http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Malawi en-us Sun, 15 Nov 09 19:02:19 +0000 Sun, 15 Nov 09 19:02:19 +0000 Well it has been a while since we have updated our blog we are getting a little behind. We have now driven across Africa from the Atlantic Ocean at Walvis Bay Namibia to the Indian ocean at Inhassoro Mozambique. We are sat in a campsite at Inhassoro which it just over half way down the coast drinking a cup of tea how very English of us and yes it is tetleys brought all the way from England http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/blog-452861.html Irsquove just returned from 4 days at Lake Malawi having been invited to go only a few hours before we left by Alekeni who I work with at SJA and 5 of her friends Themba Mazaza and Josh. A 34 hour drive from Blantyre the lake covers 20 of Malawi it is a lot warmer then Blantyre thus why Irsquove managed to burn my shoulders and neck despite repeatedly applying sun cream most days http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-447730.html Hello AllOnce again no pictures Hopefully we'll soon get to a place that has fast enough internet for us to download. Then you'll get a whole slew of them.Well we had a thankfully uneventful if not quite comfortable trip back to Blantyre. Minibuses the whole way. I think we had to change 4 times. One more night in Blantyre we actually managed to get tickets on the luxury overnight b http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/blog-447526.html We spent a few days by Lake Malawi which was incredible. The lake is so big that it looks like the sea because you can't see the other side of it and there are waves. The only difference is that is it fresh water so much nicer to swim in The first night was spent at Chitimba beach were a few of us went for a walk to a clothes market but never really made it because we got distracted by lo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Kandi-Beach/blog-446303.html I arrived in Malawi on Thursday after only 15 or 16 hours of travelling... The flight was OK but came with the usual problems Small seats bad food TV not working but this was more than made up for in the flight from Nairobi to Lilongwe where the plane was very empty and so I was able to have 3 seats to myself and have a proper sleep for a few hours rather than dose off wondering if I was goi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Southern/Blantyre/blog-444906.html We looked forward to joining in the celebration of Mary and Samson's big day on the 3rd October in Salima. We planned on spending the night so we would make it to the building on time as Ed was officiating the occasion. Weddings in this part of the world for some reason take place at 8 a.m. Not that they actually begin at that time but that is the time set. I wonder if they are schelduled so http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-443314.html Crikey...itrsquos now 9 months since we returned from our lsquoBig Triprsquo. Whilst itrsquos been great getting reacquainted with family friends and normal life again in the last couple of months itrsquos fair to say that I've been in need of a wee holiday. Sadly poor Ant had to stay at home and work so I had the novelty of travelling solo again. Although I wasnrsquot particularly http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/blog-442689.html Hello EverybodyHere's our first Malawi entry. It was quite the trip from Mozambique to Malawi and we were glad to get to Blantyre which is a big city. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa but it's very friendly and seems more organized than some other countries we've been too. They have a lot of their own exports here tobacco tea coffee nuts honey etc.. But most items have http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Southern/Mount-Mulanje/blog-441455.html After having the truck fixed we headed south to Malawi given the fact we'd lost a night due to the breakdown we spent one night less in Chitimba and so only really stayed overnight though we did get the chance to go to a witch doctor who predicted that both Rhian and I would have long happy lives and we'd get married and have two children a boy then a girl. The good doctor was wiling to elabo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Kandi-Beach/blog-438786.html Okay it has been a while I feel like I start with that sentence a lotFirst of all I HAVE FROGS LIVING IN MY TOILET. Well maybe they live in the plumbing I thought this was an appropriate way to start my blog off for the last 2 months because for me it is a very big dilemma....To flush or not to flush that is the question. I wont tell you what I usually end up doing...I am just worried http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/blog-437547.html I will be leaving shortly http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/blog-435375.html Best laid plans of mice and men...So after completing what will probably be my last offshore trip for a while which was actually my most interesting to date doing lots of flying and fixing lots of indepth stuff that was very interesting. Getting out was another story entirely.Because Omar Bongo died suddenly the Air Gabon route through Libreville was no longer safe.... the fact that quite a fe http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-432859.html Hey Hey HeyHope you guys are all well Itrsquos been a little while since I last checked in I left you in Lilongwe newlywed Irsquoll pick up from thereMarried life was great fun We spent our lsquohoneymoonrsquo eating pizza and ice cream at Mama Miarsquos an absolute gem of an Italian restaurant nestled away behind poinsettia trees in the sleepier districts of Lilongwersquos ol http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Southern/Cape-Maclear/blog-432678.html Malawi June 21 June 26Once we left Zanzibar we had some long drive days to get to the Malawi border. 500km on dirt tracks in a HGV unsurprisingly takes a fair few hours. To pass time on the truck we listened to iPods through the speakers if I never hear Akon again it will be too soon read played ridiculous games like Mafia donrsquot ask and dozed. Now our original 12 had joined up with an http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/blog-431960.html Hey GuysIn keeping with tradition I'll provide everyone a funny anecdote about the bus journey that got us to the place I'm currently blogging about. So there's this Canadian couple who are supposed to catch an 11am bus that doesn't show up until 2pm and then they are lucky to get standing room at the back of the bus for the 6hour ride. The bus proceeds to stop every 6km which accumulates to a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Northern/Nkhata-Bay/blog-431329.html Hey GuysWell after what we had thought was a crazy trip to get to Malawi we soon realized our first trip inside Malawi was gonna be a good one Once at the main bus center in Lilongwe we found out that there was only one bus to Senga Bay where we were going and it was completely full. So I leave Tyne with the bags and go to find out when the next bus is and end up buying tickets for the already http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Senga-Bay/blog-431301.html Day 15 Chitimba Malawi 13809Another early start this time around 0600. Found my flip flops they were left outside my tent. Climbed onto the great big green truck for now the almost routine long drive though the African bush was really looking forward to reaching another country country number 3 Malawi. Again I fell asleep for a couple of hours then when I was awoken by the sun beams http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Kandi-Beach/blog-430991.html Back on the mainland we drive through Tanzania to our next destination Malawi one of the poorest countries in Africa. Our main port of call is Lake Malawi the vast body of water which accounts for 30 of the countryrsquos land area. Driving into Malawi we immediately notice a difference to the other African nations to the north most houses are traditional mud and straw huts and there ar http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-429437.html I barely got home from Camp GLOW before I had to come right back out of site for a Strategic Planning Conference in Blantyre. From Monday August 17th through Friday August 21st we stayed at the Kabula Hill Lodge. I really loved the Lodge and all of the people running it. They were really sweet and very helpful. The Lodge is nice and well located in my opinion not too far from the Peace Corps http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Southern/blog-429268.html In 2006 the whole Jensen family made a trip to Malawi. Ed Crookshank had seen the great need to strengthen the many many struggling bush congregations which are scattered throughout the country away from the large city of Lilongwe. He conceived of the plan to choose four remote locations as teaching hubs. Each was accessible to a number of congregations. Since teachers would do the traveling http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-429224.html