Malawi
E pos gestuur:Thursday 22 July 2004
Hi, die Here is so goed en Hy voorsien darem vir alles! Blantyre is heel cool. Ek kan amper my lag nie inhou nie, hahahahahahahaha, ok, ek kon nie! Our hospital costs was about R3600 and the 'bribe' another R800, so our budget has got a knock. But God is so good I got myself a job yesterday and will start to work Monday. Thank you so much Claude for helping out. One month job and the knock will be out of our budget. It's a job at a huge Engineering shop and there is a crane and 5 lathes to get working, if the boss likes me after getting that done, There is plenty more to do, mostly fitting work. Another workshop in Monkey Bay has got some ships to fix, something I would love to learn more about,ships!
If we can go there, Charmaine
can do some diving instructions or work in a guest house or even on the oke's farm! God is so good and
I'm so exited in how He provides! We will work for one month and maybe two, then we will
continue to Tanzania. Will let you know how things are going at work. We will stay in a
flat on the engineering shop's yard. Die werkswinkel is omtrent so groot soos HGM,
masjiene net so bietjie baie ouer en meer verwaarloos. Het vir my 2 jeans en 2 T shirts
gaan koop om in te werk, soek nog net skoene. 2 jeans kos R60 en 2 T shirts R20!
Hier is so paar statestieke tot dusver. Afstand gery vanaf Augulas =9074km Afstand gery in
RSA vansf Paarl =3204km Zimbabwe =1517km Mosambiek =3227km Gemiddelde afstand per dag in
RSA =320km Zim =151km Mos =403km totaal per dag =283km Langste dag was
12Julie(ongeluk dag) met 873km en dit het ons 12h06min geneem(moving time)Weggetrek 4:00
en 18:45 klaar gery. Gemidelde petrol prys per litre RSA =R4.75 Zim =R3.20 Mos =R5.90 Mal
=R5.90 Gemiddeld geld spandeer per dag, petrol en grensposgeld uitgesluit. RSA =R90 Zim
=R38.60 Mos =R120.50 Beste petrol verbruik op GS was 19km/l en gem 17.8km/l. Mooiste
plekke besoek vir my, Johan. RSA = Loeriesfontein Zim = Vumba valei -Lepord Rock Mos = Pad tussen Gordosa en Caia,
natuurlike woud met sulke groen(stamme) bome.
Charmaine is not yet mobile on the bike so I do the shopping and the
internet thing ect.
My arm is 100% in movement, just haven't got full
strength yet, working on that. Married life is verygood and very nice. We
have learnt so much about life and each other and ourselves. I think the
main question is how flexible are you? In life you get different situations
in your way, the choice is your's, what you are going to do with it. Will it
get you under or will it make you a better person, We have the choice,
no matter what the situation is.
E pos gestuur: Sonday
1 Augustus 2004
Sponsers en goeters
Ons is nog lekker hier in Blantyre
en woon nou langs Claude en Yvonne, hulle sorg baie goed vir ons. Dit gaan baie goed met
hulle en Claude is 'n big chief hier, maar ten spyte daarvan is hulle nog steeds plat op
die aarde en aan die brand vir die koning. Ek het 'n versoek aan julle en wil graag vra as
daar iemand is wat sal bereid wees om 'n bybel te sponser? In die kerk hier in Blantyre is
3 ouens met bikes en ons wil hulle graag bless met 'n CMA Hope for the Highway bikers
bybel. Alan is die een ou se naam, ry 'n mooi Yamaha XT600 en het 'n great testimony. Hy het sy
hart vir die Here gegee nadat hy deur 'n slang gebyt is en verlam was. God het hom genees
Die man se hart is by Jesus. Ons het ons Julius Magan CD(I Declare) aan hom geleen en hy
is mal oor Julius se musiek. Hy vra ook baie uit oor CMA en wil graag betrokke raak. 'n
Malawi chapter dalk begin, Claude en Yvonne is ook hier so ek dink dis verseker
moontlik. Oom Mike, jy kry die mail, laat weet vir Rene (het nie sy e mail nie) asseblief.
Deur watter kanale moet mens gaan om so iets te realiseer? Ek wil ook graag weet hoe kan
ek vir Julius Magan kontak om hom te vra wat hy nodig het om hierheen te kom en of hy sal.
Die Malawi mense is diep christene en sal verskriklik geseend wees deur Julius se musiek
bedienning. Ek sal hom voorstel aan die pastor hier, aan die brand mense hierdie.
Ongelukkig is Malawi een van die wereld se armste lande, ambagsmanne verdien R400 per
maand en handlangers en huishulpe werk vir omtrent R200 per maand!
n
Paar van julle het julle kommer uitgesspreek oor die swak toestand van
Mosambiek, dis seker nie so bad nie. Maar as jy hou van luxuries en goeie
paaie, bly weg. As jy hou van avontuur en nie omgee om op die grenspos se
stoep te slaap en parafien in jou bike te gooi nie en nie bang vir miggies
nie, is dit die plek vir jou. Die suide is heel anders as die noorde.
Dis eintlik nogals 'n ondervinding gewees om die goed te sien, was wel die
moeite werd, ten spyte van die ongerief. Mooi gaan en geniet julle werk (ag
toe, probeer ten minste net) en ons dink aan julle weer eendag sien>
E Pos gestuur:Saturday 7 August 2004
Wil probeer om 'n breakfastrun te reel volgende naweek, of dalk die een daarna.
Ons kan weer saam bike ry! Charmaine se knieg is baie beter en dis so
lekker om weer my liefste agter op die GS te he! As julle wil briewe of poskaarte vir ons
stuur, gebruik
Claude en Yvonne se pos adres:
POBox 30359
Chichiri
Blantyre-3
Malawi Ons is hier tot einde Oktober.
E mail sent: Sunday August 8th 2004
We got a Malawi phone nr now if any one of you would like to call us or sms us. The nr
is +265 8323 272 . The +265 is Malawi's dialling code and the rest our nr.For now we
will be here until end October, then we will move on. We haven't seen the lake yet, well,
I have 2 years ago,but we haven't been there now but I think we will visit the south of
the lake somewhere in August, maybe round the end of the month. If any one of you
know of someone flying from RSA to Malawi please let us know. Hopefully that person has
got space for a 5 litre Castrol oil and a fuel filter, almost service time for the very
faithful GS. 49 200km on the clock now. Mooi gaan en geniet julle week. Charmaine sends
her love too, she said that she does not have much news to write about, because she's
mostly at home. Next weekend we'll be going on a ride once again to see what lies south of
Blantyre.
E mail sent:Monday 16th August 2004
Well, hello long time no chat!! We went for our first bike ride on
Sunday to the South of Blantyre. What beautiful scenery, winding mountain pass down
into the Shire Valley and over the Shire River. The villages are more rural with
the majority of the houses having straw roofs. We travelled 84km south and then the
tar road ended so we decided to turn around. The locals all plant vegetables, which is much
more than the Mozambiqueans did. You can buy tomatoes, onions, potatoes, sweet
potato, peas, beans, strawberries, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, baby marrow, pawpaw,
bananas and lettuce along the side of the road and in the street markets. You
can even buy new and second hand clothes and shoes in the street markets. Oh also
leather jackets!! Anything from R200 to about R600. Not too shabby.
Martin has about 3 leather jackets and Claude has about 4. Knowing that we do not
have any packing space sure stops the shopping spree I can feel building up inside!!
The last few weeks that we have been here, has
been very interesting for Johan. He is having lots of fun and
frustrations at the
engineering company - fun fixing and learning about all the various machines, and
scratching in the yard pulling out machines that have been dumped because they 'do not
work' and then making a list of parts that are needed to get it going again but then
getting frustrated because the parts do not get ordered 'because there is no money' or
'not available in Malawi' or it just takes 2 weeks for delivery. Or if he does get a
machine fixed that is part of the production line, there is a meeting about the cost that
has to be paid and who is going to take the blame for spending the money. There is a
serious need for new management in this business. Me - well not much has
happened on my
side. The first 2 weeks were extremely frustration because i was
hobbling around and
was not very mobile at all. I couldn't ride comfortably on the bike, my knee just
wouldn't bend enough!! The last week has been okay and Sunday's ride was really
great, I could hug right close to Johan and my knee bends well past the 90' angle.
The last 40km's was not so good as i got a cramp in the knee and i didn't know if i must
keep it bent or straight. I dropped it off the foot peg for a while which helped a
little. After the ride it was so nice to walk and move the joint again. I've
discovered that it does not like to be in one position for too long. Besides that - i've
been at home all day while Johan is at work. Everyone in Malawi has a house boy which is
quite a novelty in the beginning - you feel like a real Madam sitting reading while the
"Boy" does all the work. But extreme boredom set in real fast and now i do
all our washing by hand (cause there in no washing machine) then prepare lunch for Johan,
do all the dishes (i think the house boy 'Fanual' feels he is on holiday), prepare dinner,
read, iron, walk around in the Wico grounds, play with Katrina (Martin's little kitten)
oh, and i bake loads of rusks for our house (which Johan eats faster than i can bake them)
and i also bake rusks for Claude and Yvonne. So you can see there is not much of
interest to talk about from my side. On the odd occasion, Lucy has fetched me and i keep
her company while she rides around doing the necessary shopping for the Feba radio station
they are setting up, so at least i see some of the industrial area and down town area
where the little dingy shops are, but then again that's what most of the shops look
like. Most people i know would never think of stopping there never mind going inside
to look for something to buy. There are no super Mica stores in this
country!! Martin's house is on the Wico property. Wico is the wood mill
and furniture factory. They have saw mills right through Malawi but this is their
head office. The property is in the industrial area, has an electric fence around it
and 24 hour security at the gate. The one part of the yard is the furniture factory,
another part makes pallets,another part cuts huge poles with a chain saw all day (this is
near the house) and another section turns the poles into tar poles (this is even closer to
the house)!! Previously i couldn't stand the smell of tar poles but now I'm pretty
used to it and have even watched them loading the machine that covers the poles -
depending on the thickness of the poles it can take anything from 6 hours to 10 hours, so
the boys work various shifts even on the weekends. The machine sounds like a washing
machine - infact in reminds me of Gaby's machine and her washing machine almost takes just
as long to do a load - or have you bought a new one?!!!
There is no walking down to the corner cafe - cause there isn't one. The only way
off the property is either on the bike with my hubby or maybe in a car. And that
doesn't happen very often!......Oops been on the net for way too long and the penny's are flying away. Will chat
again sometime. Love you all loads but remember that Jesus loves you more.
E mail sent:Sunday 22 August
2004 - Still
in Blantyre
We are still alive and well (soos Koos van
Namibie sing) and "enjoying" Blantyre.
While we're stuck here in Blantyre we decided to make use of the situation and learn and
experience as much as we can of this interesting part of Africa. Blantyre is not
beautiful, it is an industrial city, almost like Jo'burg is for RSA
(not as big and as
organized) The surroundings are better than the city. This letter is just about Blantyre
and surroundings and how I experience the way of living in Blantyre.
Verlede sondag na kerk het ons die pad suid gevat en gaan kyk hoe lyk die suide van
Malawi. Die pad uit die stad is goed en raak al hoe beter (minder slaggate) Blantyre lê
so tussen 1000 en 1100 meter bo seespieël, dieselfde soos Bloemfomtein. 20 km suid begin
sak jy die berg af, stadig maar seker en die draaie raak ewe skielik skerp, net soos die
pad na Leoprd Rock naby Mutare, oja, julle was nog nie daar nie, Gydo pass sal jou 'n
goeie aanduiding gee, so 30km van skerp draaie en goeie teerpad. Langs die pad sien jy
baie paw paw en piesang en Mango bome. Maar veral paw paws.
Op een kol sien jy doer onder lê die
Shire rivier soos 'n slang, dis 'n groot meneer, soos die Oranje, of dalk groter. Dit is
die rivier wat uit die Malawi Meer uitloop tot in die Zambesie. Toe ons oor die rivier se
lang brug gaan (50km uit Blantyre) is die hoogte 100m, nogals baie laag en jy voel sommer
hoe warm is die lug. Die gebied staan bekend as die Shire Valei en daar is 'n dorpie met die naam Chikwawa.
Armoede vier hoogety daar. Die wereld daar is plat en reguit en min mense en goeie teerpad
en die GS het lanklaas viniger as 100km/h gery so dis tyd om die ringe te laat ring en die
pistons te laat sing. Weet jy hoe vinnig voel dit om 180 in Afrika te ry?Maar
net vir 'n kort rukkie, want so nou en dan is daar 'n bees of
'n bok wat jou pret bederf. Daar is ooral mense,soos in ooral, dis ongelooflik. Ons stop
op so 'n pragtige uitkykpunt vir piekniek en sien daar is sowaar niemand nie. Ons eet
lekker lemoen en piesang en neem fotos. Na so 30 min kyk Charmaine in die boom waaronder
ons stilgehou het en merk op dat daar 'n ou in die boom sit! Dood stil soos 'n
verkleurmannetjie. Die ou het hom seker boeglam geskrik toe hy die groot silwer gevaar
sien stop onder hom. So daar is oorals mense in Malawi! Die GS trek geweldig baie aandag hier en almal is baie verbaas oor die monster bike. Die
grootste wat hulle hier sien is Alan se XT600 en die res is maar 100cc. Tog het ons nou
die dag 'n rooi ZX9 in die dorp gesien staan. Redelik vuil. Die polisie is ook op sulke
klein 200cc goeters. In Lylongwe ry hulle blykbaar F650?s.
Die kerk waar ons nou by ingeval het is die City Penticostal Church onder lyding van,
Kanadese pastoor (Glen) en 'n Malawiese pastoor (Tom). Meer as die helfte van die sondag
dienste is wit mense, van verskillende dele van die wereld. Kanada, Holand, Australië,
VSA, Muritius, Suid Afrika, Engeland, Finland ens. Meeste doen of sending werk of kontrak
werk vir besighede. Die ou van Finland doen sendingwerk hier en ry 'n TW200. Hy is deel
van CMA in Finland, of so vertel hy, is daar 'n CMA? Ek laaik hom, want hy is 'n Mika
Raikonin aanhanger. Hier is blykbaar so 10 ouens met bikes in die kerk, so ons werk
daaraan om 'n breakfast run te reel, meskien oor so 4 naweke. Ons het donderdagaand by die
een selgroep aangesluit. Ons gaan geleer word hoe om mense van ander gelowe te nader met
die ,gospil, deur meer van hulle gelowe te leer. Ons het die sessie van die Moslem geloof
gemis, en het net op die regte tyd ingeval om die Jahova getuienis se verskil teenoor die
Christen-geloof te leer. Baie interesant. Die kerk is ook baie uitreikings bewus
soos Bikers Church. Die kerk gebou is in die middestad en het elke dag 'n lunch hour
service. Blykbaar is dit stamp vol en die kerk bid vir 'n groter gebou! Hulle sing baie
dieselfde musiek as ons, maar ek mis darem Bikers Church se lewendige lofliedere. Sing
liedjies soos ,Let there be peace, Forever, Blessed be thy name, en so aan. Elke sondag
sing hulle so 2 liedjies in Tsetsewa, Malawi se taal. Hulle het bietjie meer beat, regte
Afrika liedjies.
Om hier te werk is heel anders as by die huis en tensy daar nie baie geld ter sprake is
nie, sal ek dit nie aanbeveel nie. Hang af in watter posiesie jy is, as jy die baas is, no
problem. By die plek wat ek werk lyk dinge so. Die eienaar is Mnr Okai, hy besit oor die
40 besighede en ry die nuutste en grootste, sy seun ry 'n nuwe X5, M3's gaan nie hier werk
nie. Die GM is van Ghana en is 'n pen pusher. 2de in beheer lyk my is 'n Sri Lanken, nog
erger. Die afdeligs hoofe is onderskeidelik van Zimbabwe (2) en Indie (ook 2). Dan is daar
3 konseltante wat ook nog 'n finger in die paai het(UK). Die Malawiers het nie sê nie,
hulle doen die werk, ook net as jy heeltyd bystaan. Die groot kokkedoor, Mnr Okai het my
aangestel om die 100de masjienerie wat nie werk nie reg te kry om te verkoop of te
verhuur. Die GM en sy trawante smaak my nie, want ek is op hulle keis elke dag oor goed
wat hulle moet aankoop en hulle sien nie die nodigheid daarin om dit te koop nie.
Die fabriek vervaardig deurkosyne, venster rame, kruiwaens,ensomeer. Vroeër jare het
hulle ,enamel, bekers en bakke gemaak, selfs fietse ook. Die masjien werkswinkel het 19
draaibanke en 9 freesmasjiene, 4 ,shapers, en 3 ,radial armboring machines, 3 ,vertical
boring machines, 3 of wat serface grinders, en 'n horizontal line boring machine?. Alles
groot goed. Die helfte daarvan is stukkend. Ons is tans besig met 4 freesmasjiene bv. Nog
'n groot projek is 'n masiewe kompressor met 'n ,sand blasting, eenheid wat
geinstaleer moet word. Die werk is nice en ek werk lekker saam met die Malawiërs,
so 3 van hulle doen wat een Suid Afrikaanse swart man kan doen. Maar nietemin is hulle
gewillig. Die probleem is egter met die manne in beheer, ek wag nou al 2 weke vir 'n
verfkwas, en 'n week vir 'n rolletjie insulation tape. Vir alles sê hulle daar is nie
geld nie, ek was in die sop oor 2 elektriese motors wat ek laat rewind het, alles moet
deur hulle gaan, en dan wag jy laaaank. Die stoor het nie ystersaag lemme nie, al die
vicegribs en tange is gebreek. Spaners se bekke is gerek en ek wil nie eers van die taps
praat nie. Dis 'n grap. Die ,welders, dra plakkies! Ja, het nie skoene nie, eina, het
seker al elte op die tone van die sparks. Hulle was hulle hande met gewone Lux tiepe seep,
geen handcleaner nie, ook nie enige lappe nie. Meeste draaibanke het nie coolent nie, die
rook draai uit die werkstukke uit. Die elektriesieëns is lewensgevaarlik! Die power
tools het nie plugs aan nie (word gesteel) en die drade word tydelik gelas aan 'n
lewendige draad wat lans 'n paal hang as jy wil grind of boor. Nou die dag het ek weer so
bietjie gevoel hoe voel 220V deur die lead light wat my skok. As hulle 'n masjien
opkoppel, sit hulle nie die hoofkrag af nie, dis mos veilig solank jy net nie aan 2 drade
gelyk raak nie! Meeste masjiene het nie ,curcuit brakers, nie, drade word met die hand
gelas en met insulation tape toegedraai(3fase motors!) Dis hoekom hulle motors so baie
uitbrand, maar daar is nie geld vir ,curcuit brakers, nie? So kan ek boekdele skryf oor
dinge wat ek daar beleef. Die, crane, wat ek aan gewerk het is so oud, ek is seker Noag
het dit gebruik om die ark se motor in die ark te sit. Maar in Afrika sal die eenvoudige
masjien baie langer hou as die ingewikkelde moderne een. Hulle gebruik so 'n stok ou power
saw terwyl daar 2 band saws op die scrapyard lê. 'n Heel ander wereld.
Maar ek prys die Here vir die geleentheid om
hierdie dinge te beleef en dis die klas van dinge wat geen geld in die wereld koop nie, jy
sal dit ook seker nie heeltemal verstaan as jy dit nie beleef het nie. Een hartseer ding
van Malawi is egter die armoede. Tydelike werkers word K75 (R4.50) per dag betaal. 'n
Brood kos K50. Die ouens kan hulle self nie help nie, ek dink hulle is maar net onbevoeg,
hulle het al die geleentheid om te leer en reg te kom, maar dis te harde werk vir hulle.
Die wit westerse wereld het hulle sag en sleg gemaak. Hulle laaik van bakhand staan en
verwag die wit mense moet kos en klere en medesyne voorsien. Hoekom moet hy werk as die
wit man vir hom gaan kos gee? Nou dink hulle geld gaan alle probleme oplos, 'n Groot leun.
Hulle sit geweldig baie vertroue in geld en glo dat geld sal hulle probleme oplos, maar
besef nie dat geld en rykdom is maar net die resultaat van harde werk en dis die enigste
manier hoe jy dit sal bekom nie. Op die filosofiese wyse gaan ek nou maar afsluit en ek
wens julle 'n fantastiese en geseende week toe. Mag die wonderlike God wat ons dien julle
seen met alles wat geld nie kan koop nie.
Mail sent: Monday 18 October 2004
It's not often that i get to write something at
the
internet cafe, as i'm either at the church in the mornings or at the
house. Johan has a
computer that he can use at his work,so he writes the emails and puts it on a stiffy then cuts
and pastes at
the internet cafe.
We will be leaving Blantyre, eventually, on the 26th Oct. We will be heading north
to Detza and Lilongwe, then to Mzuzu and Livingstonia and then into
Tanzania. We will be in Zanzibar on the 4th Nov,
and we will
spend a few days
there with Johan's folks. Since i've been helping out at the
church - CityPentecostal Church (CPC) life in Blantyre has had more meaning. I work
on Tues, wed and thurs mornings, the pay is not worth mentioning, as it doesn't
exist!! I'm just helping out! I've sorted through and categorized all their tapes
(music and sermons), CD's, video's - Christian movies and documentaries, and the
books. The books were quite a challenge, as they had to be sorted into categories
like in a library. That part was easy, the difficult part was when i found an
interesting book - it took me longer than normal to put the book back on the shelf.
Some very interesting
reading!! I have also just finished covering all the library books with plastic -
it's like covering school books all over again - how i miss the days with Sharon and Dene
helping with the kids books.
I've made wonderful new friend at the church. Pastor Glen from Canada, (Youth) Pastor
Jordan also Canadian, Pastor Tom from Malawi and Roy the church janitor. Not to mention
all the expats (South African's). It's amazing how many South African's are on
contract here. There are also many missionary's - Fiona, Julia, Shareen work at the
Kondanani orphanage, Lucy, Miriam work at another orphanage, Bob (American) helping out at
a mission station for 3 months now and heads back home the end of the month, he rides a
Harley back home and has invited us to come stay. Some missionaries come for a 6-month
contract and end up stays for 20 odd years. There are also the YWAM crew (youth with
a mission) and some of the doctors and staff from the CURE International Hospital, (where
i had my knee fixed). As you can see a very busy international church to go
to. It has been great staying at Karina and Gary Roark's house. They have gone home to America
for holiday and Gary also had to write an exam. Gary works at CURE - he is the
anaesthetist
who put me in fairyland for my knee operation. Isn't it wonderful how Jesus puts
people together? They have a beautiful garden at their
house and a very playful dog named Thunder. He is a black lab/retriever and he loves
to play soccer. He is an inside dog, so we always have to make sure that we are not
away from the house for too long. Sometimes i have found myself calling him Wizzer.... and
believe it or not sometimes Amber!! 
We have lots of fun together especially when
Johan is at work and i'm on my own. I'm really really going to miss all these wonderful
people. i'm hoping to be back at the internet cafe on Sunday and then i'll fill in
some more of the gaps.
Mail sent: Monday 25 October 2004
These last few weeks at Gary and Karina's house have been wonderful. They do not have
DSTV or even Malawi TV, but they do have a TV and a video machine so we have been watching
their collection of videos and some of the videos from the Church library. We have
become real documentary junkies ? The Lord knew what he was doing when he sent
us to look after Thunder.
The one series that we watched is called "Answers in Genesis" by Creation
Science Ministries and distributed by Master Books, Colorado. Presented by Ken Ham
(an Australian) and Gary Parker (an American). The series is about creation vs
evolution, Noah & the Flood, dinosaurs, fossils, etc. Very, very, interesting.
We leave Blantyre tomorrow and head north. We
will mail again from Zanzibar
Mail sent: Friday 5 November 2004 from Dar Es Salaam.
Northern Malawi
Well the last time we chatted we were in Blantyre. We left there on the 26th
October and traveled north to Dedza. We stayed
at Wico saw mill ( thanx Claude)
which is on the side of the mountain and the forest. It is a beautiful part
of Malawi and only about 300m from Mozambique border. From the tar road you
can see some of the old colonial/Portiguese houses in Mozambique, that were
bombed in the war. There is no fence or river that devides the 2
countries in this area only a gravel road. We used a new road that is
under construction to the lake - it is going to be a stunning road when it
is finished. The scenery is out of this world, mountain valleys,
villages and some forests.
From there we went to Ngala Beach Lodge on the lake and camped on
their lawn about 50m from the water. Luckily there was a breeze
blowing as the place was full of miggies and mozzies. Oh and Johan saw
his first "Fire Flies" that night. They have a thatch lapa/bar built
right on the waters edge called "The Soggy Kwacha"! I wonder how it got it's
name.
We then did our first bit of off- road in a long time and travelled to
Livingstonia which is on a mountain - 1350m high. The road going is in
a very bad condition, with some sharp bends and loose gravel/rocks and in
some places it is red powdery sand. The road is used by trucks to a
coal mine and it doesn't seem like it has been graded since Noah was a boy
scout!! But then as gravel roads go - in some places it is okay.
The scenery is beautiful in that part of Malawi, a lot like Lesotho. The
mountain valleys still have trees and shrubs, even flowing rivers and
streams with "clean" mountain water. Johan had read that we could stay
in the Old Stone Cottage and we were looking forward to staying in the
cooler air of the mountain. But when we got there the place was under
renovation and actually doesn'y look much like a historical building at the
moment. The price had also jumped from US$3pp to US$8.50pp - a little
ouch. I must say that the view of the lake is pretty amazing from up there
and some of the old buildings are worth a visit to Livingstonia. Most
of the old buildings are being used by the University of Livingstonia.
We
also went past the clinic built by Dr Robert Laws, one of the first doctors
that traveled in Malawi with Dr Livingstone. So after a banana break
and some water we headed off again.
Johan was pretty tired as it is hard work getting us up there and now it
looked like we had to head all the way down again. The route we were taking
down drops from 1200m to 600m in 10km's!!!
But praise the Lord only
5km from Livingstonia (before the major down hill) we saw a sign saying
Lukwe Lodge/Camping, Johan decide to have a look and wow......it is a
lodge/camp built high on the side of the mountain with the most amazing view
of the valley and lake. You can hear the waterfall and river flowing
past, but hidden by the huge trees. There were lots of birds and typical
insect noises of the forest area. We spent the night and Robert ( Malawian -
guide, barman, chef, dish washer) made us a very good meal that was enough
for 4 people. The new owner, wife and daughter came to say hi and told us
that they had only been there 2 weeks!!
We got up early - sunrise - to tackle the down hill before it got too hot,
it took us an hour to do 10km's!! Sani pass is steeper but this road is
narrower!, the surfaces are similar. Oom Johan, you would love it here! Our
opinion is that the north of Malawi is far much more beautiful than the
south.