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 the last stop to empty one's pockets of kwachas. We invested sensibly in 6 litres of bottled water and, having had a good run with the local brandy, speculated with our last 510KW ($1.50) on a flask of vodka. Time will tell. The border crossing into Tanzania at the Ch'zumulu post was hitch-free except for when our two Australian passports didn't come back to the truck with the others (breathe. must breathe. keep breathing). Were retrieved and all was well. We all woke up as we ascended out of the Great Rift Valley through lush green mountain passes and into the highlands of Tanzania. The tea plantations were completely unexpected - as was the massive temperature drop due to mists and altitude. (At yesterdays craft market there was a wooden plaque proclaiming "Muzongas in the Mist" - today it seems just so appropriate.) The chill and damp of the mists was such that all windows were snappily closed until we reached a market town where one of the group bought a massive hand of lady finger bananas. OK - here goes - the currency for the next few days is Tanzanian Shillings. Exchange rate is roughly US$1 to 1540 shillings. So bananas to feed the whole truck cost 1000 shillings - so 60 cents. Africa does fabulous things for maths skills! The novelty of bouncing around the overland truck like all the lotto balls that stay in the machine is wearing thin. Napping, writing, taking photos out the window and listening to French lessons on the phone are about it for activities. That is until we get lucky with the Wifi gods again and we can download some music perhaps. Accommodations this evening are at Kisolanza Farm, Iringa, Tanzania (www.kisolanza.com). So long as it doesn't have baboons using the tin roof as a combination drum and playground slide all night, all will be well. (There now... you wondered why I was sounding a leetle tired didn't you!)