Day 14 - Chipata - Lake Malawi, Malawi

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Slept heavily except for the dogs barking dring the night at one point. There was a sort of rustling noise which they were objecting to, which may have been a porcupine, not that I wanted to leave my tent or my warm sleeping bag to find out!

In the morning with the tent away and breakfast consumed, we headed for the Zambia-Malawi border. In no time at all we were in our fourth country. Life in much slower here, bicycles are the main transport, but the poeple smile and wave from every villiage, as the truck chuggs through, scattering chickens in a blizzard of feathers and legs.

The villages line the roads almost continuosly and everywhere wide eyes from brown faces, little girls in party dresses and little boys pretending to be little men, giving us thumbs up.

We arrived at Lilongwe, the capital, at lunchtime and were immediately surrounded by men trying to sell us fruit. They didnt follow though but almost every pair of eyes did as we wandered throughout the town. I bought some flip flops but was mainly people watching - men in suits strode confidently, taxi drivers trying to get our business, street hawkers of wooden goods calling to us, but also beggers stretching forth their hands and men with crippling deformities staring hauntingly.

Back at the truck I ate my salad and read some more but mainly I watched Malawi go past. Mango trees everywhere, pregnant branches with green fruit swelling gently and occasionally a sticky child sat under sucking at the orange flesh of fallen bounty. Again smiles, waves and wide eyes as we clatter through their villages.

We arrived at the Wheelhouse campsite and immediately dipped our toes in the warm Lake Malawi. After photos and tent erection, I took a dip, allowing the waves to wash me slowly along the beach. Not too hot either under the cloudy skies, but altogether very pleasant! We gathered in a circle in the shallows talking and sharing stories until it got a bit colder. I went to get changes when, what joy! the showers were found to actually be hot ones! So another lovely shower followed.

After I sat on a wicker chair on the beach and wrote in my diary, watching a thunderstorm miles away flashing iup the darkening sky and the lights twinkling on the opposite side of the bay. It was a balmy eveneing with a light breeze, but the light show was beautiful. I felt more relaxed than I had ever felt!

Blissed Out Sally
xx

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