
Well, we’ve had quite a week! We have visited all the old haunts of Richards childhood… Schools, restaurants, sports clubs etc etc and spent three glorious nights with the adorable Mr and Mrs Grimes. It was a blissful reminder of home life and they were so generous. Home-cooked meals, TV (!!), comfy clean beds, our own bathroom, and a washing machine. That’s right! An actual clothes washing machine.. Amazing.
We have since covered quite a distance and taken in the sights of Mulanje (a mountain) where we camped at the Likhabula Pools, Zomba (a mountain plateau) and we now find ourselves back on the sleepy shores of Lake Malawi. All gorgeous of course but we have been feeling a little lonely, missing the excellent company of David and Di.
A testing day in transit yesterday; parked in a lovely spot for lunch to find our spare wheel carrier broken in 4 places but thankfully still attached to the vehicle (just!). While negotiating the storage of an enormous 19″ wheel (coupled with enormous mud-terrain tyre) in the back seat of our poor truck we were “attacked” by an equally huge spider! URGHH. Where our leggy friend is now is a mystery though as we both took off at the sight of it! I was precise in emptying the contents of our can of fly-spray into the vehicle before departing for the lake but still, made for a fairly tense three hour drive.
We arrived at dusk last night at the much anticipated Chembe Eagles Nest where we found a campsite full of impressively spec’d up and kitted out overlanding vehicles that make us two look like chumps to be honest. These things are amazing! They must have sensed jealousy in the air as they were quick to offer us two of the most tasty and tender lamb chops we’ve ever eaten. This didn’t soothe the green-eyed-monster as she reheated the 4 day old bolognaise sauce. Grrrr.
No matter, we have indulged in a lazy morning of scrambled eggs and Konyagi cocktails today and as there are welders in absolutely every corner of Africa, we are now back to normal with a functioning spare wheel carrier. Tomorrow… Zambia! And our next dose of African wildlife.
A few pics to a create a “nutshell” of the last few days:
Ants in the tree, world famous (in Blantyre!):

Phoenix School, where Richard learned to a be a smart-ass:

Dipping our toes in the Likhabula Pools,Mulanje:

Money well spent! I think not:
