Internet at long last!
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2008
1
4
22
Trip End
Jan 20, 2009
Swakopmund,
Namibia
Monday, February 25, 2008
We've loads to catch up on so here goes.....
Malawi
"Warm heart of Africa", has 1 single wet season & that was whilst we were there!
Capital-Lilongwe, currency-Malawi Kwacha, President-Bingu Wa Mutharika, who we had the pleasure of seeing whist pulled over at a road block outside Mzuzu university, population-12,000,000.
We're both abit disappointed, not by Malawi itself but we seem to have raced through. A great shame, part of the overland experience, i suppose.
We spent 4 nights a various locations camping around lake Malawi which is vast stretching 500kms down Malawi's Eastern border and is said to be 750 meters deep in places
Crazy lady walking the edge of the Vic falls!
. It's Africa's 3rd largest fresh water lake and full of cichlid fish and 99% of these cichlid are endemic to the lake and that said Michael could not resist a night dive "it was like diving in a pond - a big warm 27 degree pond". I decided on a horse riding trek - 3 hours. Mu backside knees and ankles would have preferred an hour! It was fantastic wandering through isolated villages peppered along the lake shore. Malawi is poor with people still ploughing their land by hand, so when my grey horse "Clover" rudely yanked the reigns from my hands and ripped up an entire maize plant I felt deeply ashamed and embarrassed. The scenery was stunning, very lush, dense green and hilly with rich deep red sandy soil. We finished off the 3 hours with a horseback swim in the lake.Visas
Malawi - easy and no fee and even better for Michael they challenged him on his age believing he "faked" his date of birth by 10 years - "too young looking". Naturally Michael had to call me over to hear this! Not so easy getting into Zambia. A month ago their was no fee, 10 days later there was a $50 fee, and on arrival at the border on the 8th February $150 fee - mmm the cynic in me, but we did get a nice receipt and we did point out exactly where we'd like our visa stamps.
Victoria Falls - Livingstone
Named after Queen Victoria by David Livingstone - a Scott
Dean and his prize Tiger fish on the Zambezi!
. Known locally as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - the smoke that thunders and boy it really does, all 900 million litres per second. The falls are 1.7 kms wide and 108 meters high, so what better way to see them than a 15 minute Micro-lighting experience.....wow! I went late afternoon and M went early first thing. We were firmly strapped into the back seat, my knees firmly gripping the pilot. It was awesome, the scale and the power of the falls. We soared approximately 1500 feet above the falls, traveling about 65mph dipping into the falls' misty breath and losing count of the rainbows. We saw pods of hippos and M saw a herd of Impala gathered under a tree for shade. We really enjoyed ourselves and M states it was well worth having only 2 hours sleep the night before with nerves. Livingstone Island
Five of us decided to sign up for a trip out to Livingstone Island. The trip began at the 5 star hotel "The Royal Livingstone" and not wanting to miss an opportunity we rocked up at 2pm, the 5 of us crammed into a battered blue taxi sweating profusely which understandably shyed away from dropping us outside the grand entrance of the hotel. We confidently and casually walked through the airy colonial style reception lobby. Past the doorman in their pristine white 1950's safari style uniforms with zebra print detailing on their pockets and square fronted caps
Check out the facilities @ Livingstone Island
. Over the manicured lawn and down to the tiered decking that merged effortlessly with the great Zambezi. The falls were about 100 meters from us on our left and Augustine quickly offered us the cocktail menu and equally as quickly we consumed large Pimms - perfect! At 3.15 we whizzed over to the island which is literally beside the edge of the falls for afternoon tea. My fingers were firmly crossed that the engine didn't stall and that the fast current didn't sweep us over the falls as had happened to some poor unsuspecting elephants the year previously. Nine of us all together sat underneath a tented canopy, the table was laid out like one at The Ritz with fine white porcelain and silver cutlery, and the Pimms was never ending. Donna and I both gave up being vegetarians for the 3 hours on the principal that it was an experience not to be missed. Roasted vegetable tarts with crumbled with feta, medium rare roast beef with creamed horseradish in mini brown buns and lightly spiced chicken and mango tarts, followed by a mirrored platter of chocolate cake and David you'll love this - profiter roles! After all this I went on a guide accompanied 'rock walk' to brave the edge of the falls - parents don't be alarmed no person to date has been swept over the falls, only the poor elephants. Whilst wading through the mighty Zambezi I did have a moment where I had to get a grip on my psychology, I was committed to reaching land as the strong current rushed up as high as my knees, but I made it there and back - a great afternoon.Monkey Business
Mmm, they're a pest. Whilst at the falls three of us sat staring silently out at the last 20 feet of Zambezi River rush a swirl hurriedly by before crashing over the top of the falls when Michael screamed "monkey Suzy". I was so stunned by the outburst, it rendered my helpless. It turned out a great big Baboon had strolled over and helped himself very casually to M's passport, which was drying out in the sun and now was equally as casually strolling away with it in his mouth. Luckily the outburst had a similar effect on the shocked baboon who dropped the passport - phew! Imagine the embassy staff "a Baboon strolled off with my Biometric passport at Victoria Falls, honest". I also come back on one occasion to find my giant sized pink, with flowers, travelers towel (Vix, I am jealously stared upon in the showers on the few occasions I make it there - thank you) being dragged accross our campsite by a cheeky Vervet monkey. I was determined that my towel was not going to meet the same fateful end as poor Andrea's digital camera, which got submerged in the swimming pool as Andrea ran jumping into said pool from an enraged group of monkeys. Luckily my monkey was small and I flicked him off the end but he did have enough attitude in him to stand up and take a few paces towards me!
Guys, we're fast running out of time now but we've still got plenty to tell you about namely Botswana and the Okavango Delta. Hopefully we'll manage to track down an IT genius and bring him or her with us to the next internet cafe and get some pics posted.
Love Suzy and Michael xx
Comments
WOW!
.....nothing can make my day as your travel blogs!!!!... LOL bit time about monkeys and passport....now that would be a storry to tell grendchildren HASHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!!!
Love you lots ..... T and O