Where to start? It seems that everybody these days goes to Malawi.
A few pointers for this RR. It is not a dare devil off-road riding story. It is about the two of us (my wife Carmen and myself) doing a road trip through a couple of neighbouring countries. If you want off-road stories, do not continue reading. Since I have started riding we have agreed not to do any difficult off-road riding together. What good is doing a trip together, when one of the two does not really enjoy it? Not good at all. Furthermore, I've been doing this trip with the best partner possible, so I won't complain. I am doing other trips on my own with other mates where we hit the dirt and that is a different kind of fun all together.
This report is a touch longer than my last RR about a trip to Durban. Possibly because it is a tad longer distance wise, otherwise it was much of a likeness!
Last but not least, this was not a budget trip. It was about testing our equipment, as we plan a Europe tour next year. So we wanted to find out, does all fit, is it efficient, sufficient, do we like it etc. It is about being able to camp and also making a choice of B&B when wanted or the circumstances ask for that. It worked out well.
Finally Friday morning arrived and I went to my usual coffee meeting. Everybody was envious that we were on our way to Lake Malawi, but it is not that we didn't invite anybody to come along. Since there were no takers, we went on our own anyhow. Carmen and myself on our trustworthy adventure, fully packed. We started packing three weeks ago, to check, if all fits in. At our disposal: an 89l Ortlieb Rackpack bag and the two panniers. That should do. The rackpack took the tent, sleeping bags, pillows, thermarests, pots, plates, stove. Panniers: small one for me, big one for her. Works for us.
A quick stopover at Full Throttle Edenvale to fit a visor insert and were on the road to Marloth Park, our first overnight stop. Next morning it took us just less than an hour to clear the border post and we were on our way to Maputo. Going through Maputo kept us busy and one stretch of 20km had us testing our patience in solid stop and go traffic. Chaos reigned and I was on the lookout for cops to pull us over for some contraventions of something non-existent, but no such thing happened. We carried on to Bilene and camped for the first night. The restaurant was flipping expensive so we decided to go local. Still stiff but what can you do when you don't want to cook any more? We are used to camping so the next morning's packing exercise was done chop chop and we were on the road again towards Inhambane. After talking to some girls at I. we decided to go to Tofo which was also recommended to us by a friend. The campsite did not impress swambo and looked "dodgy". Anybody knows what dodgy is like in Africa? Anyhow, what followed was unfortunately a 2SD exercise, i.e. trying to move a fully packed adventure plus pillion through thick sand. Not clever. First Carmen asked me if she should get off the bike to make it easier. Serious? As if I don't know how to handle that baby? Come on man, I'm a wilddog!!!!! So don't worry, I can do it. For about 50 meters, when I eventually put her down gently. I informed swambo that this was now the correct time to get off. She was not impressed. I guess, you guys understand me.... Look, by all means, I did not drop the tyre pressure, I did not set the bike up for off-road riding. So the beast decided at the first opportunity, to dig in the front wheel nicely and go, where I did not want her to go. Women, I'm telling you.
Funny enough, a chap coming from the other direction got out of his car and helped us to pick the baby up. He was a black local, who heard me and swambo talking and answered to us in fluent German nogal!!! He did a diploma in Germany, can you believe it? As it was getting late, we cancelled the camping plan and chose to stay at the Liquid Lunch, who provided great accommodation and great chicken wraps, which were washed down with a good red SA KWV wine.
The next morning was spent packing and filling up, buying breakfast (have you ever tried to buy rolls when you don't speak the language?) and buying a new front bulb, which gave up it's ghost. The only shop in town was successfully closed, but a local chap helped and organised a new one out of the African place of mystery about half an hour later, cheaper than in Jozi!
The plan for the next day (actually we had no plan at all, but just a general idea of direction, which is a huge task for me...) was to go to Chimoio and see, if we make it. Thinking that we would now leave the coast, we changed that plan and decided to add a night instead at Vilankulo and found a backpacker were we booked into the dorm room, which we shared with.......other Germans. They are really all over the show, it's unreal. The place was called the Zombie Cucumber Lodge and was in fact very pleasant (rate: R 350 pp dorm!!!) Pizza for dinner and a cabernet from Chile rounded off the day nicely. Oh, before I forget, once again the last stretch to get there was through thick sand, but no problem for me this time around. Actually, the first drop was the only one for the whole trip, howzat?
The following morning we quickly changed some money and swambo went to a pharmacy for some pain relief for her knee,which gave her trouble from the seating position. In the mean time, I bought some sweet rolls from a street vendor for the stately sum of R 3 and boy, they were delicious.
We continued towards Chimoio. The road north after Vilankulo is potholed big time and our average distance diminished quite a bit. In fact, you simply can not do the same distances in Africa, which we can do in SA as the speed limits are less and the road conditions are worse. Besides, you can not enjoy the scenery if you travel too fast. Other matters influencing your average travelling speed: trucks, cars, bicycles, dogs, cattle, donkeys and goats. Plenty of goats. Goats are the number one typical african game you spot all over. No game was spotted by us at all.
Arriving at Chimoio around three we decided to carry on to Catandica to look for a camping spot. There is nothing like that and we carried on to Changara, which was against my principles as I don't like riding in the dark. After a flipping long day in the saddle we finally reached Changara and stayed at the Changara Rest Rooms. We quickly downed a few beers and were entertained by some local business men. For dinner we chose the local chicken and chips at R 30 pp which was delicious. They had two offers, R 1500 a night, and I asked quickly if they have anything cheaper. The lady said, yes, no problem, R 500, so I said show me. I checked it and gladly took the R 1500 room immediately, with air con and TV. The last thing on earth we needed on our trip was TV, but what the heck. I showered quickly and just when I rinsed the last soap out of my hair, the water was finished. Enquiring about it I was told, it will be back soon. The soon lasted until we departed the next morning, when we still had no water. AWA. Before we left, I sneaked into one of the neighbouring rooms to shower, which again lasted for a few minutes before that one went dead as well. No shower for Carmen.
The road up north to Tete was under construction and slowed us down again as often we took dirt road detours for many kays. We grabbed coffee in Tete just after crossing the Zambesi bridge and left the uninspiring town quickly to continue to the border post of Zobue. Changing money with some locals we were tricked and only noticed that after crossing into Malawi. School fees, I guess. You got to stay on your toes all the time, especially with different currencies and conversion factors. Next time I will just change the smallest amount necessary to pay for the transit admin (5000 Kwacha) and change again at a bank or Western Union offices. They also offer by far better rates. A runner tried his luck with me, but gave up eventually. Using my insurance confirmation from SA, I did not have to purchase local third party insurance.
About half an hour en route to Blantyre, I got pulled over by a speed cop. Despite my assurances, that I did not speed, I had no choice but to part from 5000 Kwacha (about R 160). A local, who came hammering down the same road, was also pulled over, but after some chit chat did not have to pay anything. Go figure!
Further down the road, Carmen asked me to stop! ? The battery of our Nikon coolpix fell out somewhere. I went back about ten kays but to no avail, the battery became property of Malawi. In Blantyre we went looking for a replacement battery but those are not available, we just bought a new camera. I intended to change the memory card to the new camera, but found out that the new one only uses micro cards. So we bought another memory card as well. Those delays took their time and we left Blantyre after 16:00h. It was another 195 kays to the lake and I thought we could do that. But the road to Monkey Bay via Zomba is under plenty construction and we faced many detours, slowing us further down. It got dark and we ended up in a township. Getting lost further we reached the end of a stretch under construction where we could not continue even on the bike! We called it a day and went back to Blantyre to book into a B&B. That was a good decision as the trip to Cape Mclear via another road took us another 5 hours the next day and we could see Lake Malawi arriving at it's beginnings, which was our main intention for the trip.
It was a beautiful tour with changing landscapes. We also noticed an increased moslemic influence by the way the people dressed. In hindsight, the streetvendors and beggars in Malawi are different from SA and Moz and a firm "no" is usually accepted. Two ice cold beers and a stunning sunset rounded off the day very nicely. The next day we spent a couple of hours with captain Enock, a friend of Pistol. In fact, everybody in this place (Fat Monkey) seems to be Pistol's and Debs friends! Enock showed us the day care centre and parts of the local village. It is all about people making a living who virtually got nothing. Makes you once again appreciate what you have at home and the lifestyle we enjoy. Carmen won't complain again so quickly about our small kitchen!
The food in this place is fantastic and better than expected! Karon (owner's wife) told us that it took them quite some time to get to that level, though. Her previous chef died at the age of 23 of pneumonia, yeah right?
Slowly we started to talk to other guests, amongst them a couple from Cape Town who are on their way to Kenya with their Landrover. They went through the Tete corridor one day later than us and were advised to move in a military convoy due to Renamo/Frelimo fightings flaring up in the region! Shew...I had that subject on my mind since one of my business partners mentioned to be careful in that area. I'm only a hero on the keyboard but not in such situations. My plan was simply to gun it if anything looks slighty strange or out of place. I am glad, we had no trouble whatsoever.
The next day we went on Pistol's boat to an island, snorkeld and had fresh local fish for lunch, fed the fisheagles and rounded the day off with another great dinner and some good SA wine once again.
As we were on the bike, the one good thing was that we could not buy curious, due to space limitations. A valid argument, isn't it? So what does swambo do? She buys a flipping Mokoro from a local fisherman. Ceriaas! Can you bring it to SA for me? Sure dear, after all I'm in transport, no big deal. In my mind: not registered as an importer in SA, no import permit (second hand boat), no fumigation cert etc., kak so to speak! She managed to sweet talk a tour operator to bring it back for us and guess what, by now it is in our garden. I mean, one needs a boat in the garden, right? Coz it's pretty (for those who have seen defending the caveman).
Right, I am tired now. More to follow. And don't anybody dare to send me a "this fred is useless wihtouc pics", they will follow.
