Freelander 2: Overland

[JJJ]

Hi all,

We arrived back home safely on the 15th of July after a 23 day round trip to Malawi with a convoy of 3 vehicles - Colt 2.8 double cab, Toyota Fortuner 4l V6 with Echo 4 offroad trailer and our HSE 3.2 i6 Freelander 2.

As a brief summary of what will be a more detailed trip report, the following:

The scanned map is courtesy the AA Mozambique/Malawi map: MNE-7 - doing a clockwise circuit with two compulsory backtracks.



The route comprised border crossings at Beitbridge, Machipanda, Dedza and Zobue, and covered a distance of 5625km for ourselves, although the other convoy members travelled further - Johannesburg and Ceres - 8720km - respectively.

The Freelander returned a consumption of 8.12 km/l at a fuel cost of R8359. Our average speed was quite low, with the roof luggage accounting for at least 1.5l/100km increased consumption. The Colt (diesel) did around 8% better in terms of fuel consumption. The Fortuner returned 5.8 km/l.

Before one falls over backwards or make sucking noises through your teeth regarding the Fortuner consumption, consider this:

4l petrol, auto, towing an Echo 4 trailer.

The luggage in the car was stacked to the roof, with the 3rd row seats removed. The off-road trailer was loaded to between 800kg - 1000kg. You needed two people to lift the front. The folded down roof-tent also contributed a lot to the drag.

The difference in fuel consumption between the diesel Colt and petrol Freelander can be attributed to the transmissions - manual vs auto. Often, the speed was too low for the Land Rover to select 6th gear. The same for the Fortuner, which, especially on the dirt roads, would have been in 3rd - on rare occations 4th - gear.

With the hordes of villages in Malawi - probably one every 5km, if not sooner - where you had to slow down to 50km/h, a constant speed could not be maintained on the open road. Also in Mozambique, the road was very winding and hilly. So to get the best fuel consumption out of the two petrol vehicles, you had to forget about cruise control, and plan your ascent with a spurt of acceleration during the preceding downhill.

So I'm wondering whether a diesel "anything else" would have returned a better consumption under the circumstances? I would like to hear from anyone that has had this experience.

Generally fuel is cheaper across the border than here, but the exchange rate you get when drawing money at an ATM robs you of the advantage. E.g., at a Standard Bank ATM in Lilongwe, you will get 21.5 Kwacha for a Rand, but an exchange rate of K24 is easily achievable - just not at the bank.

Also, we entered Malawi 5 days after the latest fuel shortage was announced. We knew this before we started off, but was not going to let a triviality such as this stand in our way. This however meant that on occasion we had to buy fuel on the black market as the pumps were empty - generally because the black market dealers had bought up all the fuel.

The prices were therefore inflated, but not horribly so, ranging from 20 - 30% above pump price. We all had spare fuel - myself 20l under the boot floor - but never had to use this.

Attached picture shows the furthest north we went, to the Nyika Plateau. Google Earth should give you a good idea of where this is. I would like to know if anyone has been closer to the equator in Africa, in a similar vehicle.



At Nyika we stayed in three adjoining chalets, and the visitor's book in our neigbouring unit had an entry by Kingsley Holgate, who had also recently visited there.

This does not necessarily mean that Mr Holgate can now swop his Discovery for a more nimble Freelander 2, but I would like to think so .

More detail will follow when the journey is broken up into a number of destinations: Lilongwe, Nyika, Livingstonia, Lake Malawi west coast, Cape Maclear/Domwe Island, Zomba, Zimbabwe Ruins and of course the journey and stop-overs.

It will include info on road conditions, how to get fuel when the pumps are dry, accommodation, food, and images of the places visited.

Hopefully this will be of use to other potential overlanders.

[KurtG]

okay we are waiting in anticipation....

[JJJ]

On 23 June, our convoy left Pretoria heading north, with our main destination, Malawi.

Our travel plan was detailed down to the day, with known accommodation, distances between all towns, T4A travel time predictions and indications where to get fuel – theoretically anyway.

Through the course of the trip we learnt - from the fuel availability point-of-view - that: “A fuel pump does not a filling station make”. Or something to that effect.

We were aiming for Musina, intending to cross the border at Beit Bridge the next morning. Well, we had almost made it to Pietersburg when the Fortuner started surging, allowing us to limp into Polokwane at a max speed of around 70km/h.

Straight to the Toyota dealership latish afternoon - and I know that we should not advertise here - but this was the biggest/bestest/friendliest car dealership I had ever visited. We just dropped in, and they started helping us straight away. We could sense their sympathy for our plight, and it made us feel better.

The diagnostic evaluation indicated one of the spark plugs as faulty. This was puzzling, as the car had been serviced around 500km earlier, and the plugs had all been replaced. Would you believe it, plug number 5 was burnt yellow. Replacement unfortunately did not cure the problem.

A closer look at the diagnostic results revealed that the high pressure stage of the fuel pump was not functioning. This tied in with our experience, as at slow speeds when the fuel demand was low, the car ran perfectly.

OK, could they replace the pump? Yes they can, only they don’t have one. But they’ll get one from Gauteng overnight and we can get the car the next day around 10, seeing as the fuel tank must come off as this is where the pump resides.

In the meantime, the dealership went out of their way to arrange excellent accommodation for us for the night, as this was our only option. I actually think we got a dealer discount, as it was hard to believe the ensuite accommodation – including full breakfast – at Country Blue being available for only R200 p/p. I mean, at these rates, how do these people make a living?

The next morning the car was ready earlier than promised, pulling like a train. We were presented with the replaced fuel pump and the problem pointed out to us.

Debris from the tank had become lodged inside the high pressure relief valve mechanism, jamming it open permanently. This meant that the fuel just kept recirculating back into the tank instead of being delivered to the engine.

On closer inspection, the debris looked very much like a burr from a twist drill, and the theory is that when the long-range tank was installed – specially for the trip – the week earlier, this burr dropped into the tank when the hole was drilled to link the 42l tank.

Well, Armas now had the evidence with which to confront the installer upon his return, and attempt to get his R3000 back for the pump replacement, and we were off.

But instead of having crossed into Mozambique by day two, we were now still in the good old RSA, staying over at Musina for the night.

The kind lady at 22 Limpopo Avenue (Debbie Mitchell, 083 391 1386) had simply transferred our missed booking to the next day as if nothing happened, and at R1200 for 12 people – OK, the kids did sleep on mattresses in the gym – this was excellent accommodation, with the three adult couples all having ensuite rooms.

Some repairs were required to Adriaan's dual charging system as the fridge stopped working, but this could be cured by mere inspection of the relays mounted in the engine compartment - one of the spade terminals had disconnected itself, so it was a simple matter to restore the charging of the second battery.

One thing I must say about Musina – it has the worst roads we encountered over the complete trip. Other than the potholes, this is the first time I had ever driven on a corrugated tar road.

So endeth day two with a lesson:

If you want to go anywhere far with your car, have that repair/service/modification/wheel alignment/balancing done WAY before you leave.

A month prior, should just about do it.

[JJJ]

At 6am sharp , we were on the RSA side of Beit Bridge. 20 minutes later, on the other side, just in time to start queuing up behind the few 100 passengers of the 6 busses that beat us to it.

The immigration formalities looked like it could take a long time, so I went to ask the security guard at the entrance whether I could in the meantime do the car-related items – Carbon Tax, Insurance and Road Toll. He asked me how old I was. Upon my response, he declared me a “Madala”, and I went straight in.

This is the only border crossing we did that required you to pay for your gate pass. I must admit though, it did look nice, with a holographic emblem and all. Pity it had to be handed in the same day.

Next came the queuing for the rest of the car items. One can of course take out your insurance prior to crossing the border – at Outdoor Warehouse and the AA – which I did, but for some reason I can’t remember now - left at home. So I had to buy it again.

The wasted money was not really an issue, but the queuing was. Not that the wait would have been shorter if I had remembered to bring the papers, as the same counter also administrated the rest of the documentation.

But we made a lot of new friends with the (only) 20 people ahead of us. This helped while away the time, which thankfully was reduced to only 2 hours and 30 minutes after a second counter opened. There are of course THREE counters, but apparently the officials were on a go-slow, in sympathy with a teacher’s strike which started that week. Mmmm, I wonder.

It actually turned out to be quite an education. Contrary to my prior belief that it was only white people who got annoyed when others pushed into a queue in front of them, some of the locals got VERY vocal with the potential pusher-inners and pointed out to them that the end of the line was actually “over theeeere”.

The offenders were mostly accompanied by “runners” who reasoned, argued and lost and then maar HAD to go “over theeeeere”. We were also approached by Knowledge, offering his expediting services for a fee, but declined the offer.

Cost breakdown – payable in Rand or USD – as follows: Gate Pass: R70, Road Access Fee: R70, Carbon Tax: R210 (dependent on engine capacity) and Insurance: R210. If you tow a trailer, you are going to pay additional insurance.

So eventually, 3.5 hours after arriving at the border post, we were through. We stopped at the Lion and Elephant Lodge on the Bubu river 60kms along the A4, for our own picnic breakfast in the parking lot and also a whistle stop - ladies have to pay R2 for this privilege - as we had heard that it was not safe to stop next to the road between Beit Bridge and Masvingo.

Not long afterwards we got our only speeding fine. Doing 68 km/h out in the sticks in a 60 zone, with nobody there, except the traffic officials. Our GPS indicated we were not going quite that fast, but we WERE speeding (65 km/h). Adriaan (Colt), who was driving in front at the time, was of course not pleased, but the officials were extremely happy to see us, as we were probably one of very few customers that day. The fine was reasonable, though.

Bear in mind that there is no leeway or discretion in terms of exceeding the speed limits here. If you are going 1 km/h too fast, you are going to pay. In retrospection, even if you are going 5km/h within the speed limit, you may also have to pay.....

Road toll stations are encountered every now and then – 3 for this leg of the journey – where you pay $1 and is given a receipt.

The countryside is absolutely stunning, with granite outcrops scattered all along this route. This scenery is already present north of the Rutenga junction with the A4.

Another thing that is scattered next to the roads, are the car wrecks, some of them burnt out due to veld fires. Due to the large numbers, it is very noticeable, and makes one wonder why scrap metal dealers have not cleaned it up by now.

We fuelled up at Masvingo, where you could either pay in Rand or Dollar, with petrol costing $1.47/l.

From here we headed eastwards towards the magnificent Birchenough Bridge across the Save river. We've of course all seen and crossed bigger/smarter bridges, but I think it is the contrast of such a structure being in the middle of nowhere which makes it stand out like this.

Our convoy, entering the bridge.



And



After crossing the bridge, the road turns north, following the Mozambican border, and police roadblocks are encountered with annoying regularity. Nine in all, to Mutare.

Mostly only the lead car was stopped and asked for the destination. Rarely were licences/passports asked for. The lead driver then explained that the two cars behind him were also part of the group, and we were all waved through. Apparently this is the Zimbabwe diamond mining area, hence the concentrated police presence in order to discourage/apprehend prospective smugglers.

Due to the delay during the morning border crossing, we only got to the Machipanda border post after 6 pm - open untill 8 pm - when it was already completely dark. In spite of the officials occupying temporary offices - while a really spiffy renovation of the whole border post is in progress - this went quickly. Including my duplicate Mozambican motor vehicle insurance (R150). Yes, thank you. I know I should have remembered to bring the AA pre-issued documents.

Originally we were heading for Casa Messica, but drove only as far as Manica (the next town along the E6), finding suitable accommodation at the Manica Lodge, by searching the T4A GPS database.

6 ensuite rondawels were available – VERY basic – but bug free, with mosquito nets and off-cold water. After more than 15 hours travelling, we were finished, and did not care one bit. The accompanying restaurant kitchen was already closed, but upon request, the owner provided us with a microwave oven in which we could heat our own frozen lasagne, brought along from home. They also provided a nice salad. In return, we supported the owner by buying some of his beer.

So, day 3 was a premonition of what was to come, and that was that – with rare exception - you could go on a Southern African holiday (this time, anyway) without booking accommodation in advance, simply by winging it and ALWAYS finding a place to sleep when you got to your destination.

Another technique demonstrated - which was to prove itself very accurate (100%) throughout the rest of the trip - was how to ensure that you always had accommodation with HOT water.

What you do, is let the Jonker family choose first. Without fail (and this was a fact) they would choose the chalet with the faulty geyser/no electricity/unlit donkey/blocked pipe/broken off hot tap, etc.

Any of the remaining chalets would then be fine, delivering up to standard hot water from the shower.

Also, some border crossings are indeed more equal than others.

[gazza1210]

Nice report so far. You really have to have the penguins attitude when travelling... " smile and wave boys, smile and wave".

[vise]

Hi JJJ, What can I say a story from the best. Leisure Wheels how about publishing this one. I am enjoying all the facts, must read it again with my T4A open so that I can confirm all the place locations etc. I need to gather info for my plans next year.
Having car problems can not be nice, but one does wonder all the electronics, diagnostics and modern day cleverness and the problem is one of those age old problems, dirt in the fuel tank. Holidays like this are all about the adventure and changing your plans as you go along.
I want to hear about your sleeping gadget for the car? What was the longest distance you did without being able to get fuel? What about the availability of unleaded petrol? Did you take to much stuff etc. I am planning on doing parts of this trip in a Jimny with a small trailer.
Thanks

[JJJ]

Hi vise,

The furthest we had to go without fuel was from Mzuzu eastwards via Nkhata Bay along the M10 to Cape Maclear. This was a distance of 529km, and both myself and the Fortuner was on reserve. We still had fuel in Jerry cans but could buy Moz fuel off the back of a truck in Cape Maclear the following day. This lead to having to replace the petrol pump a few years later.

We tried every town along the way - Nkhata Bay, Chintcheche, Nkhotakota and Salima. The last one told us that the truck was on its way from Lilongwe, but we could not hang around.

If we had not taken the (horrible) shortcut to Monkey Bay we would have had to stop and add jerry can fuel.

It is difficult to describe the sense of relief when you know the tank is full.

Yes, your plan is the outline, the colouring in comes afterwards.

Our plan is in tabular form in MSWord, so I could send it to you to have a look at the format and just edit in your own contents. I think the only attachment I can add here is pdf.

The car sleeping gadget will make an appearance 3rd episode from now. But suffice to say although we did sleep in it two nights only, it was actually quite comfortable.

Only unleaded petrol, if any. You'll get some practical detail on this in tomorrow's chapter.

Yes, I unpacked about 20% of clothing that was never worn. My wife probably 50%.

[JJJ]

The next morning we fuelled up in Manica at 50 Metical/l. The exchange rate was roughly M4 = R1. We could also draw local currency from an ATM. One family however emptied the machine and then had to temporarily lend money to the others.

Happiness. A garage with fuel. The price/l can be calculated from the numbers on the pump.



Initially heading east on the E6 towards Beira, this road had at some stage been resurfaced by covering with hot bitumen and then rolling a layer of aggregate along the top. Well, the glue had gone, and large parts of the top layer is missing, making for a very noisy drive, although the underlying road structure was still sound.

We turned North along the E1 towards Tete. Although there are only 3 “towns” indicated on the map between Manica and Tete – Catandica, Comacha and Changara - there are a large number of villages. This tends to affect your average speed significantly due to the frequent slowing down to 60km/h, so you would be hard-pressed to maintain 80km/h over the distance, taking moving time only.

The route is quite undulating, but a lot flatter than the Zimbabwe part, with only the odd rocky outcrop. One very scenic river crossing - the Pungoe - is done via a new bridge – but watch out for those speed bumps both sides of the bridge. They are really sharp. You’ll know after the first one. Overall this road is in excellent condition.

By the time you get here, you would have traversed the 3 vicious speed bumps. Hopefully your car is still OK. Watch out for the next three (or was it now 4?) on the bridge exit.



Crossing the Zambezi at Tete is quite something, with an even more spectacular bridge than the one at Birchenough, but the town itself is something to soon forget.



We fuelled up at the next town - Moatize - and lunched at a Portuguese restaurant adjacent to the filling station. Something went lost in the order translation, because what we got looked like no stir-fry any of us had ever seen before. But it was good.



What is very noticeable here, is the flood of 4-stroke 50cc Chinese motorcycles – LIFO – which is a Honda clone, with just the name plates changed. In fact, they must have poached the original designer from Honda, as the off-road orientated Honda models look EXACTLY like the 185cc XLs at the time when I bought my XL500S in 1981. Same tank design, same colour, same indicators.

This section of road towards Massano - where we turned north towards Ulungue - is however very badly potholed in places. Usually you can avoid them, but sometimes, e.g. when overtaking, you are a sitting duck, and have to drive through them. A few times I thought that the alignment surely MUST be out or a rim dented, but no, everything remained intact.

It was the lead vehicle’s – the Freelander both ways – responsibility to warn the other two by radio about bad potholes and oncoming traffic for overtaking purposes – we had Kirisun and Zartek units, which were compatible on the 466MHz band, operating on Channel 8 – simply because no one else was there.

Turning north at Massano to Ulungue, the road was once again all new, with shoulders both sides - apparently rebuilt by the Chinese. We arrived at Vila Ulungue just before sunset, where we stayed the night.

This is a Christian mission station run by South Africans, which has accommodation available for travellers. The intention is to put up decks with tents in the near future specifically for overlanders, but presently there is a lovely tree-shaded grassed area - with built braai - for camping and also the guest house. Contact Charl Cilliers at 082 894 7965 (local) or +258 82 293 0878 (Moz) for more details or a booking.

The guest house consists of a number of two-bed rooms along one side of a passage – bedding and towels provided - with the communal bathroom with donkey-driven hot water showers and kitchen across the way. So more dormitory than B&B - similar to a school hostel of way back, with only fewer beds per room. You also have access to a lapa with a hearth. The campers have their own his/hers ablution with separate donkey, so if the hot water runs out one end, you have a second option.

Upon our departure the next day, we wanted to fill up with fuel – last done at Tete - but being in such close proximity – 40km – to the Malawi border, the pumps had been bought dry from across the border. But things change quickly here, as the previous day, there was still fuel. So we bought diesel (Colt) and petrol off the side of the road.

Notice the getaway vehicle parked in front.



Let me explain about so-called “black market” fuel. “BLACK MARKET” is an adjective describing fuel, similar to “GREEN” in describing the colour of a door. It has no cloak and dagger/illegal connotation in these parts of the world. It is not as if the police are going to come rushing out of the bushes, pour out all the fuel on the ground and confiscate the vehicles. After all, they also have to buy fuel somewhere when the pumps run dry.

So, in the same way that “fôkol” is not regarded as a swear-word in rural Eastern Cape, “black market” has no clandestine meaning in Malawi. It is a merely a market where black people sell stuff, amongst others, fuel.

The diesel was reasonably priced at M40/l, but the petrol a bit more expensive at M65/l, compared to the pump price of M50/l. This may have something to do with the fact that there was plenty of diesel available, but we actually bought the last two containers of petrol. I say “containers” rather than “20l”, because you can be sure there is not 20l in there. Closer to 18l, but you of course pay “as if” the container is full.

Adriaan bought 40l of diesel. The first 20l was of a light Cream Soda colour, and the second 20l more like British Racing Green. We commented on this as even a colour-blind person would have been able to spot the difference. “Different fuel companies” was the response. More or less kerosene blended, we thought.

You do need to filter this fuel. A Pool-Gobbler stocking works well, obtainable in packets of five at any shop which sells pool-maintenance equipment at home. This is pulled over a funnel (if you don’t bring it along yourself, it won’t be there). A length of large diameter water feature hose which will fit over the spout of the funnel and into the tank orifice is also useful.

Take lots of strong young people along on your tour. Someone has to hold the filtered funnel in position, and after a while, that jerry can gets heavy!



We actually wasted money here in terms of petrol, as just through the border post at Dedza, petrol was available at the pump. But no diesel. Speaking of which (again!), the following:

When the change was made to unleaded fuel a couple of years back, for a while both types of fuel were available at the filling stations, sometimes dispensed from the same pump. To help prevent confusion, the nozzle diameter of the unleaded hose was smaller than that of the leaded fuel. Car manufacturers followed suit, and soon you could not get a leaded fuel nozzle into a tank meant for unleaded, as the orifice was too small. The Freelander 2 is like that, NOT the Fortuner.

In due course leaded fuel disappeared and the pumps were all upgraded to small nozzles. Except in Malawi, where you can now buy ONLY unleaded fuel – SUPER, nogal. At least the colour does not vary, looking more or less the same as at home.

So at times I could not put in fuel without either waiting for one of the smaller nozzle pumps to come free or for the fuel attendants to make some sort of funnel from a cut off plastic water bottle – a normal funnel is too wide, and won’t fit - AND use a piece of wire to push the internal spring-loaded flap in the tank orifice open, to get this lot in.

So if your car has the smaller feed pipe, you will do well to make something at home which will adapt the larger nozzle to fit, prior to setting off. You will also need such a contraption when filling from plastic containers.


Into Malawi

The Malawi government is in serious trouble financially. This is after they deported the British consul for reporting mismanagement of foreign aid, and the UK – and other European nations - then withdrew their financial support.

Other than the resultant fuel shortage – no money to pay for it – the border fees were hiked extensively in order to generate SOME additional income. Where the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your car used to be 1200 Kwacha (K21.5 = R1), this was pushed up to K5000 on the 4th of June 2011. Also the insurance is expensive at R400, compared to Mozambique, where it was M520 (R150). I suspect: "Coming to a Malawian border post near you soon: CARBON TAX!".

This is also the first time we were fooled by a runner. Picture this: A VERY neatly dressed person indicates where you should park your vehicle prior to entering the immigration office. Prior to getting out of your car, he explains to you that HE needs the mileage of the vehicle for the import permit. You think, what a considerate nation, these Malawians.

It’s only when you get inside the office and you wonder why this “official” is your side of the counter and not behind it that the penny drops. Too late then.

But he fills out all the forms, does all the payments for you – without adding any commission – and only once you are back in your car, suggests that you pay him something for his writing skills.

Upon request as to what would be a reasonable fee, he mentions R100. That would come to around R600/hour – which is more than my salary – but seeing as we did use him, R50 was handed over.

Next onto Lilongwe, where we stayed at the Mufasa Backpackers in Lister St. Here is where we found out that you need BOTH T4A and the Garmin Street Maps if you travel in Southern Africa. Actually, for our trip, the street maps were better. T4A does not have the city detail of the Garmin maps, so we were leading the convoy to the destination at this stage, having a 2010 Garmin map set resident in a Nuvi 500.

Having recently moved to these premises from an apartment block two streets down, the Mufasa facility was not running at full capacity yet, but we stayed in an 8 bunk dormitory with 4 of the children in the room next door. But decent mattresses, pillows, duvets, mosquito netting, good hot water, a nice pub and friendly people. Shortly they will also take over the house next door, which will then provide ample room and easy parking – even turnaround space for a car with trailer.

Out of interest, they also own a private beach in Monkey Bay – they have a picture in the office – which looks simply gorgeous. This would be ideal if you are a convoy who prefers minding your own business, in which case you book out the complete facility.

Contact the very helpful and efficient Katrin at : [email protected] or 00265 99 907 1665.

A bit cramped, but soon to be improved parking.



8 people's luggage in a dormitory. Standing room ONLY.



Carlsberg is big here, all the variants and also the local Kuche Kuche beer available. And G&T - Schweppes, no less.



Pub by Day, aka Gratuitous Freelander 2 photo


It was recommended by the owner that of all the restaurants available – for which they provided a map – the Chinese one down the road is probably the best. So off we went, only to find that the restaurant was closed for renovations and could only serve take-a-ways. All the furniture had been carried out into the parking lot while the alterations were in progress, and we suggested then that we arrange a table and chairs in the parking area and they serve us there. It took a while for them to take us seriously, but this is exactly how it happened.



12 people being served from a Chinese menu at a table in a parking lot – complete with lazy Susan - having a great time. When it came to payment, they refused to accept a tip - probably regarding this action as dishonourable. I really don’t understand these Chinese people - but I like them.

The next morning we went shopping, as Lilongwe has every convenience, even a Mr Price, Game and Spar. You can draw up to 100,000 Kwacha per day in 20,000 Kwacha multiples from most ATMs. Standard bank is big in Malawi. So is Shoprite Checkers in the cities. Almost every town has a Metro Cash and Carry, and some a "People's Superette".

In terms of communication, Airtel and Vodacom prepaid service is available both here and Mozambique. If one does not want to run the risk of an expensive incoming call phone bill when enabling roaming, a reduced "SMS roaming" feature can be enabled prior to leaving home.

We headed north towards Mzuzu, after visiting Banda’s shrine and driving through the South African built Malawian government building complex, of which the fence railings look pretty much like that of the Benoni traffic department.

[Ockert123]

OK, Johnie, waar is die res van die verslag? ("ou madala", ek hou van daai een :-) )

[JJJ]

The road to Mzuzu is good, although somewhat boring, until you get to the plantations. This is quite a high-level processing industry, as the trees come out of the forest in planks, ready for drying.

"Villages" are constructed next to the side of the road from the tree skins, where the lumberjacks reside untill the plantation has been cleared.



Here, once again, petrol was available but not diesel, but a long queue had already formed along the main road in anticipation of the pending arrival of a diesel tanker. Malawi was busy preparing for their 6th July Independence Day celebrations, during which the procession was to pass through the northern part of the country, so they were busy stocking up with fuel, at the expense of the southern part.

We had read a review of the Mzuzu Backpacker establishment in the Bradt guide to Malawi. I can honestly say that this guide is absolutely essential, and much more useful than the Lonely Planet guide. It has detailed maps of all the town centres – some towns only HAVE a centre – and the coastline a few kms either side of any town, listing and describing - and drawn to scale - the locations of all available accommodation, be it camping or lodges. The information is up to date (2010 issue) and accurate – except for their review of Mzoozoozoo.

The text explained that this venue was a viby place, but when we got there we were the only visitors, with the owner looking somewhat perplexed that someone actually came. How can I put it – Gerard is an extremely interesting host – also his permanent lodgers - but should you visit, know that your accommodation could only improve from there.

Except for my wife and I, everyone camped – next to the open French drain. We slept in a room with a double bed and a mattress shaped like a banana, through which our hips were very aware of the bed board below when lying on our sides. We were a bit puzzled as to why – although clean – the pillows felt somewhat damp. This all became clear the next morning at around 5am, when our breathing started to condensate against the inside of the ceiling-less corrugated iron roof, and the drops started tip-tipping around us.

Mzoozoozoo camping



We left from there for the Nyika Plateau after some final deliberation.



At Rumphi we could refuel – once again, petrol only – and did some shopping for the next two days at the Metro Cash&Carry, which was well-stocked. Diesel was available on our return.



It's good to know that even in these remote parts, they have heard of your car brand. Whether they can actually fix it, is a different question.



Some more local advertising.



The first stage of the road was indicated as tar on the T4A map, but was not. A fine, cement-like dust hung in the air, as we literally picked our way along this road to the Nyika Park entrance.



Other than almost zero visibility when following too closely, the dust formed hard cakes when depositing on the car, to the extent that it took a few healthy squirts of Q20 to keep the auto fold-in function of the Freelander wing mirrors going.



It was also on this road that we saw our first South African car since crossing the border – CY registration, returning from where we were heading.

The time prediction of the T4A map was very misleading. We discovered afterwards that this was a calculated value, based on the park speed limit of 40km/h. We could maintain less than 30km/h. The road surface was reasonable, but at places had a few ruts and loose material – like doing an endless loop De Wildt trail for 3 hours.

Typical road through the park - the good parts.



Progress was especially slow on the downhill sections, where Armas had to anticipate the extended braking time due to the pushing of the trailer behind the Fortuner. He reported that the ABS still kicked in a number of times in spite of his cautious approach. Ja swaer, the Echo 4 is not quite the same as a Venter.

By the time we got to Chelinda however, we were gatvol, and had attained an attitude of “take no prisoners” in terms of caution over the obstacles. We were NOT in very high spirits. Ons ry die hele blerrie dag vir dít?!

The mood soon changed for the better when we were greeted with a soft drink at reception and directed to the three chalets, where a good fire was already burning in the lounge and each family was introduced to their personal cook-boy. Yep, exactly like the colonial days.



The cooking service was included in the $150/night price, which at the booking stage seemed steep, but soon turned out to be great value for money. You give him the ingredients, he cooks. We supplied flour from the local shop, Edward supplied his own yeast and baked us the loveliest bread. Around-the-clock super-hot water – that donkey was stoked full-time. He also did our laundry for a gratuity. And he kept that living room fire going throughout the day, with a pile of wood next to it to keep a veritable inferno going during the night.

Panoramic view - 3 stitched frames - of the lounge through the front door. Kitchen door on the left, bathroom, main bedroom, second room. Very generously sized. Out of the frame to the right, is a wooden corner seat, which with matresses should be able to accommodate two more people.



The cars were iced up in the morning – the temperature dropped to below freezing overnight - but inside it was 26°. You could open the front door – the fire would still win. Man, this was decadent living!

The facilities had seen better days. T4A indicated that fuel was available here. There were indeed four pumps – one even marked VISITOR’S FUEL - but the reality was that this service had not been available for quite some time now.

You wish. Note the handle, due to lack of electricity. Last seen one of these at Solitaire. But that one was working then.



They do however have a workshop, with generator-driven hand power tools - Makita, no less - and make and maintain all the furniture in the chalets. Really neat stuff.

Electricity was available only from 6 until 9pm, so you at least had lights and could charge the camera and laptop batteries.

While on this topic, Malawi uses the UK rectangular-pin plugs. You would do well if you took at least one of these adapters along. Better than the Jonkers, anyway.

But we managed to get the two-pin round plugs into the rectangular holes if the plug shutter was opened by putting a teaspoon handle into the earth connection.

We chatted to a delivery truck driver the next morning, who supplied the local shop with basic stuff. He had left Mzuzu earlier that day. How long did it take him to do the trip? “4 hours”. This with a loaded 3-ton truck over the same route that took us in excess of 5 hours driving time.



Game drives can also be done at extra cost - R210 p/p – and some of us made use of this service. Others drove off in their own car, dragged some chairs up a hill, and watched the sun set over the horizon, enjoying a G&T or cold beer.



We departed Nyika shortly after sunrise



truly refreshed two days later, via the same route to Rumphi. It may appear as if we could have taken a shortcut from Chelinda directly to Livingstonia - but that road does not actually exist, not even on T4A.



This time the route did not seem as long and tedious, probably because we knew what to except. I went on ahead to the park exit in an effort to see how fast one could do it, and although spurts of up to just below 60km/h was possible in places, I still averaged only 32km/h. The other two vehicles took 10 minutes longer.

More scenery between Nyika and Rumphi. Almost Afrikaans?


From Rumphi we rejoined the M1, and headed north towards Chiwete, which is where the road starts running adjacent to the lake. Our destination was actually Livingstonia, as according to the Bradt guide, it was a worthwhile place to visit – and there was also the following statement made regarding the road leading there: "... it is often described as one of the most exciting roads in Africa, particularly if the vehicle you are in has dubious brakes!"

Along the way we stopped at the Zufurufu hanging bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge made entirely of bamboo and reeds, which the locals use daily to cross the river. It is one of those community projects, where a guide from the local village takes you to this feature for a fee.

Of course the starting price is way too high – K500 (R25) p/p. Considering we were 12 people and our guide would make the journey once only, our chief negotiator – Adriaan “Roelf Meyer” Zeeman – knocked the price down to a more reasonable K200 (R10) p/p. He had been honing this skill ever since his encounter with the Zimbabwe traffic officials - in a previous post - and was getting very good at it. From here onwards, we let him do all the talking. Always use an expert – if you have one.

Once the deal was done we headed down the pathway. 50m later straight down the path, we reached our destination. Dang! We still paid too much!

The claim is made that this bridge was built in 1904, but the original structure has been rebuilt a number of times, including the addition of two steel cables, just to be sure. But it still is quite innovative and surprisingly stable. Some of us could even walk across it like Homo Sapiens.



From here we followed the Bradt guide and T4A directions towards Sangilo lodge. Left at the Chiwete junction, 14 km further on past the Livingstonia turn-off at Khondowe. Then a further 11km to the Sangilo turn-off, following a bumpy - but cemented at the steep drive-way into the lodge - 1.6km track.

Even though we had no prior booking, accommodation was available for all of us – exclusively - for the next two nights.

[JJJ]

See Post #1.

[JJJ]

What a place! Sangilo Lodge - with an exclusive Malawi lake-front beach for just our group. The adults stayed in chalets – of which there were 2 x ensuite and 4 x with communal ablution - with the kids sleeping on the beach, complete with bonfire in the evening.

They were permitted to do so on condition their sleeping kit was cleared away in the morning in case day visitor's came. Which they did - although no visitors came.

Just above the beach is the pub, with its sand floor - and some suitable music maintained by Winston - Eric Clapton, Unplugged.


Sunrise, with the chalets in the background.



Completely secluded, as the rocks either side of the beach goes right down into the water.



The perfect place to chill, with a pub/restaurant/kitchen built right on the beach. We did not bother to make food, but rather paid for a choice between two dinner items each night. The owner – Mark is a Pom from Newcastle - and his two small daughters were also on the premises. His wife – a medical doctor in a neighbouring town – arrived back from a UK visit the day we left.

But a good host, who took the time to come chat with us and tell us more about the area.

We learnt that almost all the lodges/backpackers owned by expats, are known to each other. So Mark could tell you about Jim (a South African hailing from Stellenbosch), and what to expect at Nkhwazi, and recommend we visit Auke (a French Belgian) at Lukwe on the way to Livingstonia and asked us how we experienced Gerard (Swiss) at Mzoozoozoo, etc. So this was a good networking opportunity. We followed his leads on our further travels, and they were all good.

The next day we finally made our way to Livingstonia. This is the start of the Rift Valley (origin of the Nile), and from the top of the escarpment you could almost see forever, were it not for the haze prevalent during this time of the year. Apparently December it is all clear.

But first we had to negotiate those 20 hairpin bends. Quite a few of the steeper bends had been provided with a ribbed concrete slab which made them easier, but the surface was mostly very loose with a few deepish ruts, so not overly difficult. To give you an idea, down, it took 55 mins to cover the 17km. Up, quite a bit longer. It is not overly steep, but the hairpins are tight.

We did not see any sign - like the one at the top of Sani Pass requesting that down traffic give way to up traffic - and was wondering whether this was a general rule. We had to manoevre a few times to let oncoming traffic pass - 3 ton trucks and busses - but generally there is allways a passing spot close-by. One of the vehicles may just have to reverse a short distance.

Here's what it looks like on the GPS. My wife says I make it sound easier than what it was.



And in real life.





Adriaan gave a hitchhiker a lift up the pass, but he had to stand on the rear step of the bakkie and hang on to the roof rack, due to there being no space inside.



A beautiful mission church had been constructed at Livingstonia, and this was opened up for us by a young boy who was so keen to show us everything, including up the clock tower.



The stained glass scene above the entrance does not depict some saintly event - rather Livingstone - who never was here - meeting with locals.



There is also a school with probably the most mediocre mission statement known to man. Good luck to all pupils graduating from here.



We then returned to Lukwe where Auke Swennen ran his Eco-friendly restaurant and accommodation. The food was good, the beer cold, the view incredible. Definitely a worthwhile stop. Go to www.lukwe.com for more detail.

Should you go, be sure to order both his "mint & green tea" as well as the "ginger & lemongrass" variety. But then again, maybe one's memory of this ritual is like that of drinking a good wine - it depends on whom you shared it with.



He directed us to a nearby waterfall behind which the locals used to hide when the slave-traders came recruiting.



On the way there we passed some abandoned buildings which appeared to have once been the Lover's Nest Restaurant, and enquired about this upon our return.

Auke explained that this had been his initiative. Due to the fact that the waterfall was a popular destination for backpackers, he helped the locals to establish the restaurant – in competition with his own - at the viewing point, trained them how to prepare the food and when it had been successfully running for a year, he handed complete control over to them.

Unfortunately, by that time they were spoiled by the fees they were getting from the visitors for guiding them to the waterfall – which anyone could easily find by themselves, as it is just straight down a pathway. The restaurant was just too much effort compared to sitting by the side of the road (in the shade) waiting to collect a guidance fee from the tourists. So it died. Sad, really.

Auke also explained about the availability and cost of malaria treatment. Possible headings for this topic could be either: "What cost - Africa's Maintenance?" or possibly "Pharmaceutical Profit Margins".

Due to the fact that he was going to be in a malaria area practically full-time, he could not take ANTI-malarials, but had to wait untill (if) he contracted malaria, and then treat this. So prior to coming to Malawi, he had bought a malaria test kit in Belgium, costing around 120 Euro (R1200).

Being at Lukwe such a long time, the kit expired, so he went to the Livingstonia hospital - literally 5km up the road - to see if he could get a replacement.

He was in luck, as EXACTLY the same Belgian-manufactured kit was available over the counter there for K220 - less than 1 (ONE) Euro. Now, please explain to me who pays the other 119 Euro?

We were also highly impressed with Auke's purely organic vegetable garden and also his coffee grove. He planted the trees, harvests the beans, roasts them, packages and sells it – the complete process. You can’t help but admire such individuals.

We also got some new insights – a different perspective/second opinion if you like – on the same people that Mark had told us about. It really is a small world.

I must comment here about the sunsets. We had heard previously that they were magnificent, and this was no lie. You end up with so many good images of this daily event, it gets hard to discard any. And the sunrises are sometimes even better.



The following day we made our way back via Mzuzu via Nkhata Bay towards Chintcheche.



Outside Nkotha Bay – don’t bother to go there - we passed a huge commercial rubber plantation, where the whole harvesting process was demonstrated to us. A large expansion of this industry is presently taking place towards Nkotha Bay, with terraces being prepared to plant more trees.

Our first attempt at finding accommodation for the night was at Chintcheche Inn. Being government owned, it was pristine. Huge - reportedly the biggest in Malawi - camping space, lovely trees, manicured lawns, magnificent white beach, even a swimming pool. Exactly as per the Bradt Guide description, who also mentioned that it was upmarket. What the guide did not convey, was that it was so perfect, it was also completely STERILE.

So we moved further down to Jim’s place at Nkhwazi – and here is where the Bradt guide is essential in terms of the location of these places relative to each other. The sample below will explain what is meant by this.

If you do not like it at your present location, you simply consult your guide map, and move on to the next, which you can see is back to the main road, not even a km further on, and then towards the coast again.



500m down a bumpy road - turning right at a soccer match in progress - deteriorating to a 1.7 km track through an indigenous forest, opening up into a beautiful campsite with rustic buildings, with no-one else there but Jim and his personnel. Exactly what we wanted – a COSY place, oozing atmosphere – with the best sunrise to date.



Other than the fun element of the "maatjie-vir-'n-praatjie" application, the use of two-way radios were crucial here, as the Fortuner/trailer combination would not have been able to turn round if the track suddenly turned into a dead-end. So the more nimble car went first, and upon finding clear passage, notified the others.

This time we self-catered – although there was a restaurant. Accommodation was cheap at K7000 for an ensuite chalet and K650 p/p camping.

The campsites did not have installed electricity, but no problem, an extension lead was rolled out from the main house, and we were set. There is some problem with the earthing of the house though, as when you were barefoot, the connected trailer "bit" you if you touched it.

Seeing as there were three engineers/students present, this problem was remedied in no time - after all, we had two multimeters between us, just in case - by instructing everyone that wanted to enter into a personal relationship with the trailer, to first put on shoes.

About alcoholic drinks in Malawi: Beer is cheap - R12.50 for a Carlsberg - but (South African) wine very expensive. A bottle of Chateau Libertas would cost around R100 in the Spar, and a 5l box of Overmeer in a Metro, around R250. So if you want to take drinks and space is lacking, rather take wine.

If you prefer the hard stuff, according to one of the families with us, the local Malawi Gin is up to standard. Tonic (Schweppes) you'll find in every fridge.

Here I also had to fix the Freelander, as the Livingstonia road had elicited a front suspension knock over large left/right body roll excitations. I had a good idea of what it could be, as I had experienced this symptom previously on my Tiguan, following some suspension modification performed by one of the local tyre/exhaust/suspension shops.

When tightening the drop links – the rods coupling the anti-rollbar to the suspension struts or body – at the rollbar end, it is crucial that the head of the bolt is held securely when the nut is tightened. These shops do not have the (European/German 12-sided socket head spline) 3-square tool to hold the bolt head with, so therefore cannot torque the nut properly.

After a while – or immediately, in the case of the Tiguan – the bolt starts moving up and down taking up the free play in the hole in the flat-forged end of the anti-rollbar. This is the clunking noise you hear.

My suspicion turned out to be correct - also caused by a different “same type of shop as above” when they installed the spacers I made for the front of the car, using as their main tool, a 4-pound hammer. After tightening it up, the knocking was gone, and we could proceed again with confidence.

The next morning, we headed for Cape Maclear.



We stopped at the Nkhotakhota Pottery Lodge where very artistic pottery, painted tile murals and quilting is available.

Typical mosaic on restaurant tables.



You can actually stay here and take lessons in these arts as part of your holiday. We ordered lunch – which was OK – as long as you accepted that whether you ordered a scone, hamburger or roll, it all came with the same bun.

If you are in a hurry however, this activity is not recommended. You may have the schedule - they have the time.

So it was in a bit of a rush that we left, finding no petrol along the way - just a promise of a tanker on its way from Lilongwe, when we enquired at Salima. Black market diesel was however obtainable - and purchased - here.

Salima scenery.




We eventually reached the turn-off to the M10 gravel shortcut to the Monkey Bay main road just before sunset.

This road used to be tar, but all that is left of it now are small “tufts” of the stuff. Deep holes force slow going. Fortunately it is only about 15km long, saving 20km. The sun set behind us as we progressed along this road, trying to miss the literally hundreds of bicycles and pedestrians at either end of the road.



We (all - but almost not - due to a deep hole when a hairpin bend to the left was missed in the dust) arrived at Chembe Eagle’s Nest at Cape Maclear around 7 that evening. It turns out that if you make a (confirmed) booking for a campsite, they only consider the number of people and not the vehicles/trailers. We ended up with the tents and the Freelander on the beach, as all the space was taken up by our own vehicles plus those (and the rubber duck) of our neighbours, whom we have the suspicion of actually encroaching on our site.

But we were happy to be there, as for the first time we had actually almost run the petrol tanks dry. I was down to the last 5l, and Armas had to add 80l to the Fortuner tanks the next day.

[Ockert123]

Johnie, ou Madala, vra vir Dirk, of die mods, om die fred van jou na die Malawi seksie toe te skuif. Jy het dit in die verkeerde afdeling geplaas. Die ouens weet nie hiervan nie........ Sien jou later.....

[JJJ]

The next morning we could see for the first time where we were – right up against the northern shore of Cape Maclear, with the bay stretching out in front of us, with Thumbi Island on the right.



Finally, this is what we had actually come to do in Malawi – sit beside the lake and watch the days go by.

Our first mission was to find out where one could buy fresh fish from the lake, so the adult men – one still in his pajamas - sauntered across the beach to the reed fence separating the campsite from the village. There we met Harry, who was absolutely instrumental to the enjoyment of our brief – 1 day – stay on the mainland.

Harry had taken part in the Edinburgh Festival and toured the South African circuit as a stand-up comedian, before he decided that here is the best place. After a few days back at work, I'm thinking he may have a valid point.

So he now acts as guide to tourists, being able to organize and advise on just about anything local.

The thing about Cape Maclear was that we had read a report (WEG magazine, Feb 2011 Issue) stating that there was between 52% and 74% probability that you would contract Bilharzia if you swam there. All the tell-tale signs were there – lots of people from the village washing their clothing and themselves in the water. We could see that not all the visitors had read this report as they were splashing around in the shallows in a rather carefree manner.

We were still prepared to shower and brush our teeth with this water, but definitely no swimming.... Our concern was probably fuelled by the fact that three of the adults present were medical doctors, with a fourth one having a nursing background.

One should not get careless or cocky about this, as aptly illustrated by Wim Bosman in his 1981 Louis die Laeveldleeu, below:



So call us chicken if you like, but this swimming thing was going to have to wait until we got to the island, which was far enough away from the mainland to be free of this gogga.

But we were in Cape Maclear NOW, so what could we do to while away the time? Well for one we needed fuel. Harry knew where to get this and took us to the “depot”, but a fresh supply was only due later that afternoon.

As we had been parked in by the campers behind us, we got permission from Listen to drive across the beach from the campsite to the boat launch area. This was quite heavy going, with the tyres pumped to 2.5 bar due to the increased load the cars were carrying. This procedure turned out to be the norm for all our exits/entries during our stay here.

Our campsite - on the beach.



Close-up of the Freetent 2



So what to do if you don’t want to swim here? Well, Harry could organize a motorboat to take us out to Thumbi Island - 1km across the bay – which was also Bilharzia-free.

Why Thumbi Island is Bilharzia free. I do not know what the blacked out part in the local language means, but I assume it to be a reasonable facscimile of the illustration.



This would cost us – after some discussions by our chief negotiator - $100, of which half was payable in advance so Harry could get fuel for the outboard motor. Typical South African, we were wondering whether we would ever see Harry again after handing over the money, but at the agreed time, the motor boat beached right at our camp site, and we hopped on board.

Our transport. Yes, I know. You'll never be able to ski behind it.



After first traversing along the beach to a point directly across the closest point of the island, we cut across. Harry is well known by the townsfolk, as all along the way waves were exchanged and greetings shouted across the water as we progressed up the shoreline.

Gliding along.



Arriving at the island with all our snorkelling gear, a cooler box and some snacks, we were left there by the boat with an agreed time in which to return. Harry stayed behind with us.

Harry supervising.



He came prepared with some bread, which he threw into the water in small pieces. As if by magic it was engulfed by schools of colourful fish – blue, grey, yellow – an absolute delight to watch through our masks.



Back to front



The clarity of the water has to be seen to be believed.



The boat returned on schedule, and the tour continued around the tip of the island. Here we discovered why the alternate name for this piece of land was Fish Eagle Island. Once again, Harry delivered, with a bag of fish which he had also brought along.

At any one time we could see 4 Fish Eagles, swooping down one by one and retrieving the fish Harry threw into the water, giving their familiar call as they flew off with it, almost as if to say: “Look at me now!”

It may appear as if this “orchestrated” fish-feeding activity would make it easy to photograph these birds in action, but of the more than 20 retrievals and probably 4 cameras on board, very few of us were actually able to capture the bird at the right moment.

Close enough



From there we proceeded to Otter Point, an island just off the southern tip of Cape Maclear beach, with a running commentary by our guide. Then back up to Chembe Eagle’s Nest with some more shouting and waving ship-to-shore by Harry.

This was probably the best spent money during the whole trip, if you divide the $100 by the 11 people that went along – just over R60 p/p for a solid 4 hours of entertainment, along with an expert host.

By this time the fuel had arrived – as promised – and we went off to fill the vehicle tanks. K400/l compared to a pump price of K290.

So we would whole-heartedly recommend – nay, INSIST – that you contact Harry should you ever visit these parts, at: 0992230285.



Chembe Sunset



Kayak Africa Sunset

[JJJ]

Prior to setting off on our Fish Eagle Island trip the previous day, we also visited the premises of Kayak Africa to confirm that our prepaid departure for Domwe was still as arranged. We decided to visit that island based on idyllic pictures and articles in SA outdoor magazines, and also because the water was safe. It gets tested regularly, and it was reported to us that earlier in the same month the results were still negative for Bilharzia.

Kayak Africa runs the Mumbo and Domwe island accommodation. The main difference between the two islands other than the size and distance from the mainland, is that Mumbo – the smaller, further one – is fully catered with 3 meals, where Domwe is accommodation only.

There is therefore a distinct price difference between the two, e.g. as special offer at Mumbo: R1200 per adult per night, R600 per child per night (no matter the age of the child). This is fully inclusive (all meals) with kayaks & snorkelling gear.

At Domwe, you can camp on a wooden deck for R150 p/p,



or stay in a safari tent for R400 p/p. But then you have to rent a kayak, rent/take your own tent, bedding, mattress, snorkel gear etc, and provide your own food. For our group of 12 people who wanted to rough it a bit and had all the camping and diving gear, this was preferable.

All bookings for island accommodation are done via KA’s Cape Town office, with a very helpful Bee keeping you up to date with all the options available - [email protected].

Initially we would have had to split our group into children/adults on two consecutive nights, as not all of us could be accommodated at the same time, due to other people also being on the island. But after a discussion with Clive, a concession was made that all of us could go simultaneously. So now we all had two nights on the island.

So the next morning at 10, we parked our vehicles in the safe parking area of Kayak Africa and started transferring our luggage to the jetty. The mind boggled to see how much stuff was going, but fortunately there was space for it all on the boat.

KA Car park.



We handed in our laundry to be done in our absence, and also arranged for our by now very dirty cars to be washed.

Many willing hands transferred our stuff to the boat – which was named FEERSUM ENDJINN - while we were living it up in the lounge on the jetty, being served free tea.



Departure Lounge



After a 5km boat ride we arrived at our destination – the ONLY piece of sand along the entire Domwe island coastline.

Boat People




FEERSUM ENDJINN



6 Double kayaks had been arranged, transported to the island on the roof of the ferry, and Armas and myself rowed around the island later that afternoon. This is a distance of just over 11kms, and was completed in just under 2 hours – although I must add, it was a perfect day with no wind.

An ice box was provided on the dining deck stocked with cooldrink – coke, fanta, tonic - and beer, but we could take our own and substitute our warm ones for cold ones. When our own ran out, each family opened a tab, which was settled back on the mainland.

On the morning of the second day we were already suffering from advanced withdrawal symptoms at the thought of having to leave the next day, so we requested per radio to the mainland whether we could stay a 3rd night, by shortening one of our onward destinations by a day. Permission was granted.

The nice thing about Kayak Africa – and as far as our trip was concerned, unique throughout the whole of Malawi – is that you could pay by credit card. So upon our return to the mainland, all the extras were added up and we simply settled the difference.

Some of the boys decided they were going to fish, even though we could buy off the local fishermen’s boats that rowed past the island – Capenta, Tigerfish and Chambo. After 3 ½ hours on the water they returned with one smallish catfish. This was duly prepared by the local personnel of three, and everyone had a small piece to taste. Not unlike fish fingers.

Young men of the lake,




returning


just after sunset.



We had access to the gas-driven kitchen, so could make our own food, but decided to rather use the personnel to do this. Each family decided that this was worth a gratuity of R100/family/day.

A shower was provided on request, which consisted of a bucket with shower rose and tap attached at the bottom, hoisted into a tree by our attendant after filling it up with water boiled in the kitchen and suitably quenched with lake-water-on-tap. This all inside a reed labyrinth, so you could admire the hill while showering.

The rest of the time we lazed about, playing the Malawian game of BAO,



draughts – provided - and a number of card games - always from our viewpoint of the dining deck, with a view over the lake.

One (deck) hand short.



And



The view from the deck.



A very scenic pathway leads between the rocks and trees to the top of the hill. We followed this one morning for a better perspective. Ah, the view. Robinson Crusoe made a big mistake coming off his island.




We returned the morning of the 4th day



to clean laundry and cars, crammed the lot in and were off, popping into Monkey Bay just for a look-see. It is quite a cosy harbour, but other than that, nothing special.

Due to being pressed for time, we did not go down to Mufasa Backpackers’ private beach, but hopefully some time in the future we will experience that privilege.

From here we headed for Zomba, where we were to overnight that evening, hopefully on top of the plateau.

In summary, other than the cost of the drinks we took along and the extras like the voluntary gratuity for cooking, laundry and car wash, the total bill was R11000 for 3 nights. For 12 adults – even though they are referred to as children in this text, they are all students - this comes to just over R300 p/p per day. This includes the boat transfer, kayak rental and safe parking of our vehicles while on the island.

Considering the experience, you can’t steal it at the price.

[JJJ]

The first leg of the route to Liwonde is very boring. Although it follows the lake shore closely, it is too low to be able to see it. As soon as the Shire river is crossed, things change for the better.

The landscape starts undulating and the road winds along various hills. Very scenic.

Upon our arrival at Zomba we went straight up to the plateau. This is a great road – reminiscent of Chapman’s Peak with sweeping bends and provides great views of the valley below, until entering the cloud base. The cloud base would normally not be this low, but it had started raining that morning, and was sporadically to continue so for the next 4 days, until we crossed back into South Africa.

Along the way we bought an assortment of berries (amongst others, straw and goose) from roadside vendors.

We intended staying at the Trout Farm Chalets, but these were not available. The Sunbird Hotel franchise has accommodation all over Malawi – also here at the Ku Chawe Inn – but these are decidedly upmarket establishments, which is why we always avoided staying here.

So down the pass we went again, in the meantime telephonically getting hold of Annie of Annie’s Lodge fame in Zomba. She could not accommodate us all in town, and agreed to meet us a few kms out on the Blantyre road at an establishment called Black Diamond.

This turned out to be a disco-type club with loud music playing – but likeable Reggae - and some roughish girls dancing all by themselves outside an otherwise deserted hall. Mmmmm.



A short while later, the Black Diamond herself arrived in a top-of-the-line Range Rover. One notices these things as it contrasts wildly with any other transport we have seen to date, including that of tourists from better-off places.

Annie showed us the available accommodation – 3 chalets off to one side of the dancing hall and a house separated only by a farm road from the hall. As we could securely park our cars and all fit into the house - which was still in the process of being renovated – we took this option.

After our resident negotiator argued her price down to what she had originally quoted over the phone – it had crept up a bracket or two since then – we started unpacking and moving in.

The accommodation was OK, The fridge was on and the stove worked – the plates could not be switched off other than at the mains switch on the wall, though. The rooms were strangely – almost randomly – scattered throughout the house. Three of them were ensuite, although not everyone had hot water, or for that matter even a hot tap – ours was broken off the sink.

So we could cook, get cleaned up and sleep, which was all we needed. But we could not shake off this nagging feeling that somehow this house is one of those that the Animals sang about in a song with words that start like this: “There is - a house - in New Orleans, they call....” etc. Especially after the children found some used evidence to this effect in one of the rooms.

So the next day we were off early via Blantyre – which has a well-stocked Shoprite-anchored mall. Then onwards towards the border post at Zobue.

Other than getting flustered by the annoying swamping of the money changers offering Meticals for Kwachas, this was the only place where we were subjected to an incident which left a bit of a sour taste in our mouths. Up to that point, we had not come across any criminal element, or even felt threatened, anywhere during our travels – we left those people behind when we crossed the border.

Returning to our cars on the Malawi side after going through immigration, a local was leaning against the front of the Freelander with his back towards us. When he saw us coming round the back of the car, he sidled around the front and came up to me suggesting that I reward him for his efforts of looking after my car so nicely. I declined his offer.

This guy could however not take no for an answer, and kept following us around even after we were already in the car - walking next to us as we rolled towards the exit boom.

By this time his insistence that he deserved a fee, had escalated to arrogance. But WHY not? I finally explained to him that as I had not asked him to look after my car – he was not even there when we parked – I was not going to reward him.

We thought nothing of this until later that afternoon when we stopped at Tete, where we were staying the night.

While we were unpacking, someone noticed that except for one, all the stick-on reflectors – that I put on especially for Mozambique – were missing from the car. They were still there very recently – a photo of the car the previous night shows them all to be present.

On closer inspection of Adriaan’s car – who was parked next to mine at the border post - his was also all missing, with just remnants of the double-sided tape remaining. Armas had also lost one off his trailer.

From this we learnt that it is better to rather use the reflective white and red stickers, which can be bought widely at home. This is not so desirable an item as those rectangular reflectors. What does he want to do with it? Stick it on his bike, or maybe put dots on them so he has a white and red set of dominoes?

Fortunately, we could restore the Freelander to “Moz legal” as a number of spare reflectors had been brought along just in case one fell off.

But I hope someone catches that Malawian “car guard” in the act real soon, and twists his ear a bit. If this privilege befalls YOU, please say “Hi” from us.

At Tete we also came super close to a second traffic fine - but not for speeding. The bridge off-ramp on the northern side is constructed as an under-pass. So you turn left at the end of the bridge and then drive underneath it to get onto the road leading along the river bank.

All straightforward from the top of the bridge, but when you try to get on the bridge from below, things are not as clear, resulting in us entering the bridge via the off-ramp. Being Sunday afternoon, there were no traffic from the front to give us an indication as to what we were attempting, until we got to the bridge entrance - and after paying the M10 toll - were pulled off and asked for our driver’s licences and passports.

This is it - I thought – one of those horror stories we were forewarned about – especially in Mozambique - where the traffic official walks off with your documentation and you have to buy it back.

It was only once I got out of the car and overheard our chief negotiator profusely thanking the traffic official for being so kind as to point out the mistake we had made, and that we would now know better next time, that the penny dropped. They had every right to fine us for our transgression – but they handed back our documentation and let us go. Thank you, kind sir!

This is about the only drawback – oh yes, and the dust also – when driving in a convoy. If the leader commits an offense, so does everyone else.

We had a most enjoyable time at the restaurant that evening. Can’t remember the name, but its right next to the bridge on the southern shore of the Zambezi, forming part of the accommodation complex. This is in the process of being renovated and expanded, but even so, was the best ensuite room we had stayed in all holiday. But you can still negotiate the price .....

Bridge view from the restaurant.



Seeing as we were in Mozambique, we felt obliged to eat Portuguese food. The restaurant serves a beautiful line fish, expertly prepared. The prawns are impressively huge, but from some cross-tasting, the verdict was that my fish was the better choice.

It was also Armas’ birthday (well, actually already more than a week previously) but we (still) celebrated that with a very pleasant Portuguese wine. I understand this is available in South Africa also, so will definitely get some.


A live band was playing outside with some up tempo music – all sung in Portuguese - and this later turned into a Karaoke evening. Oh, what fun!

Our credit cards did not work (we tried 4) so we had to pop around to the ATM and draw money there. VISA works fine.

We were beginning to feel that we were nearing home, although there were still 5 days to go.

[JJJ]

We left the next morning for Chimoio, enroute to Espungabera. The plan was to visit friends of ours - the Reyneckes - at Siyabuzana (near Dombe on the R431), where an outreach group was in the process of constructing a house for a new missionary.

We did excellent time, and could maintain an average speed of 80km/h over the 382km, which was the best over the whole tour.

Arriving at Chimoio at other mission friends of ours, we were advised not to continue to Espungabera due to the continuous rain and poor road conditions.

We contacted Jinx on his Iridium satellite phone and he confirmed our doubts. He predicted an average speed of 20km/h, over a period of 4 hours when we exited towards Espungabera – that was if we could get out. We were therefore invited to stay with McCurley and Glenschella that evening – which we gladly accepted - and decided to make our way towards the Great Zimbabwe Ruins one day earlier, which would give as two days at Tshipise to recuperate.

As an aside, you can visit the most fantastic/exotic places, but if the people you’re with - or the ones you meet - are not nice, you’ve achieved something purely academic. Been there, done that. Fortunately, our trip did not evolve that way. Pick your travel companions carefully. Thanks again, Curley and Glenschella!

Back again the next morning on that road (E6) with the missing top layer, through the Moz/Zim border post (quickly), across the Birchenough Bridge to Masvingo, turning left off the A4 to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins.

This road leads through the yard of the Great Zimbabwe Hotel to the chalets in the park, where we negotiated a good rate – down from $160 to $107. Don’t ask.

Good thing we did, as the accommodation was lacking maintenance - considerably so. On top of this, Zimbabwe was load sharing their electricity supply. Yep, exactly like a few years back at home. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Power only on from 8 pm. Well, maybe.

It did come on around 8:30, although only two of the three chalets had a working stove and geyser.

But the next morning the tour - $15 p/p, plus $3 for the guide – was absolutely worth it. Our guide – Lovemore – was an expert at explaining the history of the complex.



Most interesting was where the name Zimbabwe comes from: Zi is a prefix meaning large, so ZiJannie would describe a person of large stature. Mba is the local word for house and bwe means stone. So literally, great house of stone.

The place had been dug up a number of times – archeologically and by looters, the latter being convinced there was more gold there.

Restoration had taken place at some of the locations, but except where wooden lintels were used across door openings and due to the rotting has since caused walls to collapse, large parts of the original structure is still intact.



It was remarkable to see the craftsmanship and artistic way in which these walls were built, and also its longevity.

After a 3 hour guided tour, we departed for Beit Bridge. On the way there we stopped at the Lion and Elephant Motel again, this time ordering and eating THEIR food. Payback time, if you like.

This would be a good place to stay when northbound from South Africa, departing from Gauteng, as one should get there before dark if departing early morning. Accommodation is basic, but safe. Contact details: +263 773 284 637 (cell) or +263 14 336 (landline). Email: [email protected].

From here the border clearing was relatively quick (compared to the outbound journey) and after stocking up our groceries at Musina, arrived at Tshipise, where we had MEAT and a braai (chicken does not count) for the first time since crossing the border.

PS This then concludes the trip report.

[JJJ]

Perhaps of use to prospective overlanders, is typically what a trip like this could cost.

From the first episode you know the fuel cost over the distance. This would have to be adjusted for your specific vehicle's consumption, but over 5600km, around R8500.

But prior to leaving - depending on your risk profile - there is a huge expense in terms of medication and other precautionary measures. The list below summarizes the activities and the resultant costs:

• Book two dogs into the kennel - R2800
• Visit your local travel clinic and get advised and issued on various medical precautions - R6500
• Take out travel insurance which will airlift you home in case of a medical emergency - R1850.

The medical precautions may sound like a few pills and jabs – for a family of four - but let me just enlighten you:

The Malarials are obvious. You get 2 types – cheap: R120 to R150, and expensive: > R1000. They are equally effective, but the side effects differ.

The cheap ones – starting two days prior and continuing for a month after your return – either daily or once/week – has the drawback that it could be hallucigenic/disorientating. So if you intend doing scuba diving – snorkelling is OK – you can’t take these.

They also trigger attacks of manic depression in people prone to this. So in my family, we could get away with only two cheap prescriptions.

Then injections against the other horrible things you don’t want:

• Hepatitis A – caused by infected body fluids like blood and semen – two injections a week apart
• Hepatitis B – caused by dirty needles, as in intravenous feed – as above, plus another within the next 6 months
• Polio – you all know what that is – combined with
• Tetanus – for the rusted nails and can opener accidents
• Typhoid - for the dirty water
• Influenza (including swine flu) – just in case

I just needed some boosters – 4 – but the rest of the family each needed 7 injections.

Plus a whole dispensary full of stuff for cuts, bruises, muscle ache, 1l saline with administrator so you know the needle is clean, stomach cramps, diarrhoea – guaranteed you’ll get this, just wait your turn, etc.

Originally we were to tour Zambia as well, but when they declared it a Yellow Fever zone just prior to departing, we scratched it. That would have been another R2000 for each family.

Of course, all the above is optional, e.g. we decided to not take the Rabies injection. So you could go on holiday without a single pill, plaster or injection, but all I can say here: “You’re on your own, mate”.

Africa is “a tough country” in more ways than one.

A sobering thought - you have not even left home yet, and you’ve already spent more than R11000!

Actually more, if you add all the other paraphernalia that the various countries require: Fire extinguisher, two reflective vests, emergency triangle, blue triangular sticker for the front of the car and the rear of the trailer if you tow, stick-on white reflectors for the front, red for the rear, REGARDLESS of whether this is built into your lights. Failing to produce these upon demand, could result in a spot fine.

Oh yes, and the international driver’s license - you don't legally need this, but in case it gets confiscated, you could drive off without it. In fact, two @R250 each, just in case I get tired and my son has to drive. About the only thing we southern Africans don’t need when travelling in neighbouring countries, is a visa – passports are sufficient.

The adults in our group stayed in fixed accommodation where possible - 16 nights. Only two nights in the car tent and three nights camping on a wooden deck on Domwe island.

So if you camp, you could get away a lot cheaper.

The grand total for this holiday came to R36000. This may sound like a lot, but put in persepective, over 22 nights for 4 people, this works out to just over R400 p/p per day, all costs included.

[Pierre77N]

Hi JJJ,
Thanks a lot for this very informative report. I envisage a trip to Malawi next year, it will be very helful!
One thing. I'm very concerned about bilharzia. Could you tell me how you got informations just before leaving on non contamination of the islands near Cape Maclear? I would like to follow this if possible. It would be a pity not to bath in a so clear water!
Thanks!

[JJJ]

Hi Pierre,

Thanks for the kind words regarding my report.

For the islands, your best bet is to contact Kayak Africa. Their manager at Cape Maclear - Clive - told us that they had the water tested at the islands the month prior to our arrival.

The easiest is to contact Bee at their Cape Town office at [email protected] just prior to setting off, for an update on the situation.

But I do not think you will have a problem, as the only people living on the islands are the tourists and Kayak Africa personnel.

There is none of the laundry/cooking utensil/personal hygiene you get on the mainland.

Cape Maclear will definitely have Bilharzia, but this also does not mean that you would contract it. Depends on how much of a gambler you are ...... .