Senga Bay and beyond

The 28th sees us on the speedboat heading towards Senga bay. John and I have an in depth discussion about what appears to be small black tornados emanating from the lack on the horizon, swapping more and more fantastical stories about their origin. As we get closer the driver tells us to cover our faces, we soon find out why. They are in fact columns of millions of flies, not a pleasant experience flying through them.

Senga bay is much less touristy than Cape Maclear and has the feel of faded grandeur about it. The beachfront is lined with large old colonial houses in various states of disrepair. You can imagine double barrelled names drinking G&T on the lawn at 6pm and all sorts of “Out of Africa” fun. I like it. Cool Running’s captures this feel and throws in a bit of hippy chic for flavour. Add to that a garnish of perfect sunsets & sunrises and you have a pretty heady combination

We meet a couple of likely lads on the beach the beach, one is called Mr Fantastic (Ne Simon), it could of been worse he could ave got mr boombastic!!

He's a Rasta cockney and rather took us aback by slowly drawling “I’ll get him on the dog & bone” when we asked them to organise us a cab. They sorted us out with a Barbie on the beach

and then took us to Salima (30 mins away) in the back of a pick up to see Lucius Banda, the biggest pop star in Malawi. A great night out capped off by beers in the back of the pick up home accompanied by Mr Fantastic & John (A former choirboy) trying to outdo each over singing bob Marley songs.

The gang of four are staying in Cape Maclear for New Year so we have a quiet night and head to Lilongwe on New Year ’s Eve. Once there 3 of us head off to organise buses home while the rest go to Mabuya camp where we’re staying. The salesman entertains us when we negotiate on price by boldly telling us that they are the only service in town that goes to Lusaka, despite his next door neighbour boldly displaying bus services to Lusaka, so we go next door and get 25% cheaper. Mabuya is owned and run by a couple who are friends of one of our group, the wife is heavily pregnant so we stay there to see the new year in and then head for Serenity the “Rockingst” nightclub in town. The whole event is enhanced by the arrival of gorgeous Dutch girl along with her almost as gorgeous mate. They agree to hang out with us and join us at Serenity. It’s entertaining watching them fend off the advances of the locals who appear to have no shame. I ask GDG how she deals with it and in typical Dutch style she replies “I ask them politely to stop, if that doesn’t work I tell them to fuck off, that usually does the trick”. I have a long drunken conversation with Miller, sorry about the phone Bill but it was great to catch up. We get back late, watch the sunrise and go to bed. The next day is a quiet affair punctuated by a trip to the craft market, not advised with a hangover, the pestering is incessant. We’re up at 4am to get the bus home sadly the early to bed plan is scuppered by playing pool until midnight. As we arrive at the bus station “The crew” from our operator burst into song and dance because we’re going with them rather than next door. Despite this the competition leave before us (Buses in Africa only go when they are full, they don’t work to a time table, funny that). We catch them and pass them but then 10hrs in we break down for 2 hrs and are caught and passed by the enemy. One of our passengers, a Chinese guy, jumps ship and joins “Them”. He lives to regret this as we catch and pass them again an hour outside Lusaka, and home. It only took 16 hrs.