14 June, Tuesday Malawi
Willie and I meet Nicky, the owner of the campsite: a beautiful
lady who tells us a little of the camp’s history. One of 6 children, parents
Swiss and Syrian, she grew up on the farm and went to local schools and to
Europe for post-school education. None of the 6 children were interested in
farming, so they decided to sell the farm. When the day came that she had to
sign the papers for the sale, she could not do it and decided to come back to
Tanzania. She said she had such a brilliant childhood and could not imagine
that the farm will not be theirs anymore. She noticed that overland trucks and
vehicles would often pass the farm as it is on the route to and from Malawi,
and from there the vision for a campsite developed. There is also a wonderful
restaurant that serves African cuisine with a French touch, as the chef is from
France! Well worth a visit.
It is a 2-3 hour drive to the Tanzanian-Malawi
border and the crossing is smooth without any difficulties. We are in our
17th country on our way to Namibia. Malawi is beautiful with lush green vegetation. Driving is slow, because there are many people and pedestrians on the road as it is a public
holiday – Freedom Day. We are excited when we see Malawi Lake for the first time
– a vast, green blue body of water that looks more like a sea, than a lake.
Malawi is about the lake – a 500 km body of crystal clear water along the
eastern border that dominates and defines the country. The lake provides life,
food (500 different species of fish inhabit the lake), fun and pleasure.
New country, new currency, new culture, new language, new customs
– the first day or 2 in a country leaves one floundering: how do you buy?; what
do you say: what should a bread cost and all the rest? Our learning curve
accelerates; because one’s daily survival depends on it. The first way point for
a campsite is in Karonga, but it is run down and deserted and we decide to try
the next one … We are the only guests and receive a friendly welcome from the
staff. We are allowed to camp on the grass 15 steps from the edge of the lake.
It is a beautiful, wind still evening and the nearly full moon’s beams play hide
and seek with the gentle ripples of the water.
We are tired and I really do not feel like hauling everything out
of the drawers to cook a meal just to pack up tomorrow morning early (as if I’ve
not done it for the last 5 months!) So, Willie decides to treat me and us with
dinner: chambo fish from the lake and chips. Evenings are cooler and we are
back to wearing long-sleeves again.
Willie and I meet Nicky, the owner of the campsite: a beautiful
lady who tells us a little of the camp’s history. One of 6 children, parents
Swiss and Syrian, she grew up on the farm and went to local schools and to
Europe for post-school education. None of the 6 children were interested in
farming, so they decided to sell the farm. When the day came that she had to
sign the papers for the sale, she could not do it and decided to come back to
Tanzania. She said she had such a brilliant childhood and could not imagine
that the farm will not be theirs anymore. She noticed that overland trucks and
vehicles would often pass the farm as it is on the route to and from Malawi,
and from there the vision for a campsite developed. There is also a wonderful
restaurant that serves African cuisine with a French touch, as the chef is from
France! Well worth a visit.
It is a 2-3 hour drive to the Tanzanian-Malawi
border and the crossing is smooth without any difficulties. We are in our
17th country on our way to Namibia. Malawi is beautiful with lush green vegetation. Driving is slow, because there are many people and pedestrians on the road as it is a public
holiday – Freedom Day. We are excited when we see Malawi Lake for the first time
– a vast, green blue body of water that looks more like a sea, than a lake.
Malawi is about the lake – a 500 km body of crystal clear water along the
eastern border that dominates and defines the country. The lake provides life,
food (500 different species of fish inhabit the lake), fun and pleasure.
New country, new currency, new culture, new language, new customs
– the first day or 2 in a country leaves one floundering: how do you buy?; what
do you say: what should a bread cost and all the rest? Our learning curve
accelerates; because one’s daily survival depends on it. The first way point for
a campsite is in Karonga, but it is run down and deserted and we decide to try
the next one … We are the only guests and receive a friendly welcome from the
staff. We are allowed to camp on the grass 15 steps from the edge of the lake.
It is a beautiful, wind still evening and the nearly full moon’s beams play hide
and seek with the gentle ripples of the water.
We are tired and I really do not feel like hauling everything out
of the drawers to cook a meal just to pack up tomorrow morning early (as if I’ve
not done it for the last 5 months!) So, Willie decides to treat me and us with
dinner: chambo fish from the lake and chips. Evenings are cooler and we are
back to wearing long-sleeves again.
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