I entered Malawi from Tanzania on the Oasis Overland truck on February 17th. Shortly after arriving in Malawi, we could begin to see Lake Malawi. The lake is a HUGE fresh water lake and takes up a good portion of the country as a whole. I could immediately notice the difference in Malawi culture. It is often referred to as "the warm heart of Africa" and I think it definitely lives up to this name. Malawi kwacha is the currency used, but it is very unstable and so the people often handle US dollars just as well.
Our first stop in Malawi was Chitimba Beach, a smaller lake side area near the more famous town of Livingstonia. Our second day in Chitimba, we hiked up the escarpment to Livingstonia. The town is famous for being one of the first Southern African areas to receive foreign missionary and volunteer aid, and is named after one of the first European explorers/missionaries David Livingston. The town itself is quite small, but it's very pretty and well-developed. From the escarpment, we had a beautiful view out over Lake Malawi. On our way down, we hiked to a waterfall for a swim!
From Chitimba, we headed to Kande Beach, which is also along the shores of Lake Malawi. The lake was beautiful and clear here. The camp ground we stayed at was really cool as well! The bar was designed in the shape of Africa, with the cape pointing out towards the lake. There were many curio shops just outside the camp selling all sorts of different wood carvings. From the camp, myself and a few friends kayaked out to a nearby island, where we could jump of the rocks and snorkel! Walking along the beach, there were many locals, including many swimming naked and some doing their laundry. I found lost clothes in the water a few times while I was swimming!
Our last stop in Malawi was the capital, Lilongwe. We camped right in the city, which was great for exploring! Lilongwe has a very distinct mix of modern buildings and businesses, and your typical African markets and street stands. From Lilongwe, we headed southwest into Mozambique.
We crossed through Mozambique at the 'tete corridor'. We only had a day in Mozambique before crossing into Zimbabwe, but the scenery along the way was beautiful! What I remember most was that it was extremely dusty in the truck. I was also surprised that the primary language of the people in Mozambique was Portuguese. I think I may need to go back some day and explore more of Mozambique!
