched a ride all the way to Lilongwe with some Dutch tourists. By the time we arrived we were greeted with fairy lights and cold beer - lovely. The next day was another early start as we got a bus from Lilongwe to Salima and then a truck to Senga Bay. Our first day in Malawi and the storm began to brew.

Despite this the journey was worth it just to observe the traditional Malawian way of life - Senga Bay is still a small fishing village relatively untouched by tourism. The lake serves as the villagers bath, sink, drinking water, washing machine and provides their staple food, fish. Early in the morning both men and women would be bathing (even though it was pretty cold and I was wrapped up in my hoodie), brushing their teeth, washing the family's clothes and plates, and the men would be pushing the boats out for the day's catch. A simple, but truly relaxed, way of life.


Washing the clothes in the early morning sun




The men pushing the fishing boat out for the day, while the women stay on the shore washing


Goat and boat, both key parts of Malawian life


Traditional fishing boats made from a single piece of hollowed out wood


Lake Malawi fish being dried in the sun


Dinner


Going for the windswept look


Warming up afterward with tea at the local tea shop


Alternatively you can warm up with 'Power's No 1', which is only identified as 'dry spirit'.... Interesting, but at 41% your sure not to notice the cold

So the Malawi adventure wasn't quite what I expected, but it was certainly a memorable experience, I can't wait to go back and see it in the sun sometime soon.

For now its back to Zambia, ready to start a new adventure with Mummy and Kate in tow, bring on the safari, house boat and Vic Falls!