WET, WET, WET If Tanzania had been hot, then Malawi was simply wet! By simply crossing the border into Malawi we had entered into a new season, where heavy down pours of rain would become an everyday occurrence. The sky was filled with incredible rain clouds, the sort a child would draw a sheet of water coming out of a single cloud. The mornings were often hot followed by a 3-4 hour burst of rain leaving everything damp and clammy. On driving through the northern town of Karonga we laughed at a clay sculpture of a dinosaur in the middle of a roundabout with a sign saying "Malawisaurus". Tanzania's roundabouts sometimes have elephants; Kenya has rhinos and Rwanda, gorillas...so it seems that Malawi is trying to pull in the safari punters with aspirations of dinosaurs! It was only later in our stay in Malawi that we learnt that one of the most significant fossil finds in recent years was found in the rift valley in Northern Malawi. Amongst the fossils finds of early dinosaurs and hominids (early versions of man), the major find was a dinosaur bone structure that has never been discovered before - named humorously by the German palaeontologist who found it, the "Malawisaurus'. That will teach us to scoff at Malawi's aspirations!! Further down the coast of Lake Malawi, between Chilumba and Chitumba, we found a wonderful haven to stay. The Sangillo Sanctuary, built and run by its British owners is a little touch of African paradise. It boasts a private beach, something of a rarity along the lakeshore and has a great bar and outdoor restaurant. Mark, an ex-overland truck company owner from Newcastle with over 15 years of experience in Africa, has built a house, rooms and camp and managed to create a lodge experience at affordable prices. Thanks to paraffin fridges there is always an ice cold beer to be found, in spite of Malawi's power cuts, and a tasty meal to be had on the beach. Mia (Scottish) is an experienced academic in AIDS and TB research who was in charge of a large research institute in Chilumba before giving birth two her two daughters. She is a fascinating mine of information and a source of verifiable facts about the AIDS epidemic in Malawi. She helped us realised much of the fact, rather than the fiction, of AIDS cases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mark's old Rolls-Royce truck is now used as a classroom for his daughters and the local village children. It was fascinating to see their three year old converse fluently with the local children and staff. We spent a lovely few days relaxing with them and finding out more about Malawi. Anyone passing through Northern Malawi....here's a great place to stay. Having been so relaxed from our stay at Sangillo Sanctuary we completely forgot to look at our fuel gauge. Without realising there aren't too many petrol stations in the north we found ourselves stranded on the side of the road without any diesel (for the first time in 19,000 miles). If this happened at home we would be stuck, probably having to call the AA to help us out and with a large bill. In Africa, however, the mentality of 'there will always be someone to help' has now served us well and sure enough Rich stood holding an empty jerry can and the first vehicle who came along stopped and siphoned some fuel from his tank. It is this relaxed attitude towards trouble and misfortune which is something we hope to maintain when we go back home. Much of what we worry about is fixable and most of the time a needless waste of energy.