The Adventure Continues

As I mentioned in a previous blog one of the great attractions of Lake Malawi is its diving, and ever since I learnt to dive there I wanted to share the experience with Alena. One refresher course for her later and that dream became reality as we embarked on our first dive together - although the main dive was still to come.

Alena finds her water wings again

Night diving in the lake is, if you think like Alena and myself, one of the best games you can play. For the Dolphin fish come out to eat at night, and are more than grateful for the light of diver's torches to help them hunt - which equates to a simple game, see who can get the most Cichlids eaten in their torch beam. Rather than competing against each other we combined forces and had quite a good haul of four killed in brutal fashion - what better way to enjoy a dive than to play God as you do so.

The view from the bed in the tree

With our diving at an end it was time to make our way north to Tanzania, but not before a stop off at a little known place called Ndokera's - one of the only backpackers owned and run by locals, which made for quite an interesting stay. The star attraction of the place, other than being set on the shores of the lake, is the bed in the tree, which having been told about we simply had to sleep in.

Welcome to the bed in the tree

I have slept in numerous tree houses, but never before just a bed wedged high up a tree with a make-shift ladder to access it. All I can say is if you are ever in Malawi you must make the effort to head there and spend a night in the tree - waking up to sunrise over the lake from the comfort of your bed, completely submerged in nature, is quite an experience.

The purpose of our stay, other than to sleep in a tree, was to head up to the Manchewe Falls at Livingstonia - which is not as easy as it sounds. For starters the only road that goes in that direction is a dirt track, at the best of times, that winds up the escarpment in a similar fashion to the road at Alpe d'Huez. Not only that but no public transport ventures that way, and thus those wanting to do so must rely on hitch-hiking or paying an extortionate amount for a lift with the few people who have private cars in the area.

Breakfast is served fresh and greasy

So, after an early morning breakfast of freshly cooked chips (try finding anything else in Chitimba), we stuck our thumbs out and hoped for the best. Forty-five minutes later, which we were told is a pretty short wait for a ride, we were on our way towards Livingstonia, although had to share the back of the truck with a rather smelly tray of dried fish - but then beggars can't be choosers.

Looking out over the falls

And the journey was worth every second, as the falls really are quite a sight, made all the better for the fact you can take a walk down behind them and sit in a small cave behind the torrents of water cascading down. It seemed the travel Gods were with us as no sooner did we make it back to the road than a car was coming past and we managed to get a lift back down the escarpment.

Cooling down behind the waterfall

From there the journey took us first to the Tanzanian border, and then to a remote little village in the middle of nowhere, to hike up to the Ngosi Crater Lake, thanks to a spot of hitch-hiking. Unfortunately there are no pictures to the next section of the story, as we (read Alena) forgot the camera in the truck we got a lift with, although we thankfully got it back a few days later.

Anyway, the stay in the village was one of the most rewarding night's camping I have had in a long time. With no idea where we would pitch the tent a local villager, Nathaniel, came to our rescue and let us camp next to his house. It was only when the tent was up did we realise we were two metres from his pig sty, and that what seemed like the entire population of the village had come to see what these crazy Mzungus were doing sleeping in a portable house (tent to you and I).

I can't say enough for Nathaniel and his family, who made our stay a wonderful experience, and this has inspired me to start doing a bit more wild camping as I head into areas where accommodation becomes a little more limited. But before then there is a return trip to Zanzibar to come...where things are bound to get a little spicy.

written by

MarcusInAfrica on October 8, 2009 from Chitimba, Malawi

from the travel blog: Cape to Cardiff

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