Day 284 / 49

Date: 21 January 2023
Sleeping location: Beach 12.02329S 34.05301E, Malawi
Distance (km today/total/total Part 2): 76 / 17452 / 2615
Estimated climb (m today/total/total Part 2): 600 / 151200 / 33200
Blood: not thicker than water
Day in three words: The impossible camp

Despite the sensible shot sharing I still woke up late-ish and a bit dusty. As at the Mushroom Farm it was a late departure with two breakfasts, the second being a rice porridge which was like unsweetened rice pudding and surprisingly good. Charles needed to use some of my tape to fix his pannier after some kind of rodent chewed into it to get at some bread,* but C&AC were still ready about 45mins before me so I said I'd catch them on the road. Settling my tabs was painful, especially considering I'd been buying all the (many) beers in cash. We've been spending too much in these mzungu paradises, and need to tone it down for a few days for reasons of both health and wealth. 

After a couple of stiff climbs I popped out into quiet rubber plantation forest. Every tree had a bag on it to collect the sap, and there were kids by the side of the road selling bouncy balls the size of a football, which seemed to be made of lots of rubber strips stuck together. Some of the things people think I might want to buy and then carry are bizarre to me (see also, a whole bucket of mangos, a huge fish, a live chicken...).

After dropping out of the forest I hit a good flat ish quiet road, and there was no wind so progress was easy. I caught C&AC 40km in at their lunch stop which also became my (much shorter) lunch stop. 
There wasn't really anywhere obvious to stay so we weighed up a wild camp, and late afternoon stopped at a village pump to take 10L of water each. I strapped this to the back of Maggie in the usual style but unbeknownst to me one of the buckles slipped and the whole 10kg shifted to one side. When I tried to wheel her around the unexpected and unfamiliar weight distribution caught me, I dropped her and the outer chainring fell right onto my shin. As well as embarrassing this was very painful and created an impressive amount of blood in this heat. 

Not longer afterwards we found a "good" wild camping spot but of course in Africa there is no such thing, and tens of people either wandered past or came deliberately to see us when they heard the news. Thankfully none of them stuck around and only one kid asked for money. It's a shame that wild camping is just pointless here, even when you find a good spot there are people everywhere, which makes it stressful. 
A light rain and mosquitoes drove us into our tents shortly after food (couscous with tomatoes, which was surprisingly nice), a necessary early night after the past few days.

Malawian Signs Corner 
I Love Lectures Stop Over Pub
BILLIONAIRE PERFUME - for men 
Double Vision Workshop
A food stand with “Take away Bieber“ written on the side. Was this an offer or a request?
Homesweeper Magpie Football Club
Cute Looks Barber Shop - hygiene it's my priority

*I later found that (the same?) one had done the same to my external snack bag to get at some rock buns I'd forgotten about. 


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