Into Africa - DASKOP's 12000km drive

[DASKOP]

On my way to Makuzi Beach Lodge.

I stop to fill up and immediately draw the attention of some local bike enthusiasts. Photo time. That is another nice advantage of riding bike, people feel free to come and talk to you, you will not normally get people approaching you in a 4x4 in the same way.

Back on the road with some random shots. Beautiful day in Malawi.      :ricky:

 

[DASKOP]

The next sequence of photos indicate how ineffective signage is if there is no on-going education in this regard and if it is not enforced. Then, there should also be an environmentally friendly alternative made available.

At this rate Africa will be treeless soon.

 

[DASKOP]

It is an absolute beautiful day for biking in Malawi.............

 

[DASKOP]

The last section of tar to Makuzi is soon over and I turn off at the Makuzi Beach Lodge sign on the main road onto a gravel road. The gravel sections are fine. It is the periodic deep sections of sand that have me very nervous. The bike is heavy and it is HOT.

I encounter some bicycles along the way, greet the friendly locals that all come out to see this bike passing through, pull over for an oncoming truck, carry on, hit some more sand and fall over.

All caught on Gopro video, I just need to determine how to save stills from the videos in order to post them here.       ???

Fortunately, there are some eager helping hands to get me upright, but my self confidence has taken a serious knock...............and it is HOT.

The location is also not all that well sign posted, or the combination of sand and HOTness, has messed up my concentration, and I missed them, resulting in a few extra stops to ask the locals whether I am on the right road. Apparently I am going in the right direction.

After a good talking to myself, a few choice words and deep breaths, I hit the rest of the gravel and sand and eventually get to Makuzi Beach Lodge at around lunch time. Through arid sections, agricultural fields, small villages (conglomerations of huts), all looking dry and dusty, you suddenly enter a green treed, shaded, lush area, the perfect representation of an oasis. Now the Hot does not feel as hot anymore.

I meet up with Richard, husband of Lauren, daughter of Rhys Davies, parents of the "bush turkey". They are the managers of Makuzi Beach Lodge. I am shown to my accommodation. A "hut" right on the beach. seriously, how lucky can one be?

What a place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is straight from the travel brochure glossies.        Mind blowingly spectacularly beautiful......... :drif:

From here on the pictures can do the talking...................... :drif:

 

[DASKOP]

The "Hut" is absolutely cool. Full on double bed with mozzie net, great en-suite, the whole shebang, all beautifully finished. I do the quick unpack thing and get onto the deck to start absorbing this whole place. A cold frostie and I am ready to go and do some exploring.

Off the deck, down the beach, over some rocks, through some dense bush, via some stinging nettle type of barbed spear scratch that patch stuff, and I am on top of the hill overlooking Makuzi Beach. I just sat on that rock and marvelled at the exceptional blessing that I was experiencing at that moment.

It was Tuesday, the 16th of July. There were people working all over the world right now, but I was sitting on a rock, next to Lake Malawi, in the most amazing weather, looking at people's idea of paradise.

:eek7:

 

[DASKOP]

How is this for an amazing view??????????????

 

[JACOVV]

:drif:

 

[DASKOP]

Or this?

 

[DASKOP]

OK, time to move on, plenty to see and do.

Down the hill through dense, dry, high grass, over boulders and through another stinging nettle barbed spear type nature's revenge that has me sitting on the beach, applying liberal amounts of coarse beach sand to the offending itching areas and rubbing profusely. It helped a little bit.

On the other side of Makuzi Beach, there are some huts hidden in the trees and then it opens up into another beautiful secluded bay from where the locals launch their fishing Mokoros.

There are beautiful rock formations, amazing types of vegetation, natural interactions and this background noise of the busy clear fresh water everywhere. I can absolutely live here.

 

[Keith Barbier]

Baie mooi fotos Marius. Skaapkop wil volgende keer saam - jy moet net bereid wees om te sukkel :imaposer: :imaposer:

 

[DASKOP]

Solank sy "Air Time" op is, of anders sal ek sonder ore terug kom.    :laughing4:

Hy sal maar ook moet leer om bike te ry. Op die bakkie tel nie.

 

[Jondu]

Dit is ook net eenkeer in n leeftyd dat jy so n luck sal raKloop om toevallig iemand soos Rhys te leer ken

 

[Difflock]

M, ry nog altyd saam. :thumleft: Geniet dit gate uit!

 

[JACOVV]

Baie mooi fotos Marius. Skaapkop wil volgende keer saam - jy moet net bereid wees om te sukkel :imaposer: :imaposer:

Ek subscribe sommer nou al vir daai RR  :imaposer:  eepwall:

 

[DASKOP]

Dit is ook net eenkeer in n leeftyd dat jy so n luck sal raKloop om toevallig iemand soos Rhys te leer ken

Dit is net so. Dit was ook nie die laaste keer wat Rhys deel was van hierdie adventure nie.

 

[BMWPE]

Why are these Lodges ,  beaches so deserted
are there no tourists around ?
eg.  no bikini babes on the beaches  ;D

 

[DASKOP]

After my walkabout, I retire to the deck and have a long chat with Richard over some refreshments. I get some info for my trip further north. I also get to know the "Bush Turkey", Rhys' grand daughter.

Wonder why Rhys calls her that................ :biggrin:

Then it becomes magic time...........................sunset at Makuzi Beach Lodge. Not a good photo, sorry.

Just imagine experiencing this every evening of your life....................even bad weather will be spectacular.


I cannot believe that I only arrived here today. I have already had a senses overload. And I still have the whole of tomorrow to look forward too.

If you get an opportunity to do this, don't even think or hesitate, just do it. You will never regret it.

 

[DASKOP]

Why are these Lodges ,  beaches so deserted
are there no tourists around ?
eg.  no bikini babes on the beaches  ;D

It was wonderfully quiet. It is supposed to be winter. But, it is really the best time to go, no rain (he says now), no mozzie swarms, not overwhelmingly hot and most of all (for me), not over run by Germans in short socks and sandals. (No offence meant.)

There were some people who I will tell about in the next posting.

 

[DASKOP]

17 July 2013

I am up early. Excited to go and see more of this amazing place. These are SUNRISE pictures (just for those who may have seen the previous posting before I picked up on my photo mistake).

Note to self..............don't try to sort photos whilst still half asleep.

 

[DASKOP]

OK lets get the sunrise pictures out of the way so that I can get onto my walkabout.