Riding the Rails of the Tazara Train to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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Derailed Train Cars on the Tazara Line

Finally aboard the train and actually moving, we had a beer to celebrate.  It was also Australia Day, so the girls had more reasons to celebrate, and we needed little excuse.  We all enjoyed the dining car area as it was a good place to hang out, and you could see lots out the windows.  Tanzania is quite a lush, green country in the south.  We passed through loads of small villages, where all the kids were out waving.  Some great scenery, and a little scary stuff too, as we passed multiple rail car derailments.....  always makes you feel safe when you are traveling in the same mode of transport.

The sleeping compartments were comfortable, and we were sharing with our two Kiwi friends Hamish and Jan, along with their surf boards.  Being in the upper bunk, when the train lurched I felt like I was going to fall out of the bunk, so found myself sleeping with my arm wrapped around the metal handle.  In the morning, I joked to Hamish about it as he was in the other upper bunk, and he had a similar story of holding on during the night.

Locals at one Train Station on the Route

The TaZaRA (Tanzania-Zambia-Rail-Authority) train tracked through a major game reserve in the South of Tanzania called Selous.  We had heard from others that there can be some great game sightings whilst traveling through.  But alas, we only saw a couple of elephants, and some antelopes - but not for lack of looking!!  You win some, you lose some.

Arriving in Dar es Salaam, we quickly parted with all our train-mates as the boys were trying to get to Zanzibar, and the girls to Moshi to climb Kilimanjaro.  We tackled the rush hour traffic in local buses to get to the ferry over to Kigamboni.  A crazy, bustling ferry which traveled a whopping 5 minutes or so across the river mouth, to the southern beaches area.  From here, it was a quick tuk-tuk(bajaj) ride to Mikadi Beach where we surprised Georgia and Arek (travel mates in Malawi) with our arrival.  Always great to meet up with them, but only for a couple of days before they were off to Mozambique.   We caught up with travel stories and finding out about their adventures and mis-adventures.  Turns out Arek sprained his ankle badly falling into a drain, and was unable to really take the load of his pack and walk.  That meant they spent a lot of time in Zanzibar and on Mikadi Beach. Could be worse!

Catching up on computer chores at Mikadi Beach Lodge

Mikadi Beach was a chilled out lodge on a pretty, white sand beach - you would never know you were only 5 minutes or so from the heart of Dar es Salaam (the biggest city in Tanzania).  The only problem was, that they recommend you not stray from the lodge after dark, and we witnessed a couple of attacks (or at least the aftermath) and burglaries of a couple of people.    There was also hundreds of local people that were at the beach club next door - but they were all enjoying the surf and sand - not planning any robberies we hope!
We also hung out with Dirk, a German guy with some amazing photos of his safaris, and a brilliant soft top Land Rover with roof tent.  Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Georgia and Arek, but not before they introduced us to Chips Mayai - a popular local food basically consisting of chips/french fries and an egg mixture similar to a Spanish omelet.  We would have many more of these on our travels in Tanzania.

Locals on Mikadi Beach

We basically spent a couple of days in Dar doing some chores, like heading to the Sudanese Embassy (and meeting a very rude Sudanese office guy which didn't really make us feel excited about wanting to travel there!) But on a happy note, we also got to meet up with Charrie "Danger" Steele, who had been up in north Tanzania, but returned to Dar for his flight home.  Great to meet up with Charrie again, part of our Malawi contingent, catch up and get some good Tanzania travel tips.   Our next job is to head up to Moshi, at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, to arrange a climb of the prestigious mountain.    *Stub

Transit Town Mbeya, Tanzania

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Mbeya Crew Enjoying some Beers

It took seven legs for the journey from Livingstonia, Malawi to Mbeya, Tanzania.  First, we starting walking down the hill from Livingstonia, because you are never sure if there will be a vehicle.  Steep and windy, we walked about 7km down, and did 11 of the 19 switchback hairpin turns.  Then we heard a vehicle approaching from above, and sure enough, a large, flatbed truck came down.  We hopped in the muddy back with a group of other locals, and bounced our way to the bottom.  Next thing we knew, we were sitting on the side of the road in Chitimba.  While waiting in town, we hitched a ride in a nice SUV from a local who didn't want any money in return.  A shared taxi took us from Karonga to the border of Tanzania.  We walked from the border about 2km to the bus stop, and a medium sized bus took us to Mbeya.  But, not all the way, as we were shuffled from the bigger bus into a minibus for the last few km's because I think our guy was too lazy to head to the bus station.  It was dark, a new country, and it was a bit stressful as there were people dragging our stuff around and we didn't know what was going on because, as we discovered, there is not much English spoken here.  We would have to learn some Swahili!!

Excited Kids at the Train Station

Holed up in a little hotel, we met 2 Kiwi guys next door and planned to head to the train station in the morning to buy tickets for an 849km train to Dar es Salaam.  For whatever reason, males and females cannot sleep in the same compartment on the train unless they book the entire compartment.  So, it was lucky that we came across Jan and Hamish, as they reduced our price significantly.  And, we enjoyed hanging out with them, along with four Aussie girls they had hoped to catch up with in town.  The 8 of us went to the train station in time for our assumed departure, only to find out that the train was 20 HOURS late, and that we should just come back in the morning.  A little disappointing, as Mbeya is just really a transit town, with very little to do. We felt like we were wasting a day really, but what can you do.

Kids Playing Dice with us at Train Station

We made the most of it though, all hanging out at a local eatery, and then the local pub.  In the morning, it was back to the train station at 10AM, where we sat and waited, and waited and waited.  We passed the time with some games, which the local kids watched intensely.  One little guy was super pleased when I asked him to throw the dice for me, and he was GOOD.  I kept him as my substitute for the rest of the game.  We also played some hacky sack, and on one effort, Jan accidentally stepped on a box of biscuits and drinks that one of the kids was selling.  It was a excellent effort to stretch out for the hack, but he ended up getting guilted into buying a bunch of the things he accidentally stepped on!!!  Probably didn't break the bank though.
We had taken a sweepstake on when the train actually arrived, and 3:30 PM was the winner.  More than 24 hours late and we finally got moving at about 4PM or so.   Not sure how this kind of punctuality would go over in the Western world!!!   *Stub

Hamish, Jan and Us in our Cabin on the train

The Hills of Livingstonia, Malawi

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The View from the Deck of our Chalet

We were still pretty soggy when we arrived at the base of the hills at the junction to Livingstonia, and so we pondered our options.  To Lukwe Eco-Camp, it was 12 km up a steep, dirt road, switchbacking up the mountain.  Even though our stuff had been protected with waterproof bags, some of our stuff still got wet.  Did we really want to tackle the walk up there carrying all of our stuff......not really.  We could wait, and hope to get a ride up (which are few and far between).  We could haggle with, then hire a porter to carry some of our baggage whilst we carried the rest.  We could stay there in Chitimba, and tackle the problem in the morning when there may be a better chance of getting an easy way up.  Or we could just bite the bullet, and start walking - heck, I'm sure we could use the exercise.

So, let's see if you guessed right.......... we decided to wait for a ride, and thought our chances might be good as there was a collection of locals starting to accumulate at the intersection.  Sure enough, a pick-up truck came by after about 1 and a half hours, and we paid our 500 Kwacha ($2.50), to get up the steep road.  And what a bouncy, steep ride it was - a little scary I might add, with steep drops beside.  I kept hoping that the brakes didn't fail.

Restaurant and Bar on the Ledge at Lukwe EcoLodge

All good though, as we walked down the drive to Lukwe Eco-Camp, and saw the amazing paradise that we would call home for a couple of days (or four). This ingenious camp/chalets/bar/restaurant complex was perched right on the edge of a steep drop, with stunning views back towards the lake, and over the lush, green hills in between.  Wow, we could hardly take our eyes off of the view. We could see why Lukwe had been recommended to us.

After being soooooooo wet, we decided to take a chalet in order to dry ourselves out.  The chalet balcony was also perched right on the edge - it was quite the spot to relax in.  And our hut was really cool, all furniture and extras hand built by Auke, the Eco-Camp owner.  Way back when Auke was traveling for a few years, he fell in love with this area, and so stopped right there.  Then he started planting trees and a garden, and building his own camp.  The attention to detail in his carpentry was fabulous, and his gardens were sublime.  Ponds, paths, all types of veggies and crops. He's been here 11 years. And what a place!  Of course, since he grows all his own veggies, the food was fresh and delicious.

Michelle Swinging on the Edge at Lukwe

Auke also likes his steak, and had a special/expensive solar FREEZER to keep the meat.  Needless to say, I couldn't resist a great t-bone the first night..... and then a sirloin the third night.   MMMMmmmm, red meat fest!!!  Michelle was excited to eat salads every meal - and loved having a huge bowl of flavourful crispy veg each night all to herself.  Auke certainly had tried to think of everything and unlike most other places in Malawi that we'd been to recently, Lukwe had (solar) electricity and it took a bit of getting used to eating by LED lights and having cold drinks! Electricity was only in the bar though, and so we were able to spot bushbabies quite easily in the trees at night before dinner.


The story behind Livingstonia town is that it was first established after David Livingstone's death.  After a few failed attempts by missionaries in other locations, they finally settled on this spot.  From our lodge the town was a (hot) 5km walk up the winding road.  A one Dr. Robert Laws was instrumental in establishing the mission and hospital and his now famous residence, the Stone House -

Fields around Livingstonia

a bed and breakfast, and museum.  We enjoyed the people and the little fruit market, and a tasty lunch of nsima (maize meal) and chicken at the Stone House itself. Our favourite bit was actually the walk back which, instead of the road, we took scenic shortcuts through steep hills and terraced fields, waving to the locals as the tended to their row upon row of maize and cassava.

Our time seemed to fly by at Lukwe especially as sometimes we would spend about 2 hours making lunch which involved making a fire in the self catering kitchen to cook pasta, so that we could splash out on the amazing mouthwatering dinners. Sometimes we would just sit and read looking at the views. Apart from town, we did only a little exploring: the Manchewe Falls were very pretty but we didn't venture far as there was a drop-off viewpoint at the end of Auke's organic garden. Another afternoon we walked over to the 'adjacent'  Mushroom Farm Lodge - a very popular place with backpackers and campers. Like Lukwe, it also has a great perch with closer sweeping views of the lake. It seemed like a cool place with funky chill-out spots, but we were super happy with our Lukwe.  Knowing that we were moving on to our next country, Lukwe was a great note to leave Malawi on!  * Stub/Mush

Rainy Season Hits Us Hard at Vwaza Marsh National Park, Malawi

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We decided to head back South to Nkhata Bay, as there would be more info on getting to the parks there.  A good stop, because we were familiar with the place and people.  We got to see Zulfaa again, this time behind the bar at Mayoka Village, as she was working there for a month while Nick returned to Australia.  We also got to enjoy the awesome Mayoka burger one last time before we set off again.

Our Tent Location on the Lake at Vwaza Marsh

The day we left really felt like traveling again, because for the previous month, it seemed like we were just relaxing and not really working hard - a holiday from our travels so to speak!!   Back to the grind though of cramped Minibus frustration, bargaining for everything whilst trying not to get ripped off, and watching our backs in new places as we discover the intricacies of new towns and countries - always somewhat anxious moments.

After a brief stop in Mzuzu for supplies and changing money on the black market, we easily got up to Rumphi by minibus.  From here, it was a cramped matola ride hopefully to the gates of Vwaza Marsh National Park.  The matola was basically a pick-up truck/bakkie that they managed to cram 35 people in to.  As is true to form for African travel, there was not much forethought to the ride.  After all the people loaded up, they drove through town picking up all the supplies, so they had to load all the sacks of 'whatever' around all the people, as nobody wanted to give up their already cramped seats or standing room.  Stupid really, but they squeezed it all in somehow, much to the chagrin of all the passengers.  Next though, there was a flat tire, so they changed it, again with all the people staying in the back for the same reasons.

It was a bouncy, bumpy and somewhat miserable ride, but the good news was that we actually got to where we wanted to go….. and before dark!!  The nice park manager showed us to a campsite in the resort area, which we had to ourselves.  Our tent was parked about 15m from the lake with hippos snorting away.

Family of Hippos Running Back to the Lake

With rainy season now in full effect in Malawi, we weren't surprised to wake up damply after some heavy rains overnight.  So much for our guided walk in the morning - no sense going since all the animals will be hiding from the rain too.  Luckily, we had some shelter and were able to kill time until the skies cleared, and our armed guide returned.  It was weird walking with him and his GUN.  We felt comfortable though, and were able to get reasonably close to some animals with him.  The highlight of the day was seeing a family of 3 hippos out of the water, including a very small baby.  Once they finally saw us, they all ran quickly towards the water, charging in with quite a splash.

With rainy season, most of the animals have gone deeper into the park, so there was not a lot to see.  Still, the walking safari is a different experience, and the scenery was worth the walk.  We did have some hippos out of the water near our tent, and had a beautifully colourful sunset over the lake to

Stunning Sunset over the Lake at Vwaza Marsh

watch as we enjoyed dinner.  The night watchman was a nice little man - about 4 foot nothing tall - named Patsun, but very smiley, and helped us out with building a fire and such.  Not sure how much safer I felt with this diminutive man watching out for us though.

We were happy to wake up to 'no rain', so we packed up dryly and started walking back to the road.  The heavens opened up though, and heavy rains started to fall as we walked.  This was NOT going to be a fun ride though, but we had to take the first vehicle that passed by in case no others came.
We both shoe-horned our way into another FULL matola, and began the rough ride.  Michelle was sitting in back in a basket, with a bunch of the ladies, and I was standing up front behind the cab, wedged into a corner.  Michelle's backpack was on the roof of the cab, basically working as a rain guard for the other guys up front.  My daypack was hooked on my front, just trying to keep it from dragging me down.  The road was now slippery, to go along with bumpy, and when we would slide into some ruts, I had to hold the weight of about 8 men leaning on me, with the right side of my knee pressing hard against the rail of the truck bed.  It was a painful, and exhausting ride, compounded by the driving rain hitting my face all the way there.  After about 2 hours of this torture, we finally arrived and I had hoped that Michelle's journey was nowhere near as difficult as mine as I couldn't even see her or speak to her along the way.

In Rumphi, we met a nice shopkeeper called Happy, and relaxed under the shelter of his storefront while waiting for the next minibus to take us up to Chitimba.  Hopefully, this ride will be drier and less painful.   *Stub

Comparison of Martin and Baby Hippo Prints

Comparison of Martin and Adult Hippo Prints

Apres Wedding Festivities, Ruarwe, Malawi

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Bjorn, Philippa, Holly and Karen at Zulunkhuni Bar

The rest of the week in Ruarwe was spent socializing at the lodge, playing games, dancing chatting. and just chillin'. Most of the Mzungu guests who had come up from Nkhata Bay headed back on a boat two days after the wedding. There were still a number of people left behind with us - party animal Nick (from Chizumulu island who accompanied us up on the ferry), South African Bjorn from Nkhata Bay who liked seeing the sunrise after drinking all night, good friends of Charlie's from England, Jill (Sally's mum) and some nurses and teachers who were volunteering in the community.  The nurses and teacher, Holly, Natasha, Philipa and Karen, are from London and were very bubbly and super fun to hang out with.

Martin and 88 Year Old Chief Jeramani at his Australia House

On a couple of occasions we went into the village and visited the chief and also attended the community centre opening day which was a big occasion. More singing and dancing from the women's groups and children of the villages.

Every day there seemed to be a group swim, and different people (including Martin) would eventually tackle the big 9m platform jump into the lake.  It's a long drop.  Also, plenty of games and good times with the group, and many late nights often until the wee hours of the morning.

They also had an issue with food supplies, they were running out.  But each day they pulled through with flying colours, making something out of nothing almost.  The last 2 nights they managed to acquire some fish for a wonderful pasta, then bought a goat for a stew which was super tender and obviously very fresh!

Saying Goodbye to the Staff at Zulunkhuni Lodge

Suddenly it was time to move on as the Ilala ferry was keeping to it's weekly schedule and we had to decide what do next. We chose to go back Nkhata Bay to do some more research into a couple of National Parks, and where we thought we would have a better launching spot to access them. Quite surprisingly, the Ilala ferry was on time! We were amazed, and sad as we would have liked to have an excuse to stay longer. *Mush

Nice Day for a 'Mzungu' Wedding, Ruarwe, Malawi

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Michelle Dancing with 88 Year Old Chief Jeramani

A White Wedding was in store within our newly adopted family from Christmas time. Charlie and Sally, the owners of Zulukhuni Lodge, had invited us to their wedding on the 9th of Jan. But firstly - we had to get there! After spending a relatively sleepless night waiting for the ferry at Wakwenda Retreat on the island of Chizumulu, we boarded the Ilala Ferry 8 hours behind schedule. It was a fun journey with the other travellers we had met that week on the islands, but they left us t Nkhata Bay and we continued onwards to Ruarwe.

By this time it was well after noon and according to Nick (the owner of Wakwenda who was also going to Charlie's and Sally's wedding), it was Beer o'clock. We had taken it on ourselves to 'look after' Nick since he had promised Charlie that

Here Comes the Bride - A Welcoming Party

he wouldn't turn up drunk or hungover for his mate's wedding day. So starting after noon we thought would be safe. Between us we drank quite a number of beers as we hung out on the outside deck in third class. We also had fun with the locals as I had got a catchy Swahili (Tanzanian) song stuck in my head. "Sawaa Sawaa Sawaa Ley". By the time we had arrived, I had a number of them singing along to the song playing from one of their cell phones.

Although we'd been invited to the wedding, we hadn't been sure if we would make it, so it was a real surprise for Charlie and Sally when we came ashore at Zulunkhuni Lodge. It was also great to see Jill (Sally's mum) and to see the look on her face as we walked up into the bar. Nice to feel super welcome. We also recognised a number of faces from partying at New Year in Nkhata Bay so we knew it was going to be a fun wedding!

The Wedding Locale on Ruarwe Beach

Remembering our Christmas here, it was definitely going to be a different feel this time. Instead of the six people that we had at Christmas, there were more like 40 now, plus all the staff. So the day of the wedding was organised chaos at the lodge with breakfast and drinks all round. The staff had never seen the place so busy!

Seeing as the village of Ruarwe was organising the wedding - complete with organising committee!, we knew it was going to be an unusual and special African experience. A 10 minute ride by wooden shuttle boat took us all to the beach - the heart of the village - where the reception from the couple of hundred people or so, was colouful (everyone was in their best clothes), and noisy, waving branches and singing their hearts out in greeting. Thankfully the seasonal morning rain had given way to sunshine and everyone was in good spirits.

Michelle with other wedding onlookers

The Mzungu guests (white people) got stuck into the dancing with the locals before the
hullabaloo of Charlie's arrival. Charlie has been in Malawi for 15 years and was pretty much adopted by Ruarwe's Chief Jeramani and given the land to build Zulunkhuni River Lodge to bring tourism to the village. It was pretty obvious that the villagers are very fond of Charlie. Shortly after, Sally was greeted in the same way with much singing and dancing and celebration.

The wedding committee did a great job organizing the ceremony which filled with speeches from the local chiefs and headmen (of all the villages encompassed in Ruarwe's area), lots of dancing and
singing, and throwing of 20 kwacha (10cent) notes around. The MC would translate the speeches and vows, and because there was much activity and noise, it was all carried out using a mega phone!

The Local Chiefs Attending the Wedding - All in Their Best Suits

Unconventional, but entertaining! It was a very happy occasion with a guesstimate of about 400 locals in attendance

After the main proceedings, dinner was served, first to the Mzungu guests and then to all the villagers. As is local tradition, Charlie had bought a cow for the dinner celebrations which feeds not only his personal guests, but is expected to feed the whole village (which was several hundred strong). The committee had cooked up a massive cow stew - literally. It seemed they left nothing out as, unfortunately, I was served a plate of offal with stomach lining and various tubes and bits sticking out. I couldn't look at it let alone eat it! So
I felt really ungrateful for not being able to stomach it - this is Africa after all, and people are hungry. Thankfully, with prompting from a local guest savvy to western tastes, my plate was discreetly replaced with something a little more edible. What a relief! And it was tasty!

A first dance of sorts from Charlie and Sally

More dancing and then it was time to head back to the lodge. The send-off was just as memorable as the arrival that morning. The party continued back at the lodge - drinking and more dancing till the wee hours. The whole day was fantastic and we felt very honoured to be there, and we will definitely cherish the experience. I'm sure it is something that we will never experience again.  * Mush







Things Michelle will remember:
1. Dancing with Chief Jeramani who is 88 years old.
2. Watching in the audience sitting with the local children and them wanting to sit close to me, while others were scared and didn't want to sit close at all!
3. The other chiefs and headmen all wearing their best suits and ties for this very special occasion.
4. Families who were clearly in their best clothes all posing for photos on the beach taking family photos.
5. The generator going all the time in the background to support the sound system that would boom out music spontaneously for dancing and singing in-between speeches and serious stuff.
5. The unforgettable plate of 'beef' stew.

Beautiful Likoma and Chizumulu Islands in Lake Malawi, Malawi

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Flipping Kids on Likoma

We feel like we are becoming ferry regulars now, as this is the third, but not last journey on the infamous Ilala. We know the captain - Tom, Barman - Danson, and waiter - Francis. All very helpful people for us. The ferry left Nkhata Bay a few hours late, and therefor, we would be arriving at Likoma Island very early in the morning. There are two islands called Likoma and Chizumulu, that are Malawian, but in Mozambiquan waters of Lake Malawi, only 7km off the shore. We were due to spend 5 nights on these islands, as that is the next time the ferry would pass on it's way back North.

Robine and Sophie with Fingerloads of kids

We had some company in brother/sister Will and Sophie, and we all set up our tents on the top deck. Lucky, as there was some rain overnight. We arrived in Likoma even later than expected, as there was a delay at Chizumulu, so it worked out for us because it was now approx. 8AM and we could head over to the backpacker's place called Mango Drift on the other side of the island. It was a hot, sticky hour walk over the hills, lugging our big packs on our back, but also very scenic with loads of huge baobab trees around, and views across the water to Mozambique.

Mango Drift was located right on a nice beach, and we set up tent about 10m from the lake. Sporadic electrical power here, but no worries…. the name of the game here was relaxing.

Mango Drift also served up some delicious food, and had a big family dinner every night. For dinners we were joined by Dutch couple Jos and Robine, and Canadian mother and 12 year old son, Elizabeth and Max, who were all staying at the b/p.

Cathedral on Likoma Island



When we dragged ourselves away from swimming, paddle surfing, or just playing games, we did a big long walk around the island. First, summiting the highest point of the island at 605m, only about a 200m climb though. Then down through some of the villages, meeting plenty of friendly locals along the way. At one beach, the kids were showing off by doing flips off the beach into the water. In the same village, we started gathering a huge horde of kids, and we felt like the Pied Piper. At times, I would turn around and start chasing them like a monster, and that got a lot of laughs as they ran away, then snuck up behind me again. Both Sophie and Robine had a kid on every finger as we left town, all singing and skipping or jumping along. Such a pleasure to see the happy, smiling faces.

We thought the kids were going to follow us all around the island, but we had to send them home as to not alarm their families. By this time we had crossed all the way to the main village on the other side of the 8km by 3km island. It was time for lunch, and what better place than the aptly named Hunger Clinic. Good portions of local dishes, stationed right on the beach.

Sophie at Sunset with the Kids of Likoma



As our walk continued, we came across the cathedral. It's quite a surprise to see a cathedral of this size on such a small island, and other than the tin rood, it was an impressive structure. I forgot to mention earlier that we also had a chaperone in the form of Basil the Dog. He had faithfully followed us everywhere on the island, and now the cathedral was going to be no different. He trotted inside ahead of us, and we were a bit embarrassed by this. The caretaker seemed fine, as he said the dog could enter, and Basil continued on the tour of the cathedral, even climbing the balcony stairs for a bird's eye view of the pews.



The last stop on our day walk, was a locally famous 'Medicine Man'. He was an elderly gentleman, with dreadlocks and a loud, red outfit of shirt and shorts which bore a cross on them. After our offering of a branch, he invited us inside and put on a bit of a talk about how he became a healer. In his story, he explained that at one point in his life, he definitely had some mental problems and lived in the jungle with no clothes. He started to find herbs and plants that would heal, and then eventually returned to "civilization" where he cured his grandmother with some herbal remedies. From then on, word spread and people started coming from far and wide to find him. An interesting character to say the least.



Martin after Soccer with kids on Likoma

Unfortunately, we experienced quite a bit of rain on the island, so much so, that we changed our plans for taking a local boat over to Chizumulu. We did, however, hire a private boat for 13 of us on the last day, to at least see Wakwenda Retreat on the Chizi. Will, Sophie and I (along with Basil), walked up to the next village to find a boat. We eventually found someone who would give us a good price, and went with him to get the fuel. I managed to play football/soccer with the local kids while waiting for the fuel, and also had a young 2 year old on my lap for a while looking very stunned at my white hands and skin.



We hadn't realized it, but we had to walk to the opposite side of the island to get the boat, but that gave us an unexpected boat tour around the island. We just arrived much later at Mango Drift than expected. It was a quick trip over to Chizi, and we arrived to a startled Nick, who owned the lodge. When you are on a tiny island, and all of a sudden 13 people show up unannounced, probable expecting dinner, that puts you in a tough position. He came through with flying colours though, and we had a tasty chili con carne.



Wakwenda Retreat on Chizumulu Island

Nick was also in a bit of a tough spot, as earlier that morning, a dog that he was looking after actually got eaten by a crocodile. He had no means to tell the owner, and felt awful about the whole incident. This happened in an area where people often swim, so it was lucky that it wasn't worse, but there was now a big 3m croc around, and the police were there trying to shoot it since it will continue to be a problem.



Nick's place was an impressive spot with a bar built around a rocky outcrop. He had built different decks jutting out from various locations and it was fabulous. We wished we had come sooner. And, Nick was quite the host too… He seems to love having people around, and even when the heavy rains came later, we all ended up hanging out in Nick's house. The ferry was supposed to come at 8PM, but it didn't arrive until 7AM the next morning. Nick, generously let us sleep around the house, as no-one could unpack in case the boat arrived. Thanks Nick for being such a great host!! *Stub

Bringing in 2012 at Nkhata Bay, Malawi

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Mayoka Village from the Lake

Arriving back in Nkhata Bay, we tried to find the place where our friends were supposed to be staying.  Luckily, Nkhata Bay is a small place and we ran into Charrie in the street, who then took us to meet Arek at the local pub.  We celebrated the reunion with a beer in the stifling hot local pub, with Premier League games playing.
They were all staying at a lovely place called Mayoka Village, which had some cool cabins built on a hillside, right above the lake, and tent sites interspersed between.  We managed to set up a great camp right on the water.  The restaurant served up some delicious food, including a home-made thick, juicy beef burger which I couldn't get enough of!!  It even had CHEESE on it!!  Wow, talk about things you miss!

Our Tent at Mayoka Village by Lake Malawi

We had been in touch with friends Nick and Zulfaa, whom we met in Livingstone, Zambia 2 months prior.  They had planned to be in Malawi, but not sure where.  So after getting back in cell phone coverage, we texted them to find out.  As I was walking down the steps to Mayoka, we received a text back saying that they were at Mayoka Village in Nkhata Bay, and we looked up to see them walking along in front of us.  A complete surprise to both parties, and a small world.  So all of a sudden we had quite a little group of friends formed, which made the prospects of the New Year's party even more enticing!
Mayoka Village offered some good free perks including a boat trip/snorkel/cliff jump.  We all piled in the boat and had a good afternoon out, including a close up view of the fish eagle's swooping in for a

Swim Platform with some Mayoka Friends - Zulfaa on right

fish thrown from the boat.  All was going well, until we got called to get back in the boat.  Apparently, the driver had started the engine when a swimmer was behind the boat and actually cut her leg with the prop!!  Really scary stuff, and very lucky that her injuries were not serious!!  WOW - makes you realize how easy things happen, and how lax they are here on safety!!
Our daily routines would include a walk into town for lunch at a local cheap restaurant, that would inevitably take way longer than it should for the food to be served;  a very cheap and cold Coke at our little Sharobala Restaurant to escape the heat temporarily; just walking through town and feeling more like a local, recognizing and being recognized by some of the residents both Malawian and ex-pats.  It seems that Nkhata Bay is a focal point for the good backpacker trail through

Downtown Nkhata Bay - Sharobala Restaurant on left

Malawi, and is a hub since it services the islands by ferry.  Malawi has been a nice change from us being on our own most of the time.
Back at Mayoka, they had a challenge….  If two of you could paddle the local dug-out canoe out around the swim platform and back, without falling in, you would stay one night for free.  Charrie and I gave it a go, but it is easier than it sounds.  The dug-outs are very round and super tippy.  We made a valiant attempt to 2/3's of the way there, but splashed down embarrassingly and disappointed.  All good fun though.
Another interesting note for Mayoka was the ex-chief of the land.  He would appear every night to set up his chocolate bar stand, and sit in the same chair, often falling asleep.  He was an elderly, but jovial man and had a variety of outfits to make our "tickle trunk"

With Georgia, Arek, Charrie and the Chief in his Checker Outfit

(dress-up clothes closet) jealous.  My personal favourites were the full purple outfit including purple socks, and the checkered trousers and shirt complete with Christmas tie.
Along with new brother/sister friends Will and Sophie, we partied the New Year's Eve away at Mayoka, then made our way down to the bigger local party at a bar called Kaya Papaya.  Lots of locals and travellers made for a fun night of dancing, drinking and shooting of New Year's fireworks.  We rung in the New Year there, and wandered home around 4AM, only to find out the next day, that a British guy that we knew had actually been stabbed on the same path about an hour earlier.  He was alone unfortunately, but we were a group, so strength in numbers…..  But a real black eye to the community, as apparently an American girl had been stabbed

New Year's with Zulfaa, Nick, Charrie, Sophie and Arek

too earlier in the night.  Very odd for Nkhata Bay, and everyone was in a bit of shock.  I would assume it was a local with some kind of mental disability, as there didn't appear to be any theft.  Scary stuff, but we take care of each other and friends, and try not to walk alone at night!!
After a day of recovery, we were escorted by Georgia, Arek and Charrie, to the Ilala ferry where, along with Will and Sophie, we were headed for some beach time at the small Malawian islands of Likoma and Chizumulu, out in Lake Malawi, but close to the Mozambique mainland!  *Stub