Sunday, 19th March 2017
“This is by far the most unsafe and out of my comfort zone I have felt on my entire journey around Africa. I am writing this sitting in a small minibus with another 30 people when there’s actually just seats for 24 people… I got on a different small bus at the Malawian border which was supposed to go all the way to my destination, Mzuzu. But after an hour’s drive we stopped, someone just grabbed my bag and put it on this bus!?! I was very displeased (to put it mildly), had quite the argument with the driver of the first bus since I had paid for the whole journey and then quite the discussion with the new driver because I didn’t want to pay again…I was assured that everything would be OK…
But I can honestly say that I am not even sure if this bus is going to Mzuzu, asked a few of the local ladies on the bus and seems they believe that we are heading there, so fingers crossed!
And am now sitting (very uncomfortably) with my bag so that nobody will be able to take it again… and a little boy sleeping, resting his head on my arm – and asking myself: why didn’t I just fly? Because I wanted the bus experience and prove to myself that I could do this on my own, but it seems that even though I think I have adapted quite well to African culture, I do not have enough patience and experience for this! But it’ll make a good story one day, I guess…”
Monday, 20th March 2017
My Malawi experience had started out just fine though. The immigration process and getting a visa was easy although rather expensive ($75) and I got on a mini bus where I sat in the front with the driver – very comfortable indeed. We picked up more people on the way…including a pregnant woman with contractions! And somebody was also buying dinner on the way… (pic below) – It was all part of African life
And of course so was my change of bus event, but I just didn’t like it! I couldn’t leave the bus or my bags at any point… couldn’t eat or pee. My bladder has never been that challenged!
After too many hours on buses, I finally arrived in Mzuzu at 8pm ish. A 350km journey had taken around 7 hours… and that was on top of a four hour ride on the Tanzania side – ouch, my body was sore!
Got a taxi to a cool hostel just outside Mzuzu where I was randomly sleeping in a round bed!! I had better than average chicken and chips and a cold Carlsberg for dinner (it’s the most popular and actually the only beer I have seen being sold here – they call it ‘a green’) and that’s when I decided that I was totally ‘bussed out’ so booked a taxi for the final 47km to get to Nkhata Bay the following day.
If the first day made me doubt the integrity of all Malawians, my second day in this country confirmed that of course people here are also kind and friendly.
It was a day of forgetfulness for me… first I forgot my Visa card in the ATM 🙄 a kindhearted woman came to find me and the taxi driver at the petrol station to tell me… and the bank manager was so lovely! Then when I got to my hostel in Nkhata Bay I realised that I’d left my iPad charging at the hotel in Mzuzu – so stupid!!! Tried to phone the hostel but no answer… so had to put my faith in the taxi driver, Saini, who had just taken me to the lake. He drove back to check, phoned me from there to confirm that it was still there and drove all the way out here again to hand the iPad to me. I was more than happy to pay him another fare including a big tip! 😊
Finally I could rest and settle in at the Butterfly Space hostel here by Lake Malawi. I took in the lovely view, read a bit and enjoyed ‘a green’.
BETINA IN AFRICA 