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!