A lie-in today -- up at 6am! Stopped at the gate [for a receipt] and watched a chick who couldn't hop over a [two brick high] wall and hung on by its neck. No outcome [as to it catching up with the rest of the family], the receipt arrived. First thoughts are that we might have been looking at Salima rather than Cape Maclear.
A long drive up the coast road of Lake Malawi. The first part (up the coast itself!) is marked by washed out bridges replaced by boxgirder and wooden beam bridges. There are a lot of cannabis looking plants which are grown en masse. I was thinking that this must be a state-sponsored thing (and watch out for the forest fire) but it turns out to be madumbi, a white sweet potato that doesn't taste nice. I sleep through the rubber plantations [I'm told]. Saw some yellow trunked pines.
The coast road becomes the M1 and heads inland and up over a much dryer and more dead looking plateau (at about 1100m) although the road is better. We buy bottles of Coke at half the prices of cans, 16 Kw each (80 Kw to US$1). Back down to the lakeside and an ominous "Construction for 100 Km" sign. The next 10 km or so we travel (to roughly level with Livingstonia) are dirt track that criss-crosses an under-construction new highway. It's still the M1, though. They've been at it for 3.5 years and they's reached the stage of smoothing over the hardcore. You're not allowed to drive on it, though. The dirt track we're on is like a rollercoaster and where it crosses the new road the "joins" are like being tossed around in the rapids. Much relief to turn into Chitimba Beach campsite on the side of Lake Malawi.
A "bath Malawi" is in order and it turns out to be a very good idea. The facilities are pretty poor -- grotty loos and showers and a single sink. "Dirty camp" springs to mind. Paul cooks fillet steak and caramelised banana and custard.
We blow our remaining Malawian kwacha on a beer and a Coke and settle into some bao. I beat Paul from a final five beans but I guess that was just lucky. I lose everything else.
Chitimba Beach S10.58260
E34.19849 Elev. 503m.
Copyright 2002 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.