Blogs from Malawi, Africa - page 83

Recovered from our mysterious illness (probably from drinking Lake Malawi water when snorkelling) we set off for our horse riding trip. The ride around the village was ok ut the guide didn’t really pay much attention to peoples riding skills or even if people have ridden before. The ride was made all worthwhile, though, when we took our horses for a swim. It was a strange experience sitting on a horse while it is swimming. Charmaines’ horse was someone afraid of getting to wet and headed back to the beach early. Darrens horse was loving it, as were others which was evident from the impressions of outboard motors some of the horses were doing (seriously!). The rest of our day was spent jut chilling out on the beach, sleeping and generally relaxing.... read more

Another typical road journey and we’re heading for Malawi. Across the border we have just two hours till our first campsite and we stop for lunch at a petrol station. A rather battered Honda Dominator sat next to one of the pumps straddled by a guy who has just ridden from London! He’s been on the road for 55 weeks at this point and is headed for Cape Town. NUTTER! We arrive at our campsite, it’s in a nice area, next to Lake Malawi but its rough, tatty, full of rabid dogs and if you swim in the lake here, you’ll be pissing blood for the next few weeks! This in mind Darren was well chuffed when he got a bit of the sharp and hot sand stuck in his eye. Charmaine tried with all her ... read more

They dominate entire villages. They make everything else look small. They're cool even when they're not there -- on Likoma Island, we saw a strangler fig that had wrapped its tentacles in a fine lattice pattern around a giant baobab trunk, and living up to its name, strangled the baobab to death, leaving only a giant cylindrical lattice mold - a baobab ghost. We thought that perhaps these baobabs had spiritual significance because we would often see them scattered across the landscape where every other substantial tree had been removed. But then we learned that they are simply no good for any practical purpose other than gawking, and making us feel tiny. -jjk... read more

The Ilala Ferry is the lifeline for Lake Malawi villages. Each week it chugs slowly and not-so-steadily up and down the lake's 450-mile length. It was our home for only 48 hours, but provided endless entertainment and wonder. We spent hours leaning over the railing to watch the hectic process of loading and unloading at numerous little fishing communities. People and goods would be crammed into the ferry's noisy metal dinghies, or into more peaceful dug-out canoes and paddle boats. Throngs of villagers would crowd along the shore to welcome returning family or to collect bags of corn meal, crates of soda, livestock, massive bunches of bananas, building materials, or whatever else they had sent for. Embellishing the chaotic process were throngs of frenetic, splashing little boys -- screaming, shouting, climbing onto the dinghies, and getting ... read more

Sometimes as I roll up my yoga mat and head back from my make-shift yoga studio - a roof, a common room in a hostel, a soccer field, or if I'm lucky, a pier or a deck over looking the lake or the mountains - I get a few comments. This morning's, "madam, you heavy," is my favorite - but I just can't figure out why guys are impressed with a little downward dog or flying cobra when the women in their countries carry lumber, sacks of cassava, and huge baskets of fish on their heads, with babies on their backs and a load of groceries in each hand. (stl)... read more