Now this is a country that we knew little of. Some people we have met raved about it, some were indifferent, how would we get on?
The border crossing was easy enough and we were soon on our way heading to Karonga and a place to stay for the night. Now Karonga does not get a good write up in the guide books and to be fair there is not really much there to attract the passing tourist. It does however have banks and petrol stations, two essential items when entering a new country. After checking out our first option for the night, the Mufwa Lodge, and not being very impressed we headed to the National Bank of Malawi to get some cash from their ATM. We had found their old bank in the old part of town and were dismayed to see it almost in ruins, but thankfully there is a nice shiny new version in the new part of town. It would only give us K20000 (about £80) at our first attempt so we tried again but the damn ATM decided to go to sleep instead. Needing some urgent fuel we put in enough to keep Mufasa going and then went and bought a few beers to keep us going too! As the town was not looking like a good place to camp we headed off in search of a better option. On the way out of town I noticed people queuing back at the ATM and yes it had decided to do some more work so we raided it for another K20000 to bolster the funds.
We eventually found a reasonable place for the night at Chitimba, the Sangilo Sanctuary Lodge (S10 31.057 E34 13.043). The setting was great but the camping area was not much to shout about, but as the light was fading we decided to stay. We had a simple dinner and hit the sack. The owner was back in the UK and the family looking after the place had decided to sort out a few problems with the bathrooms, so the main facilities were not working and the ones we could use were not great, but we managed. From Chitimba we drove south and inland to the Vwaza Marsh GR, our first park in the country. The fees here are pretty cheap but the parks are not as well stocked as some of those in Tanzania and Kenya due to many a bad year of poaching, however they do have plenty to offer. Before reaching the park we stopped off at Rumphi (S11 01.260 E33 51.906) for some essentials, bread and beer, and a wee bottle of the local Malawi Gin to test!
The road to Rumphi was good, the road from Rumphi to the park was not so good. It was not bad but after being spoilt with good tarmac for quite a while even a good gravel road seems very bumpy! The reserve is not huge and does not have that much of a variety of animals but it does have plenty of Elephants and you get very close to them indeed! The campsite (S11 08.009 E33 39.103) is not too far from the lake and is a great spot just to sit and watch the big beasts amble past or play in the water and mud. At one point a herd of about a dozen Elephants including a few real youngsters wandered thru the bushes just a few metres from the truck. Needless to say Sue wasted no time in ensuring that Mufasa's passenger seat did not get cold! The Elephants did not even seem to notice us and it was quite special to be so close to them and to observe their behaviour as they passed us rather than us passing them on a game drive. As well as the animals and the birds it was just a nice spot to chill out, well if you can chill in that sort of heat! Eventually our day came to an end and we retired up to the now cooling tent to await and enjoy the noises of the night.
The great thing about the roof top tent is the view. As the sun came up the following morning we were able to sit up there and survey the surrounds and marvel at beauty of the spot we were at. It was very tempting to stay in the reserve longer but we hoped that there would be plenty more sights and places to keep us busy all thru the country. So after a slow morning and more close encounters with the Elephants down at the lodge we headed off in search of the next experience, of course stopping again in Rumphi for more essentials, but not including any more of the cheap (and average) gin!
We decided some relaxation was needed, so we went in search of a good spot on wonderful Lake Malawi to chill for a day or four. We had received good recommendations of the Chintheche Inn (S11 52.995 E34 10.105) at Chintheche from several fellow travellers and that is where we ended up. They have a large camping area next to the accomodation, the big overland trucks stop off on the way thru Malawi, and a lovely white sandy beach on the lake. Again like the spot we had at Sunrise Beach Resort near Dar the place had the feel of a 'cheap Mauritius'. Feeling the need for a treat we indulged in the delights of the restaurant the first night, and boy was the food good.
With only us and another German vehicle in the camp the place was deserted. Well it was at first. The trouble with these places, as per Sunrise, they get plenty of day visitors over the weekend. On the Sunday the place became quite busy during the day but thankfully most of the day trippers left before dark and those that remained did not spoil our evening too much. They did however delay our dinner at the restaurant!
Another day and another picture. Quiet, nobody around, waves lapping on the shore, sunshine, and not a thing to worry about. Well nothing except the worsening financial crisis in the world, why Michael Owen has not been selected in the current England squad, and whether Hull City might win the Premier League or not!
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