Kande beach & local kids in Malawi

Darkness still loomed when we all crawled out of our tents at 4 am, packing down we sleepily boarded the truck, the engine growled and we were back on the road before the sun had woken. Traffic coming out of the city was chaotic, and slow… It was not even 5am and we were barely moving. This was to be one big driving day, we all read, slept and browsed out the window at Tanzania, only occasionally stopping for toilets… (Running off into the bush it long grass by the road, a piece of toilet paper in hand or shake and bake baby). Lunch was at a passing local cafe which was an oily serve of chips Malai (basically an egg omelette with chips backed in it.) It was dark when we finally reached our transit camp, head torches helped us set our tents up before coming together for a meal that had been cooked for us. The meal of beef stew and veggies was delicious, using only fresh produce from the property it was aromatic and tasty!! 
After dinner we all headed up to a candlelit mud hut, decorated with haystacks and cushions; clustered with people (there was a rugby tournament they were hosting), the bar was adorable and very country like. On recommendation we ordered an Amarula laced hot chocolate (Africa’s version of baileys) and a brownie before bed. 
Rising just before the sun again we were packed up and back on the road before 6. A few dirt roads and dodgy tracks later, we reached the boarder of Tanzania and Malawi before 1pm. Crossing into Malawi itself was a long, & arduous progress that ended up taking 3 or so hours. A couple more hours of driving & we all breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled into ‘Hakuna Matata,’ a campsite on the edge of the tremendous Lake Malawi. The lake covers 40% of the total land mass of the country! We set up camp & after treating ourselves to a Konyagi & Tonic with diced cucumber, we tucked in to a substantial steak dinner. After another long day, we were again snug in our tents around 8.30, & before we knew it, we’d drifted off.
After waking up at 8am the next morning, feeling like we had a sleep in, we were back on the truck & en route to Kande Beach, another lakeside campsite famed for it’s many water sports & friendly locals. The road weaved through the mountains, & the views of the lake from the highest point of the climb were magnificent. We stopped at a local market in Mzuzu to buy the most ridiculous, tacky clothes we could find for a long running, traditional fancy dress party the next night, where we picked the victims we were to buy for out of a hat!

We arrived at the Kande around 4 & were keen to check out the beach right away. It was hard to believe it wasn’t the ocean we were looking at, & that the water wasn’t salty! Immediately, we were approached by a gang of beach boys introducing themselves with ludicrous names such as ‘Donald Duck,’ ‘Cheese On Toast,’ & ‘Four X!’ Robbo & Sean were kicking around the football with them & it wasn’t before long that they were challenged them to a game as the sun was setting. I was on ‘chef’ that night so after a delicious (if I do say so myself) feed of nachos we all headed down to the beach for songs by the fire followed by a bunch of the locals playing drums. 

We all rose leisurely and spent the morning catching up some much need washing before a swim. Hollie, Katie and I then decided to call a taxi and check out a local health clinic, and before too long an ambulance arrived?! Miscommunication and a lack of local taxis (the ambulance was called as they thought we were ill), we jumped in and were taken to the clinic. 
Pulling up we jumped out of the van and ‘salty popcorn’ took us through the waiting area; It was a small open quad, with cement slabs as chairs and packed with about 100 people waiting to be seen. We passed through and were introduced to a nurse, standing in a small room with 6 naked beds he told us the main issues they are faced with; that being malaria and HIV and what they are doing to prevent/help the issues once contracted. 
Malaria being most common in pregnant women and children under 5, the best solution is a mosquito net and the appropriate repellents, however this package per person costs $10USD, which is extremely expensive in such a poor country like Malawi. (Schooling in Malawi is free but the school uniform which is compulsory costs $9USD, so even still a lot of children who’s families can’t afford this miss out). The three of us contributed some money to the small wooden box before being taken outside to see the rest of the clinic. There was one more open shelter which was used for families of patients to cook in whilst at the clinic. 3 women with two babies sat here waiting to be fed, one of which was only 5 days old to an 18 year old women. Behind them three women payed on straw mats, heavily pregnant and looking rather ill themselves, however we were assured all of them were in fine health. 
And that was the full tour of the main public health clinic which services 4 other small communities nearby. Back in the ambulance we were dropped at Kande beach to browse some local markets of wooden items and paintings before escaping back beyond the big gate and into the ‘tourist’ sanctuary. After a few hours of simply messing around, it was time for the party to start.
We all revealed our outfits to the people we were buying for, & before long we were all dressed. The costumes were hilarious, flashes of colour, sparkles & cross dressing. We ate a tasty pig on the spit that had been to staying all afternoon, drank overly sweet, however potent punch, & danced the night away in the campsite bar. (At one point going  full Coyote Ugly on the bar!) It was an over the top night, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. 

Arising the next morning a little hungover, but not too badly, we headed to the lake for a much needed swim in the cool freshwater. After sun baking for a wee while, we retired to laze in the nearby hammocks & read our books. Another day of not doing much at all, which was followed by a local dinner at a nearby home. As we left the big gates of our campsite we were greeted in the early evening by a bunch of young local kids, all jumping on our backs or holding our hands leading us down a dark and sandy path until we came to the home, I luckily got the lightest of the bunch and she was quick to jump in my back and play with my hair. We entered to a small courtyard which was decorated with young children getting the maize from the cob (much like a corn on the cob and the maize is used to make a dough like putty to mop up the juices on your plate).  

The group of us sat on large straw mats that were laid down for us. Our host, William, gave us a wee introduction & started to bring out an abundance of local fare. We were presented with a large beef curry, fresh fish, a delicious spinach dish, beans, maize dough & rice. It was enough to feed an army, & we were happy to learn that the leftovers would be shared around the home. After dinner, the mats were cleared & we were sat down around the edge of a makeshift dance floor. About 30 local kids stood before us, eager to dance, sing & show off. William led a bunch of claps & sing songs, & the kids took turns shaking it! For the last few songs, they picked us out one by one & danced with us all, a few even getting too up in our grills by grinding our legs!! We gave them a huge round of applause, & then we left, heading back to the camp for one beer, & then it was time for bed.

After a night of broken sleep thanks to a loud, racist American guy yelling around 1am, we were up 4 hours later & back on the truck for a long drive through Malawi to the Zambia border. The drive itself was incredibly long, with bumpy dirt roads that stretched for kilometres. We reached the Zambia border just before lunch time. The immigration process was long, one officer even held a laser gun to each of our heads to get a temperature reading, a measure put in place to stop Ebola from seeping through. 

After being processed & getting our visas granted, we continued on our way to a transit camp. We arrived at the camp just after dusk had fallen, the camp itself being nothing special. We basically got there, had dinner & got into bed, only to be on the road again by 6 the next morning for another long drive into Lusaka, the capital of Zambia

Back on the truck at 8 the next morning (sleep in!) We thankfully had a short drive ahead of us into Zimbabwe & to Lake Kariba.  Passing through yet another border around midday, we met the owner of the Lake Kariba Houseboat company, KP & eventually reached the lake shortly after. The boat we were about to board was named ‘Osprey,’ & our eyes sparkled with excitement at what the next two days would hold!