Day 16, 20 July 2012, On Safari in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania - "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right... Here I am, stuck in the middle with you" - We found this bemused bloke on the side of the main road that links Iringa with Dar es Salaam. Via a national park if you can believe it! We travelled 280 km over 5 hours to get from Kisolanza to tonights luxurious accommodations at www.tan-swiss.com and after snaffling a quick lunch jumped into a game...

Day 15,19 July 2012, Quickie update - Kisolanza Farm, 50 km odd from Iringa is seriously the business. Solar powered generators for night time electricity, wood fires to heat the water and everyone had their first hot showers in about 3 days. Glorious! Long drop dunnies with a sufficiently long drop such that they were the cleanest loos in about 3 days also. After a long drive yesterday we were instructed to arrive at the bar at 7 pm for dinner. Now the itin...

Day 15,19 July 2012, Chitimba Beach, Malawi to Iringa, Tanzania - With thanks to the Beatles... "It's a long and winding road...." Amen. We are en route to Iringa - 10 to 11 hours of driving time promised covering 642 km. We left Chitimba at 6.30 am and it's now 3 pm (having lost an hour crossing the border with Tanzania). Proving to be a somewhat long day. There is a mini-mart about 20 kms before the border post that thinks itself blessed however - it being ...

Day 14,18 July 2012, Kande Beach to Chitimba Beach via the market of Msuzu (pictured) - A mere 250 kms and 4 odd hours on the road today. En route we stocked up on Malawi Kwachas to pay for our postcard and stamp vice. Also our local brandy vice. Seems to be evaporating! In Msuzu our camp chef Godfrey needed to top up supplies - we were only allowed to follow him to the local market at a discreet distance as a bunch of Muzongas would triple the food prices. ...

Day 14,18 July 2012, Kande Beach to Chitimba Beach, Malawi - 250 kms and a mere 4-5 hours on the roads. Heaven. We are sad to be leaving beautiful Kande Beach as we did not manage to dive! It is, apparently, the windy season and all day yesterday it was blowing wild on-shore gales (and this morning too). There was no chance to get the boat into the surf (on a lake remember) without it flipping and potentially losing divers to the strong currents. C'est la vie...