Kande Beach Malawi

En Route to Kande Beach, Malawi – February 24

After a very long day yesterday, we fell asleep quickly regardless of the very loud party going on all around us. We travelled over 800 km yesterday, across two borders from Zimbabwe, down the Tete Corridor in Mozambique and finally arriving in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. Total travel time was 15 hours, stopping only at borders and washroom breaks along the side of the road, when possible. 

We slept in a little bit until about 7:00 and were on the road again by 8:00 am. We stopped in Blantyre to collect food supplies and enjoy a look around. So many people have so much to sell and we can't help but feel bad buying from one and not the other. Within an hour we were on our way. Looking out the window at the sights is constant entertainment on the long rides as we try to make sense of what we see and try to imagine what a day must be like in the life of these people. Often we shake our heads, look at each other and say, “Where are we?” All subsistence farming is done by hand here; no machinery. We see one or two cars on the road once in a while. Primarily, people are walking or riding a bike to get from one place to another. We passed by several schools; gazebo style with rows of benches, much like at Backus Mill. Fields are plowed as two mules pull a blade guided by two men row after row. The landscapes are lush and strikingly beautiful! The lifestyle is harsh, natural, day by day survival.

We arrived at Kande Beach by 5:30 and opted to give the tent a rest for two nights. For 11 USD per night we are staying in our own little hut style room right on the beach. The tropical plants are stunning and the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline is giving us a peaceful contrast to the long rides on the truck over the past two days. 

February 25 – Kande Beach – Time to Chill

Last night it rained most of the time, coupled with thunder and lightening. We woke up to more rain, so played cards and caught up on journals and reading. We had offers to have our laundry done for us so packaged it all up yesterday. Right now, I imagine the wind is blowing those clothes dry; at least I hope so, since we hit the road again tomorrow morning.

There is a pig turning on a spit over an open fire at our site. I'm guessing that is dinner. The people on the truck next to us are cooking up a goat on a spit. It's hard to imagine that it will all turn into the sweet meat we are accustomed to calling pork. Generally, I try to sample everything, opting for vegetarian choices often. Ed, of course cleans up what I leave behind on my plate and eats everything on his. We really never know when we will be fed next, especially on long travel days, so the temptation is there, to eat too much to avoid future hunger pains. I'm careful not to do that since car sickness is actually worse than the hunger pain. Once in a while I slip a chocolate bar into the freezer when we see one at a petrol station. Pulling it out at just the right moment on the long journey rides, just to see the thrilled look on Ed's face is worth a thousand words.

 

View from The Dertinger Hut on Lake Malawi (Kande Beach Camp)