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Malawi
Am now writing from an internet cafe in ilha de mocambique but the electricity keeps going out so I hope I can finish it tonight. I returned to Nkhata Bay for a few days of sun and relaxation to clear my cold and also to sell my mountain bike to Katja from Finland who is looking after Njaya lodge for a while. From here I took the Illala ship across Lake Malawi to Likoma island, sleeping under stars on the 1st class open deck.

Southern Africa - part 7

Stevemonty
2005-09-23 18:50:48

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The next day we jumped onto the back of a lorry for 4 or so hours, 40 people sitting on bags of smoked fish along a rough track through cold misty prehistoric looking mountains, with only a few traditional villages about.

We arrived at Lichinga the regional capital of Niassa the most remote province in Mocambique. There is a crashed aeroplace in the city park just left there since the war of independence that nobody has moved or even put a plaque against. Mocambique is the only country I know that has a machine gun on it´s national flag, this area is still littered with mines and in one shop I found old books on Lenin written in Portuguese.

I´ve been travelling the last week with Katja and Gulia, two sisters and students from Berlin. The next day at 5.30am we shared again an open top lorry with 40 people for 10 hours to Cuamba along dusty red roads, the red dust covers everything and leaves marks on our faces. Then there is only cold water in a bucket for a shower.
From Cuamba at 4am we boarded the 1st class sleeping compartment to Nampula (11 hours) in a antique but luxurious restored train carriage. 3rd class wasn´t worth contemplating and 2nd class had been taken off. We eventually arrived at the incredibly beautifully delapidated Ilha de Mocambique (world heritage site) with it´s unique architectural blend of Portuguese, Arabic, African and Indian(Goan) styles.
The buildings are pastel colours made from crumbling coral limestone set along narrow white sandy streets with varicose trees growing inwards. The place has a Sunday feel, children are playing marbles and skipping games in the square, women sit selling peanut brittle with white face masks made from crushed leaves, men walk along carrying parrot fish and lobster. Arabic dhows sail past over cyan coloured sea and coconut palms. But many of the beaches are spattered in human shit.
This is one of the best travel destinations I´ve ever been too, the place has a truelly magical feel to it. It desperately needs development but at the same time I hope it is never spoilt. We met up again with Margrit and her husband Fergus here in the only really good restuarant Reliquias, or Relics in English serving Portuguese influenced Swahili food such as grilled fish served with white sweet potatoes in coconut milk and roasted goat with batatas fritas.

I´m walking back tonight, there is a full moon and it´s almost as light as day.