WHAT'S IN A NAME? We have found an interesting aspect of Malawian culture to be people's names. We have met 'Happy Coconut' (who looked a bit miserable), 'Brown Bread' (who was albino), 'Starter Motor' (who knew nothing about cars), 'Innocent (who incidentally stole our washing line!), 'Ariston' (named after his parents' fridge), Gift (working for the Malawi Revenue Authority) and 'Trouble' (who we decided to stay clear of!). You would be forgiven to think ...

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DR. LIVINGSTONE Never ones to heed too much attention towards signs in Africa we were bemused to see the sign 'Road closed' on a steep, single lane path up an escarpment to the famous town of Livingstonia. As it was the only road up we were keen to give it a go. We drove past a barrier with a policeman waving frantically at us and bumped along the steep track thinking "Biggles can cope with anything". Even when workmen told us we couldn...

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 throug...

ERIN BROKOVITCH EAT YOUR HEART OUT! Malawi is commonly know as the 'warm heart of Africa', where the laid back people and the sleepy shores of Lake Malawi have the soporific effect of making many travellers stay well beyond their intended holiday. We were surprised then to arrive at the customs and immigration desk at the Malawi border to encounter the usual bureaucratic obstacles and the ubiquitous requests for bribes. On the surface it doesn't seem ...

SOUTHERN TANZANIA Not many people tend to visit the southern part of Tanzania, being drawn more to the expensive game parks and pristine beaches in the north. There is, however, much to commend of the area. The land is extremely lush, peppered with pine forests and rolling hills. At times you could be forgiven for mistaking it for areas in Suffolk or North Wales. One oasis along the long and monotonous road to the border is Kisolanza Farm, run by an erudite...