Cape Mac Lodge Cape Maclear

... but wanted some money followed us for about 10 minutes trying to sell us a plastic bag (we already had two). We then wanted to get some gin to take to the festival (which comes in 35ml sachets costing 5p each and is pineapple flavoured! - We bought 50, which turned out to be a serious under-estimation.) and had to cross a very rickety wooden bridge into another part of the market which I don't think is visited by many Mzungu. We paid our 10 kwacha (5p) to cross and ...

Sye

Ahh, the old switcheroo. I'm up first this time it seems. Well we left off last time when we were just getting on the bus to Monkey Bay, our final destination. That was a month ago . . . . . So what happened? . . . . where have we been? . . .Gather round and i'll begin.
As i'd mentioned before, we got told in Lilongwe that before going to Monkey Bay we had to go to a place called Mangochi to do an orientation period. This wasn't in our plan and we didn't fancy it so we ...

So it's been a while since our last blog but basically a number of things have happened.

1. We were scammed! I guess it's like a rite of passage but we made the mistake of trusting people at Dar Es Salaam bus station (they had their own office!) and ended up paying nearly 100 dollars each for imaginary bus tickets to Lilongwe. We found out they were imaginary when we arrived at the bus station at 4.30 am the next day and there was no bus.
After a very hectic ...

... at 1700 which is why he had to bribe a number of people to get us out!) We were nearly back at The Waterfront (our hotel) when he got a phone call "Sorry Mama, Sorry, I got stuck on the bridge!" We found out it was his brothers wedding the next day and he was supposed to be at the rehearsal and everyone was trying to find him! Needless to say he got a big tip and was guarunteed work for the rest of the time we were in Livingstone!
We had a great "last dinner" with the group and had a ...

Welcome to the warm heart of Africa
I arrive expecting a super chilled time after all the hard time I had in the north of Mozambique...
and relaxing on the lake Malawi, in Cape Mclear, is just the beginning of an awesome relaxing time in this beautiful country...

... me and I couldn't breath for a while. I thought I damaged a rib because of the pain and despite feeling as though I was going to pass out I soldiered on.

We got back and I could't move. i slept it off and I seem ok. It still hurts now (2 weeks later as I wirte this) but that is probably because we were jumping from a high rock into the Lake yesturday. Just bruised I think.

Oliver

Aloha all, I hope everyone is having fun being snowed in and keeping toasty at home!! i hear some chap's made a massive hippo on a sofa in parliament square..which i am mui jelly bags that i have not seen it. Just got back from Cape Maclear which was awesome...stayed at kind of tent beach hut stylee place called Malabe's (i think) lots of fun proper beds in the tents which was handy and water was good and wet which is always a bonus! Lots of ...

... my belongings. The trip was probably
going to take about 22 hours so I wanted my own bed.



Monkey Bay

I went and bought some banans off a street vendor, and just after I walked
away a monkey stole a whole bunch of bananas and ran off with it, all
the vendors shouting and chasing after it in vain ...

... noticeable. Nasty!

You can get a test after you get back, but again, it may take years for
them to become active so a test is not always enough. If you do catch
Bilharzia it's a matter of treating it in time with some pills, before
it corrupts some of your organs.



Anyway, after a few days of relaxing at Fat ...