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African Adventure

9月 2019 - 3月 2020
Overlanding from Nairobi to Namibia もっと詳しく
+4
  • 89足跡
  • 12国
  • 185日間
  • 299写真
  • 32動画
  • 24.4千キロ
  • 1.0千キロ
フォローする カレンダー 共有 死ぬまでにやっておきたいことリスト
日付の昇順
  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日116

    Livingstone- Devil’s Pool

    2020年1月9日, ザンビア ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    If you were to tell someone that today we were going to get in a speedboat that would thrash towards the edge of the largest waterfall in Africa, before disembarking, swimming against currents that want to drag you over the abyss, and finally leaning out over the edge, with only a small ledge between yourself and oblivion, they would probably call you crazy. But this is Africa.

    It probably isn’t an over-exaggeration to say that the Devil’s Pool is one of the wildest things we’ve ever done. The moment when you reach over the edge, and stare wild-eyed at the thundering falls hundreds of feet below, is an unparalleled thrill. You would expect that if a similar pool was discovered in Niagara Falls, it would be blocked off at the most, or it would have a large infrastructure of safety ropes, nets and barriers. But here, the only thing preventing you from plunging over the falls is a guide holding your legs.

    After the Pool, we take a short walk around Livingstone Island, where the eponymous explorer/missionary first “discovered” the falls. You could almost imagine him turning back to the nearest village to exclaim “Have you guys seen this GIANT WATERFALL just over there? Well I have! Let’s name it after the Queen, ey?”.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日117

    Livingstone to Lusaka

    2020年1月10日, ザンビア ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Another long-distance coach journey. They’re never the most fun, but it’s all part of the adventure, and you certainly feel more connected to the country than if we were to fly 33,000ft above it.

    Today’s bus company is YNA Roadlink, which we chose for the simple reason that it wasn’t Shalom, which took us down to Livingstone, and blasted terrible music at full volume. However, we soon realise that this coach isn’t much better. One specific alarm on the bus is either broken, or it is working perfectly fine but just being ignored for eight hours. For the entire ride, a slow and steady alarm drills into our brains. It’s all part of the adventure. Beep Beep Beep. It’s all part of the adventure. Beep Beep Beep.

    Half-way through the ride, the conductors disembark, and purchase a large wicker cage of live chickens, and place it in the luggage compartment. It seems that the purchase of animals, alive or dead, is a common feature of Zambian bus travel.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日119

    Lusaka to Lilongwe

    2020年1月12日, マラウイ ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Early start again to get the 6am bus to Lilongwe. There is only one bus company that plies the Lusaka to Lilongwe route, so we take that one, and hope for the best.

    Today’s bus surprise is a small waterfall that emerges from the window whenever it rains (which is almost constantly). They’ve also oversold the seats, so we are crammed with passengers sat in the aisles on small wooden stools (it can’t be comfortable sat on those for 8 hours).

    They put films on the entertainment system, which is better than loud alarms or terrible music. However, playing one of the Fast and Furious films, which starts with a large coach crash and carries on in the same theme, seems a strange choice. It starts to feel a little like Final Destination.

    We arrive into Lilongwe around 6pm, and head to our chosen accommodation- a nice lodge with camping and, inexplicably, the best Indian food we’ve had for a long time.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日120

    Lilongwe

    2020年1月13日, マラウイ ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    There’s not much to say about Lilongwe, since honestly there’s not much to do here. But I guess it’s fair to say we are a Lilongwe from home.

    The city is spread out, with none of it feeling particularly like a city centre. Some might say that it has a sleepy charm, but for us it’s just a place to stage the next stage of our adventure up the lake.

    We bought bus tickets to Mzuzu, and found a strangely hipster cafe inside a wildlife reserve.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日122

    Lilongwe to Nkhata Bay

    2020年1月15日, マラウイ ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    The latest in a series of sketchy African coach journeys, this one from Lilongwe to Nkhata Bay, a small tourist town on Lake Malawi.

    The coach, due to set off at 11pm, doesn’t arrive until past midnight, and the seats are in a state of disrepair. At around 4 in the morning, the coach stops for around an hour, alarms blaring, until the driver and conductor can get it running again. We arrive into the nearest big city (Mzuzu) at 6.30 in the morning, and get off the bus into a giant rain storm. We’ve been fortunate so far to have avoided getting caught in downpours, but not this time. We need to get across town to the bus station to get a minibus to Nkhata Bay, so we’re forced to brave the deluge. Soaked, we arrive at the bus station and are mobbed by touts telling us that there are no busses to Nkhata Bay. I politely try to inform them that we’ve heard otherwise, whilst Katie straight up calls them liars. Sure enough, there is a bus to Nkhata Bay.

    It is worth the journey though. Our accommodation, Mayoka Village, is perched in and around a small bay on the lake, affording views over nearby headlands, and across the lake to the shoreline of Mozambique (where the lake is called Lago Niassa). The lake is home to an array of different coloured tropical fish darting around the rocks and GIANT LIZARDS!

    We rest for most of the day, with Katie feeling slightly under the weather, but we look forward to getting out on the lake and snorkelling in this real-life dentist’s aquarium.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日126

    Nkhata Bay

    2020年1月19日, マラウイ ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Mayoka Village, perched on the edge of Lake Malawi, has to be one of the best places we have stayed so far. A series of little houses and bungalows seem to tumble down the hill, threatening to spill into the lake.

    We take advantage of the low season and switch rooms every few days. We decide our favourite is room number four, a log cabin perched directly on top of the lake allowing you to hear the suprisingly big waves crash underneath you.

    Today, the head chef of the lodge has offered to cook for us at his house, so it’s an opportunity for us to peel away from the tourist places and experience the “real” Malawi. We are treated to Cassava Nsima- the national dish here, which is ground cassava, cooked into a solid mashed potato. It is eaten with your hands, by ripping off a small piece, rolling it into a ball and dipping it into sauce. It’s an acquired taste, but we’re now fond of the maize nsima (which is slightly lighter).    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日127

    Living with Phillip & his family

    2020年1月20日, マラウイ ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Morning starts off early and rushed with breakfast at 7am and set off from Mayoka Village at 7:15. Today, we are headed to Chimbota Secondary School, a private high school in the village of Chimbota which is about 15 minute drive away from the centre of Nhkata Bay. We’ll be staying here for two nights and quickly learn that driving there isn’t all that easy since the road keeps washing away with the daily rainfall.

    Phillip, one of the founders of the school and member of staff at Mayoka Village is going to be hosting us for the next couple of days while we help out at the school and live with his family.

    Chimbota Secondary School opened its doors in 2016 and currently has over 100 students enrolled. Before, the nearest secondary school was in Nhkata Bay which meant that students previously had to walk over 2 hours to get to school. During rainy season this means it was near to impossible for many eager students to get to school as their method of transportation is by foot.

    With a vision to expand, Phillip hopes enrolment will continue to grow in the coming years as demand for education is growing. However, many families face difficulties in meeting the school fees which are set at 29,000 kwacha (about $35 USD) per term. With today being the deadline for students to pay, the class sizes seem to be dwindling and many students are seen walking away from the school.

    As the school day comes to an end, we pack our things and head home to Phillips house. It’s about a 30 minute walk which is either blazingly hot or torrentially wet. We’re greeted warmly by everyone in the street. The local butcher passes by and shows us his bucket full of pig. We pass on purchasing any as we don’t have anywhere to cook, it but thank him for his generosity. We also meet a guy who calls himself Honeyman, a local bee keeper and nephew of Phillip. We don’t believe his name until we hear some others shouting out for him. He seems to be a popular fella.

    Lunch and dinner is cooked by Phillip’s family as we sit and watch the village life go by. As seems to be standard in Africa, we have an early night, and turn off the lights (by disconnecting the bare ends of wire draped across our door).    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日131

    Nhkata Bay to Livingstonia

    2020年1月24日, マラウイ ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    It’s time for a change in scenery. Since we’ve been in Nhkata Bay for a bit longer than expected we decide to pack up our stuff and to the North of Malawi to Livingstonia. We plan to stay at a place called Mushroom Farm which is located on the hill up to Livingstonia and has an amazing view over the rolling hills and Lake Malawi.

    It’s a bit of a trek to as we start our day in a taxi to Mzuzu. It takes about 45 minutes to get here and we arrive at about 11am. Onto the next mode of transport!

    We have the option to take a spacious, clean coach bus that leaves at 1pm. Or, hop on a small, cramped and more expensive minibus with makeshift seats made out of wood with no cushions. Obviously, we choose the minibus as it leaves earlier.

    We’re easily distracted from the discomfort of the ride by the amazing views. We almost even forget we are on this bus that looks to be falling part. This is interrupted when we go over a puddle and the water manages to splash up through the bottom of the bus and get Chris all wet. It’s a good laugh. But, we can’t wait to get off.

    After a 3 hour “bus” journey we finally arrive in Chitimba. We are greeted by Stanley who works for Mushroom Farm and arranges transport up the mountain. Our third and final mode of transport.

    We didn’t realize it would be another 45 minute motorcycle ride up the hill. It’s 45 minutes not because of the far distance. But rather because of the terrible condition of the road. But hey, we don’t really have any other choice so we strap our bags to the back and each hop onto a motorbike. Katie is escorted by Evans and Chris by the name of Gift.

    The “road” is essentially a lot of rocks piled on top of the dirt. Apparently some white guy started to build it but stopped halfway through and now this is the result. The drivers seem to know which rocks to avoid and which ones are safe to drive over. But it is safe to say this is probably the bumpiest motorcycle ride we’ll ever go on.

    Evans tells Katie that it is 20 bends up the mountain until we reach Mushroom Farm. As he counts each bend, Katie isn’t sure if he uses this as a conversation topic or rather to pass the time as he goes up and down the mountain several times a day. They count together as Katie holds tight to the back of the motorcycle while admiring the views as they near the top of the mountain.

    Chris and Gift arrive much later to the top as his bag fell off and needed some readjusting with the straps. It also didn’t help that his bike was experiencing “some problems” and broke down a few times. This resulted in Chris having to climb up most of the mountain.

    Thankful to arrive in one piece, we check into Mushroom Farm. A cloud has masked the views from the lodge. But we opt to stay in a a Safari Tent with a big double bed and nice balcony so that we can enjoy the view once the fog has lifted. The room doesn’t have electricity so we have to rely on candlelit by night.

    We relax for the rest of the day in the hammocks that overlook the plateau and Lake Malawi. There’s one other guest staying named Emiliano who met previously at Mayoka. We chat over dinner swapping travel stories and tips and head to bed early at 8:30pm. We wonder to ourselves if this will be our permanent bedtime.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日132

    Livingstonia

    2020年1月25日, マラウイ ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We wake from a good night’s sleep, and emerge from our safari tent onto our private balcony. The decking is built directly on top of the cliff, so we can look directly out over the lake shore, all the way across to Mozambique.

    Today, we are going on a hike. It is meant to be a hike to the plateau to see more amazing views, but the entire hill is covered in fog, making this hike pointless. We head to a waterfall instead. However, the moment we set off, the heavens open, and we are completely drenched. We carry on regardless, and get to the lookout post overlooking the waterfall. However, there’s not much to lookout on because the rain is so intense. We shelter in a cafe and wait for the rain to subside.

    Once it does, we set off down the face of the waterfall to the bottom. This involves some fairly sketchy paths, and we jump over the raging river, about 20 metres from the edge of the waterfall.

    As usual, the views are amazing.

    On the way back up, we pass a tree covered in hairy insects. I ask the guide what they are but he doesn’t know. I later find out that they are worms, that people eat, once they cook them to neutralise the poison.

    A little further along, we come to a giant colony of ants, who are coming out onto the path after the rain. Since the paths drop off one side into oblivion, we are forced to run through the ants, and spend the next few minutes pulling the soldier ants out of our skin. This seems par for the course in Africa.

    Later, after taking a well deserved shower, we head into Livingstonia town. This is a small town on top of the hill. It was founded by missionaries that followed in the footsteps of Livingstone (hence the somewhat heavy-handed name). It is very atmospheric, with colonial buildings built around the turn of the 19/20th centuries. It is especially eerie with the mist rolling over the surrounding mountains. There is a small museum, with very few interesting displays. We do learn one story about the missionaries who lived here during the liberation struggles. The colonial authorities broadcast the news that they couldn’t guarantee the safety of any British people in Malawi, and they would evacuate them from the lake. If the British wanted to be evacuated, they were to put a large “I” on the ground, and if they wanted to stay put, they were to put a “V” on the ground. The missionaries had faith that the local population wouldn’t turn against them, and put the V, along with a bible passage celebrating equality among races. Sure enough, despite the chaos and violence that took place across Malawi, the missionaries in Malawi weren’t harmed, and there was peace in Livingstonia.

    In the evening, we have dinner with everyone at Mushroom Farm. We discuss Bilharzia medication with a German doctor, who recommends splashing in out for name brand pills, since a study found that 1/2 of all drugs in the developing world were found to be fakes. Bilharzia is a nasty sounding disease, caused by parasites found in lake snails throughout Africa. Symptoms start subtle- mainly tiredness- before you’ve got blood in your pee and eventually the parasites can make their way to your nervous system and can cause loads of complications. We’ll splash out for some name brand pills.    もっと詳しく

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  • True North TravelsAfrican Adventure
    日134

    MV Ilala

    2020年1月27日, マラウイ ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Today we are boarding the MV Ilala, a ferry that has been cruising Lake Malawi since 1951, for what promises to be one of the great African boat adventures.

    In the morning, we head down to the ferry terminal in Nhkata Bay to try and secure a cabin. Upon enquiring, we’re told that the only cabin left is the “Owner’s Cabin”, the most exclusive room on the boat- for £28. We take it, with the justification that we’ll probably never be able to get the most exclusive room on a boat anywhere else.

    The ferry arrives just after 2pm, but we are told that it won’t leave until around 9pm. We wait around, and head down to the ferry around 8.30pm. We settle in with a few beers on the upper deck, swapping travel stories with the other passengers. The ferry leaves at around 11.30pm, and heads off into a curtain of darkness, towards Likoma Island near Mozambique. The upper deck is First Class, but there are no beds. Instead, people find spaces in any nook or cranny, or bring big mattresses to sleep on. Around midnight, a small rain storm forces everyone to huddle under the small amount of covered space. Although it’s fun being up there, drinking beers under the night sky, I’m glad we have our little cabin.

    Not that our cabin especially lives up to the hype. It is next to the engine, so the air is filled with the fumes, and there are small roaches that scurry around the beds. Still, given that that we are a few beers “deep” (first nautical pun), we “drift” (second nautical pun!) off to sleep easily.    もっと詳しく

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