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!