Area 39 Project Visit
A final opportunity for another project visit this morning. A community project run by members of the local Catholic Church. This group was incredibly well organised, from the detailed book keeping through to the scheduling of our visit. They provided a comprehensive service including a clinic, a user group, a volunteer group and a school. They had their own herb garden, a maize store and we had a chance to taste some of the fortified porridge that they serve to clients.

Again we learnt more about some of the extreme issues being faced. There are few machines and trained staff to perform CD4 counts. (These are the counts used to determine whether a person is to be provided with Anti Retroviral drugs.) Once a person is determined to be HIV positive they have to travel to the nearest equipped hospital - which can be a regional hospital and therefore many miles away - to get their CD4 count tested. We heard stories of people having to wait for a week outside these hospitals in order to get a test because of problems of supply and demand. Obviously this makes it much more difficult for people to get access to the services that they need, especially when they have families to support and may already be ill.

Optional Extension
Our 2 week challenge was officially over and it was time to say some goodbyes. Some of the group returned to the UK today, although most of us were able to take advantage of a couple of days optional extension to return to the Livingstonia Beach Hotel at Senga Bay. Here we were able to relax, recover and take the time to share our thoughts and feelings about the last fortnight together.

Cycle to Lilongwe
The final day of our challenge, we experienced some confusion over distances, as lunch came quickly after our morning rest stop, and then the afternoon brought us suddenly to the Petroda petrol station just outside Lilongwe where we were due to meet our welcoming party. However as we arrived earlier than expected, the party was not there! Uncertainty reigned until a decision was made to complete the day by cycling into central Lilongwe. After getting police approval we slowly rode these last 5km. We had to stop a few times to let the congested backlog of traffic behind us get past, but eventually we made it to the Lilongwe Hotel, our final destination... where we could lay our bikes down, hug each other and realise that our two week challenge had finally come to its end.

In the evening we had a debriefing meeting with ActionAid staff... Noerine (chair of the board of trustees), Chris (Malawi country director) and McBride (national HIV/AIDS coordinator). It was encouraging to see that they were aware of the issues that we had discovered during our project visits. Noerine stressed the female face of the problem (mothers left to raise children whilst also becoming responsible to support families financially), and the need for a rights based approach which is being used as a focus point by ActionAid to push for change.

Boat from Mumbo Island to Senga Bay
We travelled the 40km by boat from the island to the main shore, arriving at the Livingstonia Beach Hotel where we stayed the night. There is no pier to dock the motorboats and so we had to climb overboard to rowing boats that took us to the beach.

Another opportunity to enjoy the shore of Lake Malawi, and a final opportunity to recharge for the last days cycling to Lilongwe.


Holistic approach needed
In the afternoon we visited another ActionAid supported project - the Umodzi Youth Organisation. The sun was burning and it was baking hot as we stood without any shade, and we were glad to break into small groups to move on and visit different aspects of the project. I joined a group to see a new technical college being constructed. This will teach practical building skills when it is opened. We also met with a group of women living with AIDS, one of whom was a mother with a young baby only one week old. These women are fortunate to be receiving Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs to help combat the virus. However we were disturbed to learn that issues of poverty (affecting access to regular, decent nutrition, and access to transport) meant that they might only manage to take their drugs about 12 days in a month, rather than daily. The World Health Organisation's recommended minimum adherence level is 95%. Although these women have access to the drugs, they are unlikely to be gaining benefit from them at these levels of intake, and there is also a possibility that the virus may develop resistance to these drug combinations. This underlined for me that although progress has been made in provision of drugs in Africa, that so much more needs to be done to ensure that a holistic approach to all the needs of people suffering with HIV/AIDS is essential to be able to surmount the disease. And that continuing poverty remains the underlying cause of so many problems across the continent.

Free day at Mumbo Island
Woke up in the tent this morning, overlooking the lake. Georgie was still half asleep resting in the hammock on our balcony. The water lapping up against the rocks below and the waves breaking onto the beach beside us. A very relaxing start to the day.

The original plan for yesterday was to kayak to Domwe Island, and then on to Mumbo Island today. But plans had changed, and as we had kayaked straight to Mumbo, we now had a free, rest day.

I went snorkelling in the morning. There were a few, colourful, small fish but nothing very special to see by the rocks around the island. But that wasnt the point. This was my first time snorkelling and I even had an opportunity to dive down underwater, through a gap under a rock and up the other side. That took a little leap of faith and a long hold of breath! I still dont understand how come the water doesnt end up flooding ones lungs through the open mouthpiece, but hey it works and I ticked off yet another first on this trip!

After lunch, sunbathing, swinging in the hammock and spending some more time getting to know my compatriots a little better...

It was over these couple of days that I chatted a lot more with Christian. And seeded in my brain the idea to do the Sports Therapy course that he runs. I'm really keen to develop more awareness and understanding of my own body and how to cope with injuries and strains at the gym. I think that developing a better understanding of and practical skill in massage is something that can always be useful. And I'm interested in better understanding tension headaches (which I've had since early teen years), their causes and how posture and massage can help treat these.

After dinner the staff working on the island performed some traditional song and dance for us. And in return we did a short revue of showtunes... not quite a star performance as we struggled with remembering lines (and singing in the right key!) but we all had a good laugh!

Today provided a wonderful opportunity for rest and reflection and this is definitely a paradise that deserves a return visit.

Club Mak
A morning swim in Lake Malawi. A beautiful, luxurious lakeside resort. The frustrations of yesterday well and truly passed...

Apparently this place even has its own airstrip! ... Errr - hello? We're doing a charity fundraising challenge right? Remember that old chestnut?! This is obviously an expensive and exclusive hotel, well out of the reach of the majority of Malawians. In fact it seemed to be only white people who were guests while we were there.

Truth be told, I was fully enjoying my stay and quite happy to luxuriate in my surroundings to which I justified to myself as helping balance out the frustrations and physical exertions of other aspects of the trip. However an uneasy feeling crept into the group. Something I did not know previously was that Malawi was the only African country that maintained relationships with the white Afrikaans government during apartheid. Malawi - under Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda - benefited greatly from South African Afrikaans investment. Club Mak was a whites only resort, run for white Afrikaans holidaying from South Africa ... Of course this place has its own airstrip!!!

Some members of our group felt strongly that it was inappropriate for us to stay there. Others noted that this was part of the history of the place, and that things have changed and moved on since then. A couple of weeks later, I discussed this issue with some Malawians who work for ActionAid. They did not see anything wrong with us staying at Club Mak, told me that (affluent) black Malawians do frequent Club Mak during the holiday season, and indeed pointed out that as an organisation ActionAid itself sometimes uses the place for group meetings.

Even now I find myself with mixed feelings about the place, but on balance I suppose I probably would choose to stay there again.


Cycle to Cape Maclear
We cycled for a couple of hours this morning to Cape Maclear. Although a short distance, this road had a few extremely steep hills forcing the majority of us to get off and push our bikes up! But as we came over the hills and progressed up the Cape, the views of Lake Malawi got better and better. Eventually we arrived at Kayak Africa's base on the shoreline. What a superb location. Sandy beach. Amazing clear, warm water. A wooden hut and small pier. I joined with many of the group to dive and swim in the water, while we rested and stocked up with another fantastic picnic lunch. It was very tempting to think about upping sticks in England and settling here instead!

Kayak to Mumbo Island
The heat of the sun made the sandy beach unbearable to walk on, so I was glad when after lunch, it was time to swap our bikes for our kayaks. Having never kayaked before I was happy to let Alex take the rear seat and responsibility for steering our two person kayak... though that left me with the onus of setting pace! We had 10km to kayak out to Mumbo Island where Kayak Africa run the accomodation and kayaking concession on the island. Fortunately the water was fairly calm, so we only had a couple of incidences of feeling the kayak was about to tip over! The sun was relentless, there were new muscle groups to engage (I missed the kayaking session on our Nottingham training weekend!), and the island in the distance never seemed to get any closer... It was hard work! Made much easier because this was - like the hiking before - another opportunity to spend some time chatting and getting to know better another member of the group... Thanks Alex for not complaining about my "un-rhythmic pace"! ;-)

Perspective can play tricky games. For what seemed like hours, Mumbo Island stood stubbornly on the horizon and refused to move towards us, as we struggled to make out where the other kayakers were on the water and what approach to land we were supposed to be making for... Then suddenly it was upon us, and we turned into a quiet bay to land on another sandy beach. Greeted with a helping handshake out of the boat and "Welcome to The Island". It seemed as if we were the cast members of the latest Ewan Macgregor movie, won the lottery and escaped to the mythical paradise getaway.

Mumbo Island was setup as part of a kayaking concession, and while still used for that, it has been kitted out as the perfect honeymoon destination. Another wooden walkway leads off the quiet, secluded sandy beach, over the water to a lush rock outcrop where large, luxury tents and hammocks provided our accomodation. (Though some chose to sleep on the beach that night.) Oil lamps were laid out to guide us around the beach and island at night, enhancing the wonderful, atmospheric location. I've never been to Richard Branson's Nekker Island, but this made me think of that. Luxury which felt in tune with our completely natural and peaceful surroundings.

This was a perfect place to unwind... Another wonderful meal, a late night of keeping the bar open, and the moonlight breaking across the bay... And suddenly 20 people made a dash into the water for a midnight skinny dip! Another adventurous first for me, and certainly the perfect place to let my hair down and let go of any inhibitions. Lines of bodies jumping the breaking waves and screaming "Weeee! Weeee!", which almost became an anthem to make us giggle about afterwards.

Cycle to Club Makokola
This morning began with recovering from the day before. Bikes had to be hosed down from thick, encrusted mud. Another round of repairs to pedals, cranks and gears. Meanwhile Chrissy had her leg in the air and a bag of ice wrapped around her ankle.

Eventually we were off... by bus... Today was the longest day of cycling, and we needed a headstart to enable us to reach our destination before dusk. We eventually got on our bikes near Liwonde. This was the hardest day for me. For some reason I just wasnt in "the zone" emotionally, psychologically or physically. I guess in part that I knew this was going to be a tough day and just couldnt work myself up to try to conquer it. Additionally, the plan was that the last support vehicle would start picking up the last riders from 5pm, with an absolute stop for the lead riders at 5:30pm. This made good sense because dusk starts settling in after 5pm, so the bugs and particularly any mosquitoes come out, and its just not sensible or safe to be riding without lights as it gets darker. However this meant that there was a strong likelihood of getting picked up before reaching our destination. I think that that sense of knowing that I probably wasnt going to complete - under my own pedal power, on my own bike - any of our long cycling days was frustrating and undermined my ability to keep pushing. So this day really was long and hard...

Eventually, around 4pm, my determination finally kicked in and I managed to grit my teeth and pick up some pace ... wanting to get to our final destination or at least catch up with wherever the lead riders stopped, before the support vehicle caught up with me! 5pm came and went and I was still on the road... As I was becoming aware of the slowly settling dusk, I knew that it couldnt be much further now, and that helped me keep propelling myself forward... To be still on the road at 5:30pm felt like a milestone as I kept on pedalling, at that time with Les and Davo beside me. The lead riders couldnt be far ahead, and there was no obvious sign of the support vehicle behind. Maybe we might just make it... Though the insects were definitely starting to come out in force as I remember swallowing a few!

I'm sure we passed signs for Mangochi, but how much further could it be? As 6pm passed, the light was fading fast, and the road ahead just seemed to stretch on and on. At every bend I was hoping that the lead riders would be there waiting, but instead all I could look forward to was another mouthful of insects. What happened to a 5:30pm deadline? Suddenly it all felt that the plan just wasnt "coming together", and being the kind of person who likes things to fit together just like it says on the box, I suddenly found frustration settling back in. How much further is it to go? Why am I cycling in the dark? Cant these insects just bug off? Godammit if I didnt just want to get to the f**king end already!

A few minutes later and the support bus pulled up and reeled me in. Unfortunately I just wasnt in the mood to celebrate the fact that I had actually just achieved cycling a distance of 110km. Instead I dropped into my seat on the bus and stared through the windows and into the darkness of my soul...

Well done to us all for all the kilometres we rode that day. And apologies to everyone else for being a moody so-and-so.

The bus took us the rest of the distance and to our final stop that night at Club Makokola. Wow - what a wonderful place. Large, hut like suites with our own individual bedrooms. A large pool. White sandy beach. Beachside bar and open air restaurant. Apparently this place even has its own airstrip! The frustrations of the day faded away as I found myself enjoying the sheer luxury...

Cycle from Likabula to Zomba
We began the day driving from Likabula... remember that dirt track that we had to coax our minibuses up a few days before? Going down proved much easier to negotiate but this isnt the end of our dirt track adventures...!! In the meantime we were mesmerised by tea plantations and pickers who were out harvesting the leaves.

Our cycling today was off-road, which meant a dirt track. This is where all that training came into it's own. Or at least it would have done if I had done enough! In fact the only off road cycling I had done before coming out to Malawi was one afternoon in south London with my friend Rohan. And what that taught me was that off road cycling is quite different from on road cycling... requiring a completely different measure of balance, control and nerves... Not things I had perhaps developed enough to zip effortlessly along and down extremely uneven dirt tracks. I became so tense and gripped the handlebars so tight, that by the end of the day the muscles in my right forearm had gone into spasm, leaving the fingers in my hand curled over and fairly unresponsive. Fortunately we had our very own Sports Therapist on the team. Christian came along as "just another" fundraiser, but brought his magic hands and generous spirit along with him. I dont think a day went past when Christian wasnt helping each of us out with our aches, pains, strains and pulled muscles... and without which this would have been an even more challenging two weeks.

Mudder Nature
We chose to do this trip in March because it's the end of the rainy season, and before the heat of the Summer kicks in. We were fortunate with the weather most days... only a little light rain generally, blue skies and sun the norm, and warm but not too hot to complete our challenge. But the land doesnt forget the rains quite so easily, and it seemed that yesterdays heavy downpour left its mark... At the village of Chikodya the dirt track proved impassable. Our lead cyclists found themselves stuck in mud, and our support trucks really did slip and slide off the road.

With our bikes abandoned in a pile (... and I'm not quite sure how one pair of wheels became completely detached from their frame!), it seemed like the whole village came out to be entertained by a group of 34 Brits practically taking a mudbath. Carl quickly took charge in rounding up the children and leading them in the hokey kokey and "ears, nose and toes". Meanwhile the locals came to our rescue and helped dig, pull and push our minibuses out of the mud.

Sing a long a showtune
Apparently it's only a £50 fine if a driver knocks down a cyclist in Malawi. And as the roads tend to be just wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other, cyclists tend to get short shrift. As a cyclist it's up to you to hear the horn honking behind you and get well out of the way (i.e. off the road) before the vehicle behind you thunders past, or if you're unlucky on top of, you! So on being forced to retreat from our dirt track, and as the alternative road to Zomba is narrow and one of the busiest in the country, we were forced to abandon the remainder of our cycling today.

This was planned to be our first long day of cycling. To be forced to abandon it was disheartening. We felt we needed to "do the distance" and fulfill the challenge that we had been sponsored to complete. However we had to accept that nature rules and when in Africa...

As we drew towards Zomba and the steep climb up to the plateau to Ku Chawe Inn where we were due to stay the night, Michelle and Jez led the way in reviving our spirits. Renditions of showtunes, belting out all the old favourites and hilarious group choruses lifted us up the mountainside. Even a wrong turning and a precarious 3 point turn (another 3 cheers to our driver Peter) on a road overlooking a terrifying drop down into the darkness of night did nothing to dampen our spirits, and as we pulled into the car park the rest of our group in the minibus ahead could only look only bemused, aghast and dare I say it just a little envious in their choice of which minibus to travel in.

Trek from Chambe Hut to Likabula Lodge
By now fully acclimatized to outdoor living I had no hesitation in stripping off and lying in the cold, flowing river to bathe this morning. Little did I know that Mount Mulanje has the only known population of the lesser known, freshwater blue spotted nkychele (these are leeches with similar electric field capability to eels). Not only that but apparently the end of the rainy season, in the early morning hours around sunrise, is the time at which these little blighters like to migrate down the mountainside... So there I was lying in the water when at least 3 of these creatures slipped past. Not only was I stunned, but as I looked about me yet another came past and actually leeched itself onto my face, just above my right eye. It took a few moments of writhing about in the water to free that particular river beast, and it certainly left its mark!

Errr... ok, so thats not quite totally true... I didnt actually wrestle with any monsters! I guess the cold water was just too invigorating because somehow I managed to punch myself in the eye while I was washing! This left me somewhat dazed and confused while standing in the river. At least I didnt lose my balance and end up halfway down the mountain!

We were treated this morning to that fresh baked bread at breakfast this morning. Yummy!!

Quite a steep descent down the mountain today. We had to be careful as we made our way along dry stream beds which were still muddy and surprisingly slippery. We had to cross a river twice. On one crossing we required a rope strung across the water, along with the support and guiding hands of our guide and porters.

Once we got to Likabula lodge where we were to spend the night, we had a free afternoon to rest, relax and begin to switch out of trekking mode. Some of the group swam in a river pool... as did one of our drivers Peter. Unfortunately he misjudged the depth, and as he couldnt swim, had to be rescued by some of our group.

We had great walking weather whilst we were in the mountain. But we were lucky to be off it by early afternoon. The clouds descended, the heavens opened, and the rain came down in bucketloads. Of course being Africa it was warm, steamy rain. But our swimmers had to make for land sharpish as the river level rose dramatically and quickly. Those dry stream beds we slipped and slid down, and that rope over the river crossing we hung onto earlier would have been impassable in that rain!

Trek from Thuchira Hut to Chambe Hut
A bright and hour earlier than we all agreed to last night start to the morning (thankyou Carl!!)

Was it a reaction to my reticence to yesterdays lunchtime dip, or simply a need to embrace the moment and get the shock out of the way? This morning was my first taste of having to wash in a cold, mountain stream pool. In for a penny, in for a pound eh? I guess there's no point having any shame when needs must and you're spending two weeks in close quarters with a group in the middle of Africa. So strip on down and jump right in! ... Thanks to Denise for soaping me up, and to Giles for catching our wiggly waggly dance on camera! ... errr... whats the equivalent of claiming ownership of original negatives in the digital era???!!!

David Livingstone had expeditions through Malawi, and many Scottish explorers and missionaries helped to map and settle areas of the country. No real surprise in their affinity for the countryside here. Walking through the mountain range today is highly reminiscent of Scottish highlands. (Well so I'm told - I havent actually walked the Scottish highlands myself, but if it's like this then it's on my list of things to do!)

Walking is a great way to get to know people. Not too intense as if you're sitting in a group around a pub table - especially for someone like me who finds it hard to connect socially sometimes. But a shared focus, and pace, and common appreciation of the physical challenge and environment, can create a relaxed atmosphere that allows conversation to weave in and out, ebb and flow along it's way. I really connected, and got to know better, a couple of people today. It's a pleasure to be sharing this experience with this group of people.

Still above the clouds, our group spread out today. At one point I found myself out of sight and sound of the people ahead, and behind. The path was unclear. I was unsure. I became anxious. Just where the hell am I supposed to be going? It would be so easy to take a wrong turn and be lost for hours... alone on the top of a mountain as night approaches is not a place I want to be...

OK, so I'm being a bit melodramatic, but I'm sure I took a few wrong turns as the path I followed petered out and I found myself walking along stream beds and clambering over rocky outcrops, with only a vague notion of going forward...!

We spent the night at Thuchira Hut. Dusk brought sunset and we were treated to one of the most vibrant, colourful sunsets that I have ever seen.

There's a new hut built just below the river, and the older hut just above. Tonight the group spread out its sleeping arrangements. Apparently there was just too much noise last night for some people!!

Trek from Likabula Lodge to Thuchira Hut
Mulanje mountain is breathtakingly beautiful. We stopped for lunch by a stream and a small pool where people took a dip in the fresh waters. I chose not to go in, and then realised afterwards that I had excluded myself from the "group experience" once again... Mental note - must learn to "play with others" and be more spontaneous!!

The stream dropped away from the poolside where we lunched and gave way to a view of the plains below. Hey - we're in Africa!!

I thoroughly enjoyed trekking up the mountain today. Towards the end of the afternoon we really had to scramble up some very steep ground. This wasnt quite the "trekking" that some of us were expecting, but I relished the physical activity and sweated and pushed and pulled my way up.

At the top we arrived at Mulanje plateau and Thuchira Hut. I'm already out of adjectives and the challenge has only just begun! Above the clouds, a view over a wide expanse of plains below, the rolling peaks of Mulanje ahead, the clear starry southern night sky above... At night the bright moon threw strong shadows on the ground. This earthy, natural outdoors experience is extreme for me and a world away from zone 1 London. I like it!

Before dinner we grouped together to review and discuss our experiences and feelings from the project visit we did yesterday. Almost everyone chipped in and we had a very interesting and educational exchange. People feel passionately and have been deeply affected by what they saw. Its clear that spending two weeks together combining a very physical challenge, touring a very beautiful country, and making direct contact with the lives and issues of real people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa, is going to be a potent combination. Its also clear that this is a fantastic group of people to be sharing this experience with.


Dinner
Now I dont want to go on about food as though I'm anymore obsessive about it than anyone else, but... dinner tonight deserves a special mention. We had filet steak cooked on a fire on a plateau on a mountain. Bread was prepared and freshly baked in front of our eyes on the very same fire. We could not have eaten any better on any outdoor expedition anywhere. (OK - so someone reading this is going to tell me otherwise!, but...) It was divine. Thankyou Marzi and Kayak Africa!


Shut up!
I've never been enticed by the idea of camping. It's something that we did as a family, as kids, in cold, wet England, and it was miserable. But camping as an adult, on a mountain plateau in the warm heart of Africa is spell binding. In the distance across the plain the sky was lit up with sheet lightening... an awesome sight and one I had never witnessed before.

I shared a tent with Stefan, and Hannah and Lucy were "next door". Now I'm normally the quiet, retiring type, so maybe it was just the first night of real outdoors adventure... or else I'm quite happy to blame everyone else at this point!! (hugs to you all :-)... but a certain school kids camping trip atmosphere descended from the heavens and there was gossiping and giggling galore... I laughed and I cried... and eventually Caedmon - our tour leader - had to reprimand us with a sharp reminder of his earlier warning that for those not used to camping, one ought to be aware of others trying to sleep and refrain from making excessive noise... "Yes, Sir!"

Errr.... and not that I ate too much of that fantastic dinner or anything, but apologies once again to Stefan for an apparently malodourous tent!

Project Visit
We started today by visiting an ActionAid supported project near Thyolo. We were greeted warmly and enthusiastically with song and dance, and split into three groups to visit different parts of this community project. I joined with others to visit a group therapy project who met in the local church hall. Members of the group were very articulate in explaining their lives and the issues that they faced, some of which... better waterproofing for huts - leaking rain can spoil their anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, an ambulance to take the sick to hospital, blankets and a stable food supply. Additionally there is still prejudice against people living with HIV/AIDS and although discrimination at work on this basis is outlawed, the local plantations find ways to avoid employing people when they find out that they are HIV positive.

Southern Africa has suffered a particularly hard drought this past year and there has been a severe shortage in the staple crop of maize in Malawi. This was initially a little difficult to reconcile with the lush, abundant countryside that we saw all around us... though of course we were now visiting at the end of the rainy season with the new, next years harvest almost ready. But we met many people on our travels around Malawi who are currently still surviving on only one meal a day. One concern is that people may harvest some crops too soon - because of current food shortages - and therefore this in itself may in part exacerbate food shortages through the coming year as well.


And so the challenge begins - Cycle Blantyre to Mulanje
In the afternoon we began our challenge by cycling from Blantyre to Mulanje. Unfortunately our departure from Blantyre - as we were all huddled together as a group - was marred by the collision of Gareth and Stefan and some nasty cuts and bruises. But we soon got going again and had a gentle introduction to the next 2 weeks as we rolled down towards Mulanje and were greeted by the growing and magnificent presence of the Mulanje mountains. (Second highest mountain range in southern Africa.)

Our first lunch stop came quickly and helped dismiss the early worries of our accident prone start. A company called Kayak Africa were our tour operators on the ground. And do they know how to feed a bunch of hungry cyclists? Yes they certainly do! Every meal we had was a wonder. Fantastic, wholesome lunchtime picnics, to say nothing of the culinary dinner delights which awaited us on top of the mountain!

I was fairly lucky with my bike - some slipping gear problems aside. However frustration set in quickly as a number of the bikes had serious problems, particularly with pedals and cranks - and several of these came off! But everyone valiantly pushed through... Davo part walked, was part pulled along, and even part cycled with just one pedal!

Our first night in the mountains
We stayed at Likabula lodge. But first we had to get there. March is at the end of the rainy season. And the dirt tracks from Mulanje to the lodge at the mountain base proved a challenge in themselves. Apparently we took an "alternative" route because the main one was going to be too difficult. As it was we were all clamoring to jump out of our minibuses as they tipped treacherously and slipped and slid off the track in the dark. With the help of some locals these minibuses had to be pushed and coaxed along.

This wasnt going to be the first time that muddy dirt tracks would get the better of our minibuses!

We arrived in Blantyre today and transferred to the hotel Victoria. This was the first indication of the kind of accomodation that we would be getting used to over the next 2 weeks. A very comfortable hotel... basically this was a Malawian business hotel, and perhaps not totally in keeping with the expectations of a charity fundraising group travelling through Africa. Let's be honest... we werent going to be having a "backpackers" experience of Malawi. Of course relative to English prices these kind of places werent exactly going to be blowing any budgets, but it was a little unexpected. The justification we had for this was that due to widespread poverty, people are either poor or wealthy and so there isnt an infrastructure to fit the gap between very basic budget and the top of the range. Therefore as a group of 34, the only places that can accomodate us logistically and securely are the top end hotels. In some places that felt like a dilemma, as it would be nice to feel that every part of our presence was directly helping to support the livelihoods of everyday Malawians rather than possibly being diminshed by large, corporate chains.

The Old Family Home
The intial plan for today was to visit an ActionAid project. But because of initial uncertainties about flight delays back at Heathrow, this had been rescheduled for tomorrow. So we had some free time in the afternoon, which I used to hunt out and visit the house that I lived in with my family way back in 1969 through 1971. My dad had a posting to Malawi to help set up the adult education department at Chancellor's College in Limbe, and so the whole family upped sticks and moved out there when I was six months old. I had a map hand-drawn by my dad which showed roughly where the house was, and some old family photos from that time which showed the front fence and some distinctive metalwork in the windows. Many, many thanks to Davo and Jonnie who came with me. Without their help I dont think I would have found the place, as we walked up and down the road, peering through undergrowth and eventually found the house.

Fortunately the current owner was in and once she recognised the house from the old photos that I had, very kindly let us in to look around. See the photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluckmeister/sets/72057594111181456/

I dont remember those years living in Limbe, but I did have a moment travelling back in the taxi from this visit to the hotel, thinking "I lived in Africa!"

The last few days have been filled with last minute faffing about. Why didnt I go out and buy the kit list months ago?! I have spent so much money, and now am having to put aside even some of the things that I bought just yesterday in order to avoid carrying too much on the trip! ... I always struggle with the idea that maybe I am just a last minute kind of person, even though I like to think of myself as being super organised and well planned. The problem with accepting that new self is that I might have to ditch my "to do" lists which are the comforter of modern life and abstraction to "the real world"! ...

And so starts Mission Malawi 2 ... 34 people gathering at Heathrow airport about to undertake a 2 week experience of a lifetime. People I've got to know partially over the last year as we've planned and fund raised our way to today. Some trepidation as I dont normally feel comfortable with the whole "group" thing... but the beauty of this trip is that the physical focus of cycling, hiking and kayaking and the shared sense of purpose on supporting HIV/AIDS work in Malawi and Zimbabwe, provides the cover to hide myself away in, as well as simultaneously providing the structure to connect and share the common experience that we are about to undertake.

To be frank I was a bit unsure (ok latent western snobbishness kicking in) of what flying Kenya Airways to Nairobi was going to be like. Just another modern 777 with a full entertainment system, and the ability to dip in and start watching a movie every 15 mins. For me flying is all about the distraction!

After several hours wandering, sitting and passing the time in the transfer lounge of Nairobi airport (where I acquired another last minute purchase - this time of very retro Jackie Onassis, backup sunglasses... that I also never wore once during the trip!) we were off again. Flying on to Blantyre, Malawi.

My life normally revolves around central London - and mostly within zone 1! And yet whenever I leave, whether travelling in the UK or further abroad, I keep being reminded that I ought to do this and get out of the built up city more. But this time I was somewhere just a little bit different... Watching the in-air map I could see that we were flying near to Kilimanjaro, and other exotic destinations such as Zanzibar and Dar Es Salam seemed to be just a mouse click away. By God... these mystical, far flung destinations really are within grasp. Maybe I can be a traveller...

OK, so the journal starts here... I havent linked to every individual photo from this journal, so you'll need to check out my flickr.com site (click on the link on the side). I've got several photosets of different parts of the "Africa" experience that I had. But if you just want to see pictures about the 2 week Challenge then there are two versions of the Mission Malawi 2 photoset... a complete (every last picture I took!) version and a slightly condensed version (just the pictures for which I added some descriptive text - though you dont get to see that if you just run the slideshow feature - you'd need to click through each manually). Whichever route you take through this, enjoy and please feel free to comment or send me your thoughts!