Next Port of Call
Having crossed over the Tanzanian border from Malawi this morning to the hilly town of Mbeya, the Southern African leg of my journey comes to an end and my travels in East Africa begins.
While in Malawi, I found the people friendly, talkative and confident in dealing with tourists. Malawi is not blessed with mineral resources or oil, and with its' main industries in agriculture (rubber trees and tea) and timber, the country has made efforts to foster tourism. Malawi does have an advantage over its' neighbours, it has had peace and has never had any civil war or conflicts with other countries. It also has tranquil Lake Malawi which practically spans the whole eastern side of the country. Makeshift huts, wooden canoes and fishing villages dot the lakeside and the fresh water Chambo fish is particularly tasty.
I came to Malawi to see the lake and to ride the infamous passenger ship Ilala. Built in Scotland, the Ilala has been faithfully churging up and down Lake Malawi from Monkey Bay to Chilumba ferrying people, cargo and its' resident cockroaches on a weekly basis for over fifty-five years. This passenger ship is the lifeline to some of the isolated communties on the islands by being the sole means of transport and supply. There are only a couple of wharfs for the ferry to dock, so when it comes to port, the smaller motor boats get lowered and it's done the way it's been done for the past fifty years, ferrying people and goods to and from the mainland. Often this takes several hours and at times, there is no dock, so workers piggyback the people and luggage from the motorboat to shore (myself and backpack included). I found the boat ride relaxing and I enjoying the sun and scenery during the day, and sleeping on the wooden deck at night... until it started to rain of'course.
If you do swim in Lake Malawi, there is a worm pararsite in the water called Bilharzia. The parasite comes from the fresh water snails, and if left untreated crawls under your skin and the worm even breaks through, while damaging your liver and bowels. Nasty. I recommend just going to any pharmacy in Malawi and tell them you have been swimming in the lake. The medication to get rid of this unpleasant parasite is readily available and cheaper in Malawi then back at home.
"Just get it done." That's my attitude when I'm riding in cramped mini-vans and the backs of pick-ups and trucks. It may sound adventurous riding on top of sacks of beans and corn maize, packed with people and luggage, shitting and pissing chickens, ripe mangos, leaky babies, raw fish and tettered goats trying to eat your bag. But riding on an overloaded truck with a busted suspension and the sun scorching down or the rain falling, and it soon loses its' galmour. "Just get it done", because I've resigned myself to the fact that this is the most common way of traveling. More long, dusty African roads await my arrival...
While in Malawi, I found the people friendly, talkative and confident in dealing with tourists. Malawi is not blessed with mineral resources or oil, and with its' main industries in agriculture (rubber trees and tea) and timber, the country has made efforts to foster tourism. Malawi does have an advantage over its' neighbours, it has had peace and has never had any civil war or conflicts with other countries. It also has tranquil Lake Malawi which practically spans the whole eastern side of the country. Makeshift huts, wooden canoes and fishing villages dot the lakeside and the fresh water Chambo fish is particularly tasty.
I came to Malawi to see the lake and to ride the infamous passenger ship Ilala. Built in Scotland, the Ilala has been faithfully churging up and down Lake Malawi from Monkey Bay to Chilumba ferrying people, cargo and its' resident cockroaches on a weekly basis for over fifty-five years. This passenger ship is the lifeline to some of the isolated communties on the islands by being the sole means of transport and supply. There are only a couple of wharfs for the ferry to dock, so when it comes to port, the smaller motor boats get lowered and it's done the way it's been done for the past fifty years, ferrying people and goods to and from the mainland. Often this takes several hours and at times, there is no dock, so workers piggyback the people and luggage from the motorboat to shore (myself and backpack included). I found the boat ride relaxing and I enjoying the sun and scenery during the day, and sleeping on the wooden deck at night... until it started to rain of'course.
If you do swim in Lake Malawi, there is a worm pararsite in the water called Bilharzia. The parasite comes from the fresh water snails, and if left untreated crawls under your skin and the worm even breaks through, while damaging your liver and bowels. Nasty. I recommend just going to any pharmacy in Malawi and tell them you have been swimming in the lake. The medication to get rid of this unpleasant parasite is readily available and cheaper in Malawi then back at home.
"Just get it done." That's my attitude when I'm riding in cramped mini-vans and the backs of pick-ups and trucks. It may sound adventurous riding on top of sacks of beans and corn maize, packed with people and luggage, shitting and pissing chickens, ripe mangos, leaky babies, raw fish and tettered goats trying to eat your bag. But riding on an overloaded truck with a busted suspension and the sun scorching down or the rain falling, and it soon loses its' galmour. "Just get it done", because I've resigned myself to the fact that this is the most common way of traveling. More long, dusty African roads await my arrival...
posted by Louis at 3:31 PM
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