Last weekend, I exercised my inner colonial and travelled to Zomba - former capital of British Central Africa and home to a British High Commission-owned cottage, replete with pictures of Her Majesty.
Zomba town sits at the foot of Zomba Plateau, a massive lump of rock, 2000m high, which, once scaled, affords stunning views across the Shire Valley. But perhaps the highlight of the weekend was rescuing Angela the tortoise. Angela - a Bell's Hinge-Backed Tortoise - had been caught by some locals who were carrying her and another tortoise around in a sack. It's difficult to say exactly what they were planning to do with her - probably sell her, either for food, as a pet, or for her decorative shell; or else just take her home for dinner. I bought her for the equivalent of £4.50, and, on my return to Lilongwe, handed her to the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, who do great work protecting Malawi's wildlife and habitats. They're giving her a health check, and all being well, they'll release her back into the wild where she belongs.
Tomorrow's an exciting day for 'the farm' - we've got our first farmers' market, where we'll be selling fruit, veg, and piglets! News and pictures to follow...
In the meantime, below are some pictures of the views from Zomba Plateau, and of Angela the tortoise!
Up North
Just returned from an Easter weekend road trip with some friends to Malawi's Northern Region. Fourteen hours of driving, forty litres of black market petrol, and innumerable bottles of Kuche Kuche got us to Mushroom Farm - a hippy eco-lodge perched on the side of a hillside; Manchewe Falls; the old Livingstonia Mission; and back down the Lakeshore road, stopping at Chitimba, Nkhata Bay, Makuzi Beach, and Kandi Beach.
Here are some snaps:
The route |
Dave A looking relaxed on the Kandewe Basket Bridge |
Haggling over the price off black market petrol after a logistical failure |
The view from Mushroom Farm |
Taken from the caves behind Manchewe Waterfall - Malawi's highest |
Edwardian buildings at the Livingstonia Mission |
Makuzi Beach |