Are we there yet

As I write I’m looking over the Shiré River from a comfortable lounge in the Mvuu Lodge. Hippos are grunting, crickets are cricketing and I can’t go back to my room without an escort as there are no fences. Last night they had elephant, hippo and some cat wandering around the camp. It’s stunning - and if you’re thinking of a trip to Malawi put it on your must do list.

We worked for it. By golly we worked for it. 8 hours on roads so bad I had to put my sports bra on. And we had a flat tyre to add to the excitement. As always McDonald was calm and efficient and dealt with it but he must be exhausted tonight.

It was, despite the distance, an interesting day.

The town of Nkhotakota was about 20 mins into the journey. It has an important place in the history of the area as it’s where Jumpa, the chief of the Yao, set up his base for slave transport across Lake Malawi. Livingstone visited him in 1860 to beg him to stop. No luck. He returned in 1864 and apparently managed to persuade Jumpa to give it up. I suspect there was more to it than that but this is McDonald’s version and I haven’t checked it. There’s a big fig tree down at the lake called Livingstone’s Tree where he is supposed to have camped for the night. There are a remarkable number of Livingstone trees in this country…

There were significant changes as we headed south. Some of it was the geological stuff with the richness of soil decreasing and the tree covering with it. This stretch of the lake is also where the Yao people now live. They converted to Islam during slaving times and there are now mosques every km or so. No Islamic schools. Later you reach the Catholic area of influence with a huge cathedral in a dusty town. Soon it’s Catholic churches and schools on one side and mosques on the other living apparently happily together, just as it should be.

China is rebuilding roads here so a lot of our time was on diversions. It doesn’t stop the locals going about their usual business so McDonald was navigating dirt roads with car size holes in them, cyclists, children, women bearing the week’s firewood on their heads, construction vehicles, goats, cattle and chickens. The man needs a medal.

It’s rice harvesting time so there was a hive of activity on both sides of the road with rice being picked, thrashed, transported in bags on head or bicycle to villages and then either combined for sale or taken home. There were also newly cut mud bricks drying in the sun, children escorting herds of cattle or sheep and the usual myriad of tiny enterprises. My favorite today was Revelation of Success Salon.

Arriving at Mvuu was a bit of a through the looking glass experience. From chaos we stepped into the graceful calm of an immaculate boat and a gentle river. The jetty at the lodge entrance is framed by two ancient baobab trees, and we were given cool face towels and chilled iced tea on arrival. Suddenly 8 hours in a blender felt like a distant memory.

An hour later we were watching a male cheetah, 20m away and have just returned from a glorious bird watching extravaganza up the Shiré with our game guide,Chief. The sun has set but three nights here are looking like a very good plan.

Ps if you don’t already read Grants blogs I recommend them. He’s much funnier than me and sometimes it’s as if we are in two totally different journeys. Here’s a link https://findpenguins.com/76vazoq3tw7jh/footprin…Read more