The day we sold our lives away

Saturday 17th August

The day we sold our lives away...

Hello everyone! It's Ellie again, reporting for the Impalas on their last full day in Malawi! I had a loooovely sleep last night, sleeping for a record breaking 9 hours! Others didn't do so well in the sleep department, but were streaks ahead in the socialising and partying sector, dancing on the table in the bar to Shakira's Waka Waka till after midnight!

After bouncing out of bed at 6:40, panicking because we were meant to be leaving at 8, we were happily surprised to find that we didn't have to leave until 9. Everything was done on time, with our teamwork skills shining through, as we got everything packed up and away so that we could get on the road. Everyone loved their rare breakfast treat of cornflakes- haha- and Chante was more than willing to do the washing up for everyone- haha! 

We left the beautiful beaches of Monkey Bay and set off for Dedza Pottery Yard. However, the road soon took us up into the mountains and Terence was crawling round the bends slower and slower. We stopped at one point so that Doc could help a family get their little Land Rover up one steep section of road and then carried on. Until we stopped again. 

Doc enthusiastically told us that we were 'screwed' and then grabbed his machete to hack down some tree branches  to use as hazard warning signs on the road. The steep hills had caused all the diesel to tip backwards in its container so that none of it was reaching the engine. And we had no spare diesel. Oh dear. 

We tumbled out onto the side of the road and Doc hitched a lift from some kindly locals in their car to the nearest petrol station 20 minutes drive away. This left us nothing to do but to sit and wait for him.

We passed the time with many exciting activities, including book reading, diary writing and the presentation of the '12 Malawi Girls' Quiz to the leaders. They weren't very good and we were all terribly offended that they didn't know exactly how many pairs of pants we had bought with us on the trip or which exact month and year Frankie had her braces taken off (obviously December 2010 everyone, it's a well know fact right?!) I particularly enjoyed my quick trip to the toilet (so a collection of bushes just down from the road) with an incredible view of the mountainside. We also felt a bit peckish, so tucked into a delicious brunch of pink maize wheat tasteless crisps and milk biscuits. We gave up on the pink crisps and gave them to little children staring at us along the road. They were much appreciated. 

Doc eventually turned up after an hour and to our surprise, the family he had helped up the hill earlier had given him a lift back to us! They were going to Dezda Pottery too and decided to return the favour, though it meant driving back in the opposite direction. Very kind! The lady was Scottish and has been living and teaching in Malawi for the past 4 years and she was holidaying round Malawi with her friend Christian and her son (she has a Malawian husband!) 

Finally we arrived at Dezda- only 40 minutes late for our buffet lunch- and sat down under a gazebo in the restaurant's garden. We were very hungry and oohed and ahhhhed as various dishes were bought over for us. There was rice, various sauces and gravy, roast potatoes (ROAST POTATOES!), crispy chicken drum sticks, fried veg, salad and a delicious oven baked Spag Bol. More pasta! We finished off nearly everything and then went for our tour of the pottery place. We pretended to be highly interested in the different typed of rock- our favourite was the R33 rock of course- and hid our disappointment that the grinding machine was out of action. We did enjoy seeing a lady make a vase though and another lady painting an intricate zebra design freehand onto a mug. Once that was over, we purchased some last minute pottery and other gifts and then headed off in the truck to our campsite. It was late by the time we left and so were still driving as we watched the sun set in Malawi for the last time and ended up putting up our tents in the dark.  

We then set about the giant task of packing for tomorrow (yes we also packed in the dark) and had much fun splaying our things out across the floor of the car park as we tried to pack pottery and dirty clothes and towels and wash things and tampons and manky tea towels and shampoo and flannels and random pens and presents and teddy bears and woggles and all the other unnecessary rubbish we've collected and soiled over our three weeks here into our tiny bags. Kirsty and Lucy also held an auction to get rid of their unwanted stuff and now everyone has various cereal bars, soap and tiny travel sanitary towels.

We've just eaten soup and crackers for dinner and now we're off to socialise and have fun and maybe even sob our hearts out, because it's our last night here.

Ta ta for now ladies and gentlemen, we hope you're preparing the cake and curry and scrumminess for our return on Monday! 

We also just did our last treasure and trash and now we're crying. Sob sob. 

Lots and lots and lots of love,

Your ever faithful Impalas

xxxxxx

260 Crackers in Malawi

Hello- it is Ellie here!

After our appalling night of sleep last night, we were hoping for uninterrupted dreams in the land of nod. Our wishes were not granted however and the mysterious night time party animals returned to cause more noise and raucous activity on the beach only metres from where we were sleeping. 

The leaders heard them too though last night and were terrified! In a frenzy, they rang the sleeping Kate at 3am- much to her displeasure- and it was Kate to the rescue. After finding out that they were only fisherman (and not murdering pirates as Rachel believed), the leaders felt much better and managed to get a bit more sleep now that they knew what all the noise was about.

Today we returned from Domwe Island, so after a breakfast of the usual, well loved and appreciated cornflakes, we loaded all our stuff onto the motor boat and then set off kayaking from the beautiful Domwe back to mainland Africa.

The wind decided to blow against us today and so the kayak back across the water was harder and it became difficult to appreciate how beautiful our surroundings were when we were using all our remaining strength after 4 hours of sleep into plunging the paddle into the mysterious waters of Lake Malawi to drive us along. It was fun though! We were all singing, screaming when we were rocked by the waves and laughing at Catherine rocking hers and Chloe's kayak in a way that was destined for disaster... We were right. Catherine and Chloe managed to be the only 2 people to capsize into the water- maybe because of their broken kayak, maybe because of Chloe's haste to get to the shore and most probably Catherine's grand schemes to get Chloe wet! 

When we got back to the campsite, we were happy to hear that Doc had missed us and was happy to have us back again running round everywhere and ruining his hearing by singing too loudly! We then showered and changed out of our kayaking clothing. It's nice to have my feet and legs back again, after they've spent the last couple of days coated in dust and dirt. 

We ate copious amounts of crackers (at least 10 each with a whole packet left over), cheese and corn beef for lunch and then some of us went off to the shops. With Chante leading the way, we prowled down the main street of Cape Maclear, ferociously bartering our way through all our sales to ensure we had to pay as little as possible. In the heat of the African sun, we left many shopkeepers disappointed as we trawled on to find all the best deals. Chante even went as far as to pay with items of clothing as well as money and I was pretty happy with my deal of K2000 for four beautifully engraved spoons when he originally asked for K1000 per spoon (I'm all ready for Morocco now Mumma!) 

On returning to the campsite, we took up residence in the bar and spent a lazy afternoon playing cards, diary writing, bracelet making and hair plaiting whilst enjoying our various fizzy drinks. We had a photo with Doc in front of the sunset and then continued to dominate the Fat Monkey's bar space by handing over little Lucy's iPod (belonging to her Dad) to improve the music! Thanks to Mr Meadows for your great musical tastes, we definitely appreciated 'Mambo No.5'!!!

We then walked the 5 metres to the restaurant area of Fat Monkey's campsite to enjoy our various meals this evening! Those daring enough went for pasta for the third night running, whilst others spiced things up a bit with a burger or some grilled chicken. All I know for sure though is that the chips were greatly appreciated.

We are now chilling in the bar again and are looking forward to what we're hoping will be a better night's sleep. We're hoping so, as we need to be up and packed for a departure time of 8am tomorrow. Only one full day left now! 

Looking forward to seeing everyone again, we are definitely missing you all!

Much love,

The Impalas

Fun and games on the island

Thursday 15th August

For the very, very first time during our stay in the warm heart of Africa, our beloved Malawi,we were allowed a lie in! I mean like a real relaxed get up when you want lie in! Unfortunately the group of local fisherman having a party into the early hours of the morning on a beach close to ours had other ideas.

After interruptions of shouting, music projected from a boom box and the splashing of feet in the water we got a little sleep; although I must admit I slept through most of the raucous only being woken by whispered moans of people in my own room (four in a bed probably wasn't the best idea).

However our internal body clock has been drastically altered and we found ourselves congregated in the breakfast area dressed and ready to set off for a hike to the top of the island by 9:30 in the morning. Lucky you parents, not only do you have truly wonderful and talented children but they have also developed the ability to rise early, potentially providing breakfast in bed for those at home upon their return...potentially...

We were told that the walk would take a meagre hour up, gentle slopes, rolling gradients and breathtaking views. Whilst I can confirm that the views were breathtaking I am afraid to say that we had been lied to, the slopes were not gentle they were vertical and the gradient was the steepest I have ever ascended. Not only was the climb long and treacherous but it also included sliding patches of leaf, rocks and a well placed smattering of roots which resulted in trips and stumbles galore.

Upon reaching the summit, 350m above 'lake level' we were met by a beautiful view of the lake and the campsite on the 'mainland' which we had stayed in on Tuesday night. From our vantage point we could see the tiny kayaks which had carried us to the island and the little specks of those who had not come with us, all in all it was well worth the effort.

The descent was yet to come...

Climbing up vertical rock faces was one thing but scrambling down was another. The techniques varied from the 'bum shuffle' which was masted by the great scrambler Frankie, stepping sideways down the hill at snail pace (a method preferred by others) and launching oneself at various trees and hoping, in that split second of free fall that you would catch it and not plummet to your death. Needless to say there is now a grave on Domwe Island inhabited by our dearly loved but unmistakably clumsy little Vicky.

The afternoon was spent sunbathing, kayaking in the lake and playing team games. At one point an individual from each of our three teams was sent to locate a thong, the island attendants struggled to comprehend our game as three girls ran down a hill holding a pair of Kirsty's frilly knickers each, finally flinging them towards big Lucy and whooping at their success! Once again the ingenuity of girl guide's games has out done itself.

After a filling dinner of pasta (again) we settled down to an evening of laughter and singing, fortunately we were too isolated for the RSPCA to be called regarding the group of cats who were being strangled and so our renditions commenced without interference.

We retired to bed happy and tired again and as the trip draws to a close, even though we love each other dearly, (well tolerate each other commendably) we are happy to know that on Monday morning we will see you all because we do love you really, promise.

Lots of love your ever faithful Impalas xxx

(Catherine)

P.s little Vicky was later resurrected using an ancient Malawian ritual (more commonly known as polo mints) and walks amongst us once more.

P.p.s Mum, the hill I climbed today was quite honestly even steeper than the one in Lewes! Be proud!!

Our kayak adventure

Wednesday 14th August 2013

Today it was time to kayak! After breakfast we walked along the beachfront  to the kayak hut. We adorned our life jackets, took off our shoes and prepared to paddle. We were all in pairs and some kayaks weren't enclosed so push off was rather wobbly especially for the more inexperienced of us! The lake was beautifully clear and as we approached Domwe Island the sight of it was truly stunning. 

We all arrived safely and luckily no one capsized...although Catherine and Chloe came dangerously close to doing so! Rachel and Laura's rudder broke halfway which resulted in a rather unhappy Rachel when they finally arrived a good 15 minutes after the rest of us.

Our accommodation was a lovely change with tented rooms and a fully equipped kitchen. Our shower was a bucket and watering can sprinkler attached suspended with rope while our loo was basically a toilet over a long drop but, hey, things could be worse.

After putting our things away we had lunch then chilled for most of the afternoon playing many card games ; some of us (kirsty) got quite competitive whilst others sunbathed. The island is beautiful especially in the evening when we all watched in awe as the sun set over the water. So far we've made many gecko and large lizard friends, to Chante and Abbie's particular displeasure.

With only a few days of Malawi remaining we've all enjoyed allowing time to stand still for once. We've all worked hard and this little island of our own is the perfect place for us to gel and relax. Keep smiling guys as we are all having the best experience! 

Bartering for hippos

Tuesday 13th August.

Bartering for hippos

We left the nature reserve bright and early at eight, and loaded our lives onto the truck to head for Monkey Bay. Our night's sleep was uneventful, seeing (yet again) no hippos traipsing through our campsite - however, we do seem to have a resident warthog who took a particular shine to Kirsty, and enjoyed a night snoozing alongside her tent ( much to my (big lucy)  surprise in the morning.)

It took us an hour to drive across and out of the reserve, through bumpy tracks, and dodging elephants. With an unknown length of time ahead of us, we settled into our usual singing and laughing times on our dear old Terence. Our first stop saw Lucy, Kirsty and Helen buying wooden hippos through a window...Hours passed, and we found ourselves rolling past more oddly named shops, more racks of sugarcane and more waving children. As we reached the 4 hour point, Doc pulled up at a small supermarket, which to be honest was not that super.  £40 later, we had 8 boxes of cornflakes and some apples. Whilst some leaders purchased the goods, Chante was busy bartering through a window. Reminding the man selling painting that 'there's a recession in England' she managed to get a lovely painting for a reasonable price.

We arrived at Cape Maclear (monkey bay) early afternoon after a particularly amusing lunch prepared and served on the truck whilst on the move. We spent the afternoon avoiding street sellers whilst lounging on the beach and drinking much needed fizzy at the bar. As the sun set, we took lots of photos and prepared for our evening meal at a local 'restaurant'. After our waitress Chloe collated our drinks order, and our food order, we waited over an hour and a half for our meals. Eating on our laps, joined by a random dog we fondly named Bruce, we were dubious about our choices. The feta and chicken pancake was slightly odd, but all fish dishes went down well.

Overall, today was a good day, and for many of us, the sandy beaches, beautiful view and sunset have been our first experience of relaxing island life.
Everyone says hello, and we will soon be snoozing to recoup our energy - after all, we are kayaking tomorrow.

Xxx Big Lucy.

The resident baboon and the swimming wart hogs

Hello people in England!!!
Today was our second day at liwonde and after a lovely lie in this morning we were off on another safari. This time we were in boats on the 600Km lake at the park.
On the lake we got very close to many of the animals. There were two herds of elephants drinking and playing in the mud which was absolutely amazing. There seemed to be hundreds of hippos in the lake and crocodiles were 'ridiculously common' as the guide book said.
After returning from the river safari we had lunch and discovered we had a new guest staying with us....a pretty big baboon! Luckily our new friend didn't fancy any of our lunch but he has been making regular visits to our camp.
It was very hot this afternoon so we decided to invade the pool here at the park. Whilst there we bumped into some old friends....the church group who were also staying at Fisherman's Rest. We had very competitive games of piggy in the middle, with leaders vs. girls, water rounders and human pyramid building! We spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing, reading by the pool and shopping! Pretty good way to spend an afternoon. All was calm and peaceful until Doc left the gate to the swimming pool open and a family of wart hogs decided to come  in for a dip. Thankfully Chloe's brilliant wart hog herding techniques (which involved flapping her arms,yelling and charging at the wart hogs) soon had all the pigs running out of the pool, much to our amusement!
To encourage our competitiveness even more we had a very special Impalas quiz (which our leaders had been working on for the last four days) questions ranged from the origins of the book bus to which one of our leaders had the most piercings??? The Ice cream team (Catherine, Lottie and Elena) narrowly won by 2 points.
We've just finished a delicious fry up for dinner so it's time to say good night to you all. We will write again soon!!!
The Impalas xxxxx

Close encounters

Lucky you's, I've been put in charge of writing the account of today's adventure and oh golly your in for a ride.
Today started off with an early morning. We had to be up and ready, tents packed away and finish breakfast all by the time of 8. Ready for a sharp exit, we were setting off for a 3 hour bus journey to National Park where we will be camping for 2 nights. The journey consisted of loads of rocky road, wooden bridges, more insist of the culture of Malawi, sleep and reading.
Arriving in time for lunch we set up our tents, prepared lunch and ate.
After a lovely lunch, we had a bit of chill out time before today's biggest adventure awaited us; a safari game drive! As we waited in the reception area for our vehicle to arrive we were offered tea or coffee and a sweet fried ball that they called 'festival'. That done we was off, after clambering into our land rover we set off into the safari wondering what we would find.
Astonishingly our main viewing were of elephants however this time not  being far away from us and not having to use our camera as binoculars we were 2 metres away from them. Literally I mean like 2 metre toe to toe away from these humongous animals.


As the day drew to night the game drive still continued and we began looking for night time animals. Not holding much hope out of seeing anything, Catherine spotted a couple of hippopotamus, which was setting us up for tomorrows boat trip.
Back at the camp site now, waiting for our dinner. On today's menu burgers; so Kirsty will be pleased.