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Published: November 30th -0001
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Blantyre is quite a nice town, a refreshingly developed town compared to many in Mozambique. Surfaced roads, chain shops, restaurants offering a variety of nationalities' food, post office, numerous banks etc. I decide to rest for a day to catch up on sleep, eating and general admin tasks.
The next morning is a lie in from the norm, Doogles hostel is next door to the bus depot so I can easily get there for 6:30. After wandering for a while and asking almost everyone I find the bus to Monkey Bay. This is a big bus, similar to a single decker we'd have in a town at home, including the stop bell. The front and rear are rammed with luggage; a double mattress, sacks of food and supplies, only a few actual suitcases. I find a good seat with leg room and settle in, the journey is about 6 hours and even though we're in a big bus we still behave like a minibus, so we stop over 50 times to drop people off, pick people up and buy food through the windows. This time no-one is sick but there are a few chickens squawking.
On arrival there is luckily a
pick up truck waiting to take me the 18km on a dirt track road to Cape Maclear. There are about 10 adults and 5 children in it and loads of random items tied off the back. They tie on my backpack and I perch on one side, we then drive about town for another 45minutes picking up more people and cargo. Even when I think we are full we stop and get more people. My feet and bum have gone dead before we even start the journey. Finally we get on our way along the gravel/sand road so it's pretty bumpy and dusty. There are 2 other backpackers on the truck so they recommend a hostel which means I don't have to find my book out. After about 45mins we reach the town of Cape Maclear, it's a one road place on the southern shore of Lake Malawi. We are one of the last drop offs at the East of town and have cunningly watched the locals pay so we are no longer being conned with the 500kwatcha charge, we pay 250 like everyone else. We are staying at Fat Monkeys, a very nice hostel/camp site/hotel and quite cheap. One
of the best dorms I've stayed in, in ages. Thatched roof, mosquito nets without holes, en suite!! After a good scrub in the shower and a beer in the beach bar we go to the local pub Hiccups for dinner. The power went out while I was in the shower but the hostel turned on a generator which helped as it was pitch black, the pub doesn't have a generator though so candle light throughout.
The next day is relaxing by the beach. The previous night we have done a deal with Dan, the pancake man, for banana pancakes and tea cooked right on the beach, he has a little fire set up outside the hostel grounds, delicious! I then do another deal with him to change some dollars and sell me some carved souvenirs. And I negotiate a boat trip for the next day with McMorris a.k.a. Mr Sauce and Dude... A good day's dealing before 11am! They also offer us a good deal for a beach barbq which they prepare on a fire further down the beach, Chambo and Kampango with rice and a freshly made tomato sauce, hence McMorris' nickname. Afterwards a boy band, literally 10-12yr
old boys, called Lucky Band, play for us. They have home-made drums and other stringed instruments. They start with a song called “How Are You? I'm Fine”. Then follow with some songs in the local dialect. Then they continue with a few we know, Wave Your Flag, Waka Waka, Who let the dogs out and Beautiful Girl (Sean Kingston). Hilarious but brilliant. One of the boys dances at the front for the whole time, a kind of one leg wiggle, I'm surprised he's not done himself an injury! We have a nightcap in the Reggae bar to hear the men drumming and meet a few more locals, Fanta and Mr Fantastic. I might start calling myself something random, it seems to be the thing to do!
Next day the girls leave for the ferry up to the north of the lake, although their pickup truck was still not there an hour after expected so not sure if they made it. I join McMorris and Dude for my boat trip, there are meant to be 4 other girls but they never materialise... We stop along the beach to fetch lunch and McMorris' 3 young nieces beg to come along so
they join us in the boat. First we cross to the nearest island and sit on the rocks playing Malawi Bawo, a board game with 32 holes each and 64 beans, I win one and lose one so not bad for a beginner. The men then start the cooking while I go snorkelling. Amazingly clear warm water with all colours of fish, lovely and calm too. McMorris shows me how it's easy to catch the bright blue fish in your hands using bread as bait, the girls love it.
I have another great barbq lunch of chambo, rice and tomato sauce, the sauce is amazing again, I need the recipe! Next a short time to relax before the boat comes back to take us around Otters point. No otter sightings but plenty of fish eagles around. We stop a fisherman in a small dug out canoe to buy some little fish, the boat driver then whistles and a fish eagle soars above us, he throws the fish and the eagle swoops down to the water and grabs it in his talons, amazing sight. We do this with 4 other eagles, one is wary and soars above us but waits until
we motor away to get the fish.
As with many white run establishments in Southern Africa there is a huge colour divide. The white female owner is constantly arguing and screaming at all of the black employees. All of the guide books mention the scams of the local men to pretend to arrange boat tours and take money for nothing. This hostel has a designated area for the local men to sell crafts and arrange boat trips. If they breach this area though there is soon someone to throw them out. Dude tried to chat to me while I was sat in the shade of the bar area, but he was told quickly to go back to his area. I don't believe the men are this much trouble as with the constant cross over of tourists they would get a bad name very quickly. This also prevents them spending any money in the hostel bar so seems a crazy idea to me.
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