Makuzi Beach on Lake Malawi

After Cape Maclear we headed north to Nkhata Bay, another small village on Lake Malawi.  Again, as you can see, it was a stunning setting.  Beautiful sunsets right in front of you with hardly anyone else around.  Talk about a romantic place!  Rob took a kayak out and snapped some amazing photos of the fish eagle.  We hung out with another couple from England who were doing a little trip around the east to check out some of the hotels as research for their future business.  And the hotel owners were so kind that on our last night, they decided to make it extra romantic for us and put our dinner table out on the beach and lit by candlelight.  The night was perfect, with the exception of one small problem...  There are these swarms of insects that you can see out on the lake during the day that are ENORMOUS.  Literally from miles away they look like huge plumes of smoke coming up out of the water.  As they come on land, the locals take baskets and capture them and then grind them onto a paste and eat it for its protein value.  Yummy... Well that night just a hatch came onland and you couldn't believe how many there were!  They were everywhere - in your nose, your ears - but we stuck it out on the beach while everyone else locked themselves indoors.  All I have to say is I am happy it was so dark out there cause I am sure I got way more protein than I would have liked out of that meal.... 

Cape Maclear

Mt Mulanje

While Wendy took a day to chill in the relaxing Lukhubula Forest Lodge, I raced up 3,000m high Mt Mulanje. It is known for its steep ascent and thick mists, but since it is the dry season here it was just steep ascent, burning hot sun and fairly hazy air so the views weren't as great as they could be. The mountain is very interesting with a rolling plateau at 2,000m, crossed by valleys and with peaks rising out of it. I spent one refreshingly cool night up on the plateau before getting up at 4.30am to hit the summit just after dawn. The air above about 2,900m was clear but the haze below obscured the views out over Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. My guide Anthony had a urgent message from his Mum so we didn't linger too long at the top and decided rather foolishly to run the majority of the way down. I hobbled into the lodge just in time to join Wendy on her way down to town for a well-earned pizza.