Chimbwe

Last night was the night of the Chimbwe, the hyena. Coming into the bar Joe announced he had just startled four hyenas near to the lake. We rushed out with our torches and our dutch courage but saw nothing. Eva and Bernhardt stayed to wait for them to come back but the rest of us got bored (and thirsty) and went back to our beers. After about half an hour of nervous joking about what had happened to them they burst in saying that they had seen six hyena. They were massing. Again we all rushed out but saw nothing. Dispondant, Joe and I accompanied Sue to the office to escort her through the potential danger zone so she could send her emails. Whilst we were sharing a clandestine cigarette behind the office something ran past just out of the range of the light. Bravely, somewhat foolishly we ventured into the night. We reached the spot where Joe had seen the first Hyenas and a pair of huge green eyes loomed in our torch light. Nervously, somewhat cautiously we retreated to the office. But we could not stay there all night. We had to brave the Chimbwe run. Off we set, chattering and giggling with nerves. Just as we rounded the corner of the dam a huge splashing and thundering erupted on our left. As one we swung around, our torch beams illuminating a herd of panicked Roan fleeing the water. Instinctively we swung back 180 degrees. Above the brow of the hill appeared one, then two, then five, then eight pairs of eyes taking the measure of us. We froze, and the Hyenas ran down the hill turning broadside to our torch beams. They are big, and they are scary and there was more than them than there was of us. We hurried as fast as we dared whilst retaining our nonchalance to fool the chimbwe, and bought some stiff drinks at the bar.

Mazungu Matola

I'm a mazungu. Lenny Henry is not, if you get my drift. A matola is a lift, especially one on the back of a pick-up. My Mazungu Matola experience was extremely exciting, if not a little daunting. After another late night warbling session around the log fire I was sent my second shopping trip to Mzuzu. This time I was in charge, and for only my second trip to the 'big' city, I did bloody well. So, two hours sleep, a four hour journey in the pick-up and a whole days hectic Malawian shopping later we had to drive home. Now Harry had to drive so he got to sit in the front. And we were picking up Abassi's respectable wife so she had to sit in the front. And Wendy had been to hospital so she squeezed into the cab too. Where would me and Olly sit? I was pretty worried at first, but clambered onto the fully loaded pick-up. Mazungus do not travel matola-style as a rule and the locals are too poor to buy a bicycle, never mind a car so the locals found the sight of a matola with two white people on the back and three black people in the front hilarious. I found it lumpy and worrying. Olly however had done this before and assured me it was safe(r than I thought). Actually it turned out to be pretty safe for me as I'm ashamed to admit I played on his chivalry and blagged the snug little dip between the tyres we had bought. I didn't even have to hold on. The view and perspective on the countryside was reward enough for the rough jolting and freezing wind at the back of the neck. Driving back to the Nyika I watched the hot bustling Mzuzu slip backwards and the mountains gather as the sun set from an amazing vantage point. We sped through towns lit only by fires and hurricane lamps yet electrified by loud music and hustle that I had not noticed on my previous trip. Looking backwards from the truck we watched as a following car illuminated our dust-cloud with it's headlights, highlighting an ethereal plume mapping our path. As we climbed the plateau and the stars came out we lay back and watched the milky way twist in the sparkling sky.

Late Night Party

Getting back from our Mzuzu shopping trip at 10 at night after a 5am start (and a long saga about losing some stuff off the back of the truck that was humorous for some but not for Mike) should have meant supper and an early night. Somehow it was not so. I ended up staying up until 5 in the morning (let me remind you I have to be at work by 7). So the Nyika does have a night life after all. Well, in the absence of electricity, never mind TV and stereos, the party must-have is a guitar and someone who can play it. Oh yes, and a whole load of drunks willing to suggest songs to warble to. We actually sat around a log fire singing Joni Mitchell. Welcome to the bush

Business or Pleasure

The first business trip of my life took me to see hippos, and kudu, and baboons, and elephants and bushbabies, and nightjars, and impala, and elephant shrews, and dykas, and a doberman called Grizzly. In my capacity as queen of the stock cupboard and duchess of chalet maintainence I was allowed off the Nyika to go shopping in Mzuzu. As all vehicles leaving the plateau must be put to as much work as possible I got to combine my shopping trip with Mike's trip to Vwaza Marsh and Lake Malawi. Vwaza is a nature reserve like Nyika, and as reserve-employees we were allowed to stay for free and tag along on the night game drive. Never mind the animals, bouncing around the African bush on the back of an open jeep with a huge spotlight is definitely fun. The full moon did keep the critters away but turned the marsh into the eeriest ghostland. We arrived at just before sunset and the hippos were in top form , wallowing and grunting, sounding a little like baritone ducks as they lolled on the banks. I could see them jawing and yawning at each other. Then they melted into the waters again leaving only that postcard image of their ears and nostrils in view. A herd of Kudu came to the water whilst we sipped our sundowners. These animals are the most beautiful antelopes, the males having the most spectacular spiralled horns. A troop of baboons also visited running and scratching and rolling in the dust. It was coming back from the drive that we saw the ellies, for which Vwaza is a bit of a haven. Two cows were leading their calves back from the water and stood guard while their offspring shuffled away from us. We only saw them for a couple of minutes but it was long enough to understand why people fall in love with them. They truly were beautiful. All of the animal sightings were magical, made more so by the pale light of the moon. We travelled alongside a group of Impala drifting through the bush before they scented us and bounded away. The day after we stopped at Vwaza we arrived in Mzuzu at 8am to begin shopping. Here comes the typical tale of the brit abroad frustrated by the embarrasment of haggling ("just tell me the damn price and i'll go and grumble in private!"). It was actually quite fun, and no-where near as stressful as the rest of the Nyika staff had led me to believe. What stressed me out more was the ever present possibility of Mike having an embolism as he repeated the same english phrases over and again with increasing impatience. Ah well. Mzuzu is the captial of North Malawi, yet it is closer in size to a small english town than a capital city. It is hot, and busy and loud though. Exciting and crazy, all to a soca rythmn. After Mzuzu we drove to the Lake. This is Lake Malawi, the ninth largest lake in the world, 560km long, 80km wide and 700m deep and stunning. After the rush of Mzuzu we could relax with Jim, the owner of Nkhwazi Lodge, and Grizzly the doberman. Jim presented another example of the African ex-pat, half-crazy, definitely drunk and damned if he's going back to civilisation.




First photo: Mzuzu
Second Photo: Vwaza

So what am I doing here?

Would you like to know more about how I fill my day to day routines? No? You just want to hear about the animals and the half-naked chicks? Well I'm sorry but we all wear several t-shirts at once cos it's really cold but none of us believed that when they told us and didn't bring any sweaters...nah, it's not that bad, but it aint tropical. Fraid I have yet to whip out my bristly knees for the delight of the locals. I get up at 6 to be at work for 7, just a pleasant stroll through the pine forest to the camp on the lakeshore. Here I check on the guys cleaning the chalets running my finger over everything, (can anyone send me some white gloves?). Then breakfast at 7:30. mmm maltabello porridge, which is made from nsmima and malt. It aint half bad with some delicious Nyika honey from our very own African killer bees. Counting melons is how I spend my mornings...no WATER melons (I can tell you're all reading the first few sentences again). And I count carrots, and potatoes, and baked beans, and sausages... A whole bunch of counting. And counting of bunches. Actually, I have the rather grand responsibility of setting up a stocktaking database. Ooh, get me. In the afternoons I wander to the Lodge to entertain the rather more refined (rich) clients with my sparkling wit and companionship. And I get to eat biscuits.

My first week

I have been here almost a week and have fallen in love with the Nyika. I get to wander around the camp as part of my job and everytime I leave the house I spot more crazy creatures. Last night I went to bed to the hooting of the owls and woke to the howling of the Jackels. Call me Jungle Jane. Amazon Anna would be better but it's the wrong continent. I watch the Yellow Kite hunting daily, and the swallows zipping over the lake. Yesterday I startled a Locust in the Hygenia forest and it whirred away on gossamer wings like an alien fairy. The night sky is something else, I can't wait for the full moon. The new moon appeared like the grin of a cheshire cat on my first night, it hangs the wrong way round like a smile in the stars. Bushbuck (small deer) wander through the camp, quite brave, and tiny salamanders live in my window frame. My job is less than gripping, stocktaking and checking up on the cleaners, but when I'm lucky I get to meet and greet the guests and have shortcake! Aah pudding, once I knew thee well (the food is bad!). The Mike I met in Mzuzu has turned out to be a huge South African paocher hunter. He's a teddy bear really...well...not quite.

Nyika

The flight up was incredible. I was in a single engine plane and was allowed to fly it! Actually it was pretty easy, it wasn't like I had to land it or anything. We flew from Mzuzu to Likoma Island, right over the lake until you can see Mozambique in the distance. Likoma is home to the oldest cathedral in Africa and the only one I've ever seen with a tin roof! It's a beautiful building in a beautiful place. We picked up the lovely Heika and flew straight to the Nyika. The foothills rise from the plains, dusty and brown from the heat. From the plane we saw eland and warthogs, and I've only been on the game reserve for 15 minutes! Chelinda camp, where I work and live is the most beautiful place I've ever been too. Check out the photo. One big surprise was the pine forest, planted by the British in an attempt to kick-start a paper industry, then abandoned when it was realised how expensive transporting the logs from the mountain would be. Typical.

Anna comes to the Mountain

Well arriving at Mzuzu was worrying, as I was sure the guy meeting me would have given up seeing as the coach was about an hour late. But he was there, pulling me out of the eager taxi drivers convinced they had cornered a fare, and off we drove to the Moozoozoozoo. This savoury establishment is run by Jill, who after only half an hour and three double scotchs I'm fairly certain is an alcoholic, and Gerard, a swiss retiree from life and capitalism. If 'Fear and Loathing' was based on anything this is it. Or maybe 'Heart of Darkness'. Or 'Catch 22'. I'm still not sure. It was bizarre and brilliant. Here we stopped for the night as Chris the Pilot had to pick up a client at Likoma Island in the morning. So I was able to spend a pleasant evening with Gerard, Chris, Jill and Mike (of whom we shall learn more later), before my 6am start.

Journey to Mzuzu

I only just caught my bus, that left 45 minutes late (due to Malawi time) because the Taxi driver taking me to the station was also on Malawi time. The other reason was because two Japanese ladies showed me which bus to get, haggled for my ticket and dragged me through the scrum onto a seat they'd saved. No hurry in Africa? The coach, yes coach, was comfortable though, and the views were amazing. Yoko had the nerve to grab the window seat then fall asleep, but I didn't mind too much, as at every stop we had to get out (so the police could search the bus) so I got to see many local towns. The photo is from one such stop by an amazing market. Just imagine, they're really shouting 'getchore appows, free pahnd a pahnd'. Or something like that. Fred would have loved the Geology, I just loved the sights.

Africa at last

Well I got here in the end, and Africa is incredible. The half-hour drive from the airport to my hostel took me through an incredible landscape. The air is full of humidity and dust so that the far-off mountains shimmer close to and then far away. Compared to England the country feels vast. There are people everywhere, cycling or walking along the roadside, paused and chatting in groups or selling corn-cobs, fish or pigeons and crammed into the tiny mini-vans that careen past my taxi. Tomorrow I make the 6 hour bus journey to Mzuzu and then take a little plane up into Nyika.

Are we nearly there yet?

Travel Ethiopian! I have been fed three times so far, considering my travel itinerary mentioned only a "snack" I think I'm up on the day. What will "lunch" mean? I'm sitting in Addis Ababa killing the stultifying 4 hours till the next leg. Ethiopia (from the window of the departure lounge at least) is greener than you would think. I'm sure my enthusiasm for air travel will return, but right now, after 15 hours with about 10 still to go I'm flagging a little. At least the sun has come up and I have a window seat for half the length of Africa on the next plane.