Lakeside Living

So there I am embarking on a historic voyage and I do feel rather excited. I've booked a first class deck, which means I can use the first class facilities but I have to sleep on the deck. There are not many other passengers in first. The ecclecitc chilean "art" collector, June a retired lady who has been living in malawi for 25 years, a couple of UN workers and several doctors on third world internships. We have the use of the first two decks including outdoor area with seating, dining room, cabins (if you can afford it) and bar.

Everyone else is crammed into the bottom deck along with bags of maize, coke bottle crates, chickens, sellers of dried fish. I went economy on my return trip (just a few hours) and there was not one available inch of space. The smell was rather interesting ; ) It was all very colonial (for want of a better word) with tea on the deck and all the guests dining together. The sunset was stunning and sleeping under the stars is always a pleasure.

Two Irish doctors and I stayed at Likoma Island for a couple of days. Beautiful location with a hut opening straight out onto the beach and lake. Went snorkelling to see the brightly coloured chyclids (probably not spelt like that) or fish that they have thosands of species of in Lake Malawi. Some people come here on dive safaris just to see them but think that would bore me stupid! For something different, the girls and I went to the local cathedral (actually stunningingly beautiful and quite impressive for what must have been very primative tools) for sunday service. After 3 hours, we coulnd't take it anymore and left! The singing was lovely though. During the service we were introduced as new friends (visitors) to the church. Kind of embarrasing!

They left after two days which was a shame as they were very easy to hang out with and I headed for the other island - Chizumulu. This involved waking up at 4am, climbing over the hills in the pitch black for an hour (aided by the trusted torch in my mobile phone!) to find a beach where I would be taking a local dhow (wooden sail boat). You have to go first thing in the morning because that's when the wind is right. It was an amazing moment as they hoisted the patched up sails (I'm ducking low to avoid the boom) as the sun rose behind us over Likoma island casting orange shadows all around. The only sound the brush of the wind in the sails and the water lapping against the boat (and also rather worryingly into it too, but they shovelled that out pretty quickly).

Chizamulu is a smaller island but you are much more aware of the local presence as you're surrounded by them. Even if the lodge which was located on a point with hammocks and lounges by the lake - awesome, felt part of the village. ON this island, everyone would greet me, including the women which they don't do so much elsewhere. In fact the women here seem more liberated (not all of them are pregnant or carrying babies).

Womans' rights in Malawi are rather poor. One of the discussions I had with a slightly inebriated malawian on the boat. Don't think he liked the idea that white woman used to be in a similar situation. I told him it was only a matter of time! Quite often I'll be greeted with the male version of hello (female travellers are seen as honourary men) which makes me laugh. Most of the time I pretend to be married, it's easier that way. Even then the endless comments of "you must be so lonely..." are enough to drive you crazy!

On Chizimulu I hung out with a couple of cool Israelis, did some diving, sunbathed on the lounges, walked every day, swam every day and tried not to eat too much (the food was good and the portions large). I've been on a health kick and am doing yoga almost daily now too. Life is too short not to be fit. I much prefer it. Also didn't drink for 3 weeks! Didn't drink alchohol that is ; ) The diving was fun. It was only me and the DM so we went to advanced dive sights, tiny swim throughs, an awesome underwater canyon and lots of fish. One swim through was so small I actually got stuck and had to back track. No coral here so no problem. There was current which surprised me but not particularly bad though.

A very lazy 5 days before returning to the mainland. In Nkhata Bay I stayed in a friendly resort called Mayoka Village. Met up with the Israelis again before missioning it down to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, to pick up some post, get a mozambiquan visa and other small chores. The shops here make me laugh. It's quite a religious country which is reflected in the names - Gods Will Hardware and Trust in God Fashions amongst others. Some of the scenery is beautiful but the bus drives take soooo long!

In Lilongwe I managed to pick up some trousers to replace my irreparably ripped ones. IN the market they had a reverse auction going on. Huge crowd standing around a man with a bag of clothes. He'd pull out a pair of jeans or couple of tops and then would bargain down until someone put their hand up or he'd gone so low it was no longer worth it to sell. Entertaining to watch. Objective achieved, I charged back up to Nkhata Bay again where I met 4 New Zealand guys who are biking their way from Cape Town to London. More about them in my next email.

I'm actually in Tanzania now so will be on email more often. It's a nightmare in Malawi!