Lusaka

After Lilongwe I spent a night in Chipata, which is about 20 kms over the boarder. I ran into a friend I had met in Malawi at the campground I stayed at. He had bicycled up from Cape Town. Ive run into quite a few bicyclers and one day I think Ill give it a try. Seems like an entirely different experience.

From Chipata I went to the capital Lusaka. I did 605 kms in one day. Its took me 9 or 10 hours and is the most Ive done yet. The ride was beautiful. The roads are pretty good in Zambia compared with a lot of Malawi and Mozambique. The last 2 hours of the ride it rained. By the time I got to Lusaka everything I had was soaked.

I met up with a couple friends and the next day we went to Livingstone and Victoria Falls. It was great. We went to Angels Pool (Devils Pool was closed). To get to Angels Pool you need to wade through the Zambezi above the falls. Its risky because if you mess up you'll go over the falls. We had a guide, for about $13 each, which was definitely necessary. The tour takes you to a nice overlook and then a cliff jump. We jumped from about 5 meters into a pool that goes over the falls. It was a bit intimidating but the current wasn't as strong as it looked.

I left my bike in Lusaka when I went to Livingstone so after a few days I came back to pick it up. One of the guys I was with wanted to buy a motorcycle so Ive been here for a few days trying to sort that out. In the end he decided not to buy one. Im actually pretty happy with his decision. I don't mind riding alone for a little while. Tomorrow I plan on heading back to Livingstone. Its unfortunate to backtrack, but I need to go through there to get to my next destination. I plan on going through the Caprivi Strip, if motorcycles are allowed, and then into Botswana. I don't have any solid plans but Im ready to hit the road again. Also, I plan on riding back to Durban but Ive heard the visa may be an issue. People have told me they wont let you in if you haven't returned to your port of entry after the original 3 months has passed. Im not sure how it'll work out but I have to try. Im excited for the next couple weeks because I think there will be a lot of big animals to see. I haven't seen any lions, giraffes, or elephants yet but I should soon. 

Lilongwe

After Cape MaClear we stopped in Senga Bay for a couple nights. It was a nice fishing village. We did an island trip but didn't stay too long.

Next was Nkhata Bay. I stayed for about a week. Its on Lake Malawi and there was plenty to do. Our accommodation had paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. I spent about $30 a day for accommodation, food and drinks. Seems a little expensive for Africa but not too bad for an all inclusive holiday. We met up with several friends that we had known along the way, including one guy we hadn't seen since Durban. We also took a trip to Likoma island for a couple nights.

While in Nkhata Bay a friend stopped in that I hadn't seen since Mozambique. He said he was staying with a family north of Mzuzu and asked if I wanted to come with him. I spent a couple nights staying with him and a local family in their village. While there we drove up to Nyika National Park. I was told their vehicle was a 4x4 but turns out it was 2 wheel drive. We had to push it out of the mud several times and one time crashed into a ditch. No one got hurt and the car was fine. At the park we saw a lot of Zebras and animals that looked like antelopes. The drive there was all dirt roads and it took us all day to get there and back even though it wasn't that far in kilometers.

Yesterday I drove 400+ kilometers to get to Lilongwe. I left around 430am and it rained on and off all day. I wont leave that early again. It was dark and raining for the first hour. It made for a pretty difficult morning considering I didn't have a map or really know my way around. It was a pretty ride when it wasn't raining.

Rob and I split up after I left Nkhata Bay. Hes heading north towards Tanzania and I'm heading back to South Africa. In total we drove over 6400 kilometers together through 4 countries. We were similar in ways but also very different. I think we made a pretty good team all together. It is exciting to be on my own. It feels like a whole new challenge and a new trip all together.

Malawi has been an amazing country. Over the last month Ive learned a lot about the people and the problems they're facing. For one, there are people everywhere on the roads. You think you're in the middle of nowhere but still there are people walking every 50 yards. Also, many people live in very rural areas. When we drove to Nyika Park we drove for hours on a dirt road that was really rough. Still there were people everywhere. Its apparent that if there were any medical emergencies it would take help hours to get there and back to a hospital. A medical student I met here told me there are 250 doctors in the entire country. The people are also very religious. There are a lot of Christians and mosques seem to be popping up everywhere. The coffin industry seems to be big here as well. Every third village has a coffin shop. The people watch a lot of religious television including the prophet Major 1. While staying with the family they watched him the majority of the time. Reading the newspapers shows even more issues. Such as corruption, women's rights, witch hunts, and more. Ive seen children working everywhere. They are either selling things like charcoal, chickens, or vegetables on the side of the road or working in the fields. Its conflicting, I don't want to buy from kids because I think they should be in school but they are going to be working either way. The major crops look like corn and tobacco. People eat a lot of Nsima which is a corn product similar to Pap in South Africa.

I will head to Zambia tomorrow or the next day. I need to find a map today. Most people here have cell phones with data. Many locals even use WhatsApp. I don't have a phone, it makes things more difficult but its nice to get away. On the other hand I do feel disconnected from issues back home. It is a tough balance to find. At any given hostel you'll see nearly everyone on their cell phones or laptops. You could travel all over the world and never really leave westerners, especially if you're driving your own car. At least on a motorcycle I'm forced to communicate with locals and take breaks every 100 kms. Any form of travel would bring a different experience. Local transport is probably the most cultural but it is tough here. I'm happy with my decision to motorcycle. Anyways, I'm ranting now so I'm done. Next stop Zambia.