Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Nkhata Bay

Hey everyone,

I am writing to you from Nkhata Bay on the Northern shore of Lake Malawi. So far I have been in Africa for four days. I flew to Lilongwe, which is one of the bigger towns in Malawi, and my final destination is Nairobi, Kenya. I have not really planned any part of my trip, so I am just trying to move in a vague, northward direction, whilst seeing the things I want to see. I have six weeks to get there, via Tanzania where I will probably spend the biggest part of my time.

For those of you who don't know (probably noone as I never shut up about it...) I spent nine months there last year, volunteering in a little village called Lugalo just outside a town called Iringa. Part of the purpose of this trip was to return to Lugalo, and see what, if anything, has changed since I left. Most of all though, I just wanted to explore this part of Africa a little bit more. I am travelling by myself, but so far I have hardly spent any time alone at all. I have met some very cool, and very strange people on my travels so far! I spent two nights in Lilongwe, a slightly dull african town, with not much in the centre apart from the usual banks, mosque and market. Malawi is not known for its cities. Its small population and chilled out atmosphere does not lend itself to the buzzing, heaving metropolis of Dar Es Salaam or Nairobi. People laugh a lot, and smoke a lot of Malawi Gold, the famously potent strand of Marajuana grown here.

My first stop was Mabuya camp in Lilongwe, a backerpackers haunt where I got the chance to milk lots of departing travellers of advice, and plan my next destination...
Thanks to a noisy night in a tent, a hangover, and my failure to listen properly to some of this advice, I found myself on very slow very dodgy old bus, which took 9 hours instead of 5. Asthe bus (having lost a pane of glass out of one of its windows en route) crawled up into the mountains towards Mzuzu it was getting dark. Malawi is for the most part an incredibly safe, soft country, but travelling alone at night is not cool. I was pissed off cos i wanted to get the lake as soon as possible, but I knew I'd have to spend the night in Mzuzu. I found myself in a run down, practically deserted backpackers lodge, which looked like the African version of an American horror movie. The manager, however, an old south african guy called guy, turned out to be a mine of information... word of mouth is the only way to find out anything here. Ever since we visted the Tanzanian side of the lake last year, I had dreamed of taking the ferry across. I was just looking for someone who would tell me it was possible... since the ferry runs twice a week/maybe tomorrow/never. Ray told me, however that lots of smaller boats cross, carrying trade between Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, even when there is not enough cargo to send the ferry across to Malawi. So, fingers crossed... Ray directed me a bar by the port where I should some tanzanian sailors (smugglers), so with a little swahili charm I should be able to get a ride across. I plan to cross over to Tanzania in just over a week's time.
Tonight, I am heading out to Likoma and Chizumulu, the two islands in the Mozambican waters of the lake, by ferry. I am travelling with two girls I met at Mayoka Village, the english traveller party haven where I stayed last night. The lake is incredible, and though I have not realy been living a hardcore African experience the combination of swimming, beer and Malawian Reggae is pretty irrestible. The ferry should bring us back in 5 days time (fingers Xd)... So I'll be out of contact for a little while.


lots of love
Jessie xxx