Day 15: Fri 14th Feb: Steps Camp Site, Senga Bay to Sunga Moyo (near Chinteche) along the Lake.

Today is Valentine's Day and (as usual) Lyn is many steps ahead of me and presents me with a card this morning. Karlien even has some chocolate and a little flower for the ladies too! Yes, I am pathetic and know my debt is mounting to my wonderful wife - some expensive hotel and spa time coming which I will gladly cough for.

On the drive this morning we pass through Khotakota and see again many churches but not so many schools and it is evident that the kids in the smaller villages do not in the main attend school - in fact we see quite a few working and running errands. The Aids epidemic here is evident in the number of orphanage signs we see - but the true epidemic is still every young woman has a child on her back, the Africa adage that you need as many children as possible to support you in your dotage ringing very clearly here in Malawi.

Sunga Moyo is a beautiful camp site again right on the lake shore - the lake temperature at the edge is 32 degrees! We go for a long walk after pitching camp and get to a great place for a future stay called Chinteche Lodge - nice bar and restaurant, swimming pools, beach umbrellas and loungers.

It rains late afternoon we have to cook in the nearly finished camp kitchen. The electric is out and even Escom (can you believe it, Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi) pitches up to change a fuse - with no effect. So we eat and then retreat to the bar to sit and watch the lake under the clouds, the full moon peering out occasionally. The roof top tent proves waterproof though as it survived a torrential downpour whilst being up in the afternoon.

We slept really well for some reason - maybe limiting the booze intake a bit is helping!

It was deadly quiet - just the peaceful sound of the 'ocean'! Lyn

Day 16: Sat 15th Feb: Sunga Moyo to Chtimiba Camp (Chitimba on the Lake).

Today we drive to Nkhata Bay and meet a young couple from PE running the dive centre overlooking the bay - it's absolutely stunning. They've only been here 4 weeks and applied via the internet, site unseen - wow! From Nkhata we drive away from the lake and up the escarpment into the mountains. The scenery is spectacular, magnificent even, even though there's a bit of rain and cloud around. But what the local farmers do with cultivation on those steep slopes is something to behold. We stop in Mzuzu City for coffee (they farm beans here) and have a delicious cappuccino - nearly as good as my own (becoming a bit of a ceremony every second day or so). I fill up with fuel here and have to get more dosh from the Standard Bank ATM which becomes a farce as the four European female tourists ahead of me each use FOUR cards in the machine (the machine limits the cash dispensed)! Patience is of course my speciality. Mzuzu is a big organized place and we see a few more European faces.

We go further up the mountain and the scenery is fantastic with the rivers fully gorged and hurtling mud-laden down into the lake far below. The road-blocks are only 2 or 3 per day and generally we get through with a wave and smile, although I often get asked to leave my bike behind for the officer in charge. The lake is still murky due to the river mud inflow as we slowly wind down the escarpment back to the lake shore. We hire a chalet here at Chitimba as we are staying for 2 nights and hopefully (weather permitting) driving up to Livingstonia Mission Station tomorrow - hold thumbs.

You gotta see the "chalet" - I will include a photo. Straw roof (with black plastic lining) a rickety double bed with a thin, sponge mattress and an "en-suite" (very basic shower, basin and toilet) with open window to a little garden - all at $27 per room per night and its right on the beach. I'll cope - gives me a break from the tent for two nights so now just hope the roof doesn't leak as it is raining again. Lyn