Malawi to South Africa

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My turn to write, hence the delay.

We´re in Rio- Em´s asleep in our room and i´m sat on a bony stool typing this- tough life.

Since Em last wrote we´ve got through a fair bit, but Zanzibar has to be one of the most amazing places we´ve been. I got ill on rice loads- Uncle Ben had me over a barrel for a couple of nights. Actually we both got ill a fair bit at the start as Em got heatstroke- that week was a bit like listening to your favourite song whilst getting regularly punched in the teeth- but Zanzibar was pretty special. It´s a paradise island where people live on so little but you see more smiles there in 5 mins than you do in 5 days in London- when we finally get the photos up you´ll see why.

Next up was Malawi- we both loved this too. The most notable bits I can think of are:

Lake Malawi- The Calendar Lake- because it´s 365km (or miles?) x 52km. It´s just like an ocean but without the fish&chips. We stayed by it for a few nights and it´s amazing to see how the local people use it to survive.Some fish there and catch huge Barracudas, others work in the tourist camps, others take the wood and stone from the mountainous areas around it and use it to make curios to sell to Mzungus like us.The lake pretty much extends the length of the country and it seems to be at the heart of everything.

Village walk- from our campsite by the lake a group of us were taken to the nearby village by a local guide. He must have tipped the locals off that we were coming because as soon as the steel gates of our fort/campsite opened about 15 local men came up and targeted each of us to chat to. We traded names and we felt more than a bit inferior when they told us their names including our tour guide Julius Ceasar, Will Smith, Mel Gibson, Georgie Porgie, Coolio, and my personal favourite- Cheese on Toast. Anyway, we went to the village where every family makes their own home out of mud and clay, and they live with 3/4 generations per household the size of a Bellway Homes flat. We then went on to the local school which has between 100-200 kids per classroom. It was absolutely manic with all the kids running up and wanting to hold our hands then running off screeching with glee when we spoke to them in English. I don´t know who was the most excited, the kids or me, but I think it was a good experience for us both. The school is incredibly poor with a handful of books between all of the kids- I know it´s all over the news or whatever but it´s really striking actually seeing it. We gave a small donation- hope it doesn´t get spent on Malawi Cake (local dish full of super strong weed) at the teacher´s xmas party.

Horse riding- Emma made me go- glad she did because it was fluffin dangerous on my wild Zimbabwean mut, but so fun. We ended up taking them up to their necks in Lake Malawi until we had to turn back when they started making growling noises.

Zambia next. Stayed in Livingstone where Victoria Falls was the big thing. Beautiful place even at the height of dry season. We went white water rafting at the point at which apparently the rapids are most intense because the rocks are more prominent. Grade 5 rapids which are the highest level so we got thrown out a fair bit, and Emma almost drowned under the boat but she kept smiling.
Emma did a lion interaction session the next day (I stayed back and ate a fry-up) where the lions were meant to be young but looked massive from what I could see in the photos, and one had already killed a giraffe. But the keepers kindly gave her a twig to hit them with if they went wild and tried to eat her.TIA.
Also did a booze cruise in Zambia- everyone got wrecked and made an absolute disgrace- though Emma and I remained completely sober and dignified throughout.

Botswana is not as I´d assumed. It´s got the strongest currency in Africa and we got to stay in some pretty swanky lodges. Also stayed in a place called elephant sands- so called because the huge african elephants come up to the water hole next to the site to drink. We ate a meal there at the bar that night and two came up to the swimming pool right next to us- had to try to sit in absolute silence as they slurped so loudly, so funny.
We also rolled around in a safari truck and stopped so our guide could stick his head in a tree to coax out the Black Mamba living in it... silly sausage. Saw another huge heard of elephants that came right up close when we were sat at a watering hole (they have really poor eyesight apparently)- then they all went crazy and ran off when one of the guys cracked open a beer.
Did a night drive- wild lions wandering past the Land Rover- a big guy had the most incredible roar- one of the girls got a video i´m going to try to get hold of.

South Africa- went to Kruger National Park where you can but a zebra skin throw for only $20,000. We saw all the big 5 luckily,plus crocs, giraffes, warthogs, dirty baboons with little red bums, and loads of other bits. Oh and the bugs- I feel like James from James and the Giant Peach- they´re all massive,and so far really friendly. Then we fell asleep on the afternoon drive because it was about 45degrees and we ate too much burger.

Went on to J´burg where we went out to a really nice restaurant called Moyos- then shot back and went through the two layers of steel fencing into our hostel.

Loads of flying in the last few days- Qatar flight back to UK was so good- I wish I could live on a Qatar aeroplane. Not so for Iberia- chick flicks and plastic bread for 11 hours.

Annnyway- now we´re in Rio- had a little wander along the Copacabana this afternoon- beautiful hills surrounding long white sandy beaches- scarred by moustached men with spray on shorts.

Right, hope that lot doesn´t sound as smug as I feel, and I hope all´s well in England..?, ta ra

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Comments

[Natasha]

you look like cheese on toast