Day 31: Goodbye Butterfly, hello travelling!

6th August:

Packed up my stuff, ordered my last breakfast at the Butterfly Space, and then said goodbye to all the staff who I'd become close with. Sadly Jackson and Friday weren't there for me to say goodbye but I'm sure AJ will send them my love.

I gave AJ my last Jaffa cake-  I started my treasured pack on my first day at butterfly and then finished them on the last day.
I then had a long farewell with Innocent, AJ and my boys. I finally got our special 'holla' handshake right :)

 My boys (minus Isaac)

 AJ - <3 this lady!
 Bye bye Butterfly!

AJ drove me into town with my rucksacks and left me at the bus station where I got into a shared taxi to Mzuzu. Usually you have to wait ages for the shared taxis to fill up, but we only had to wait 20mins! Then about 10 minutes into the journey the driver randomly stopped at the side of the road, rambled a few things in Chi Tonga (the local language), got a container out of the boot and then ran off into the distance...

About 15 minutes later he returned with some petrol and we were off again!

When I got to Mzuzu I wandered around a bit and then renewed my visa- which took a grand total of about 1 minute! I was expecting to wait at the immigration office for hours, but they were about to close so the man just took my passport, stamped it, I payed less than a fiver and voila! I found a Peoples supermarket hoping to find something I could snack on for lunch, but everyone here eats at home so I just came out with a bottle of water. I didn't much fancy the mice kebabs they were selling at the side of the street! 

I then found myself at the bus station when I asked locals where I could find shared taxi to Chitimba. I asked another guy and he walked me to a minibus which had a plaque saying "Karonga" on the dashboard. I trusted the guy merely because I remember Meg from Butterfly saying that you have to head towards Karonga to get to Chitimba. I have no idea how I'm supposed to get there though so this could be an interesting journey...

The minibus was packed like sardines packed way over the capacity it should have. Street sellers stuck their goods through the windows and kept pssst -ing which didn't seem to be rude here cause no one took notice at them hissing. Rather a hot, stuffy, sticky journey sandwiched in between two sweaty smelly men.

Someone opened the window (thank god!) and a really nice breeze filled the minibus. I've really grown to love the smell of the warm air here.

As we drove along we kept picking up people who were wanting to go to Karonga, even though there were no seats left...? They all just kept squishing in somehow!

Finally I got dropped off at Chitimba, where I found a mini truck going up to Mushroom Farm, the lodge I was going to stay the weekend at. But of course... we had to wait until it was full. There were two other travellers- a French couple. I (politely) argued with the man about the price because he was clearly overcharging us, and eventually we came to an agreement- about half an hour later!

I then started having a long conversation with some of the local guys who were also going in the truck, but it turned into a sort of interrogation about why theatre is an important career and whether I can make a living from it (because that sort of thing just doesn't happen here). Lucky I've had those answers memorised since I decided I wanted to be an actress, trying to persuade parents etc. I then asked them about the trip up to Mushroom Farm. They said it was a good road, but very dangerous because it was so windy and right on the cliff edge. That worries me that they live here and even they think it's dangerous...!

We left at 4:40, which also worried me because the sun sets in less than an hour and I do not wanna be driven up this road in the dark! That would be even more of a death wish!

I chatted with the two guys in the back with me, and they asked me things like what footy team I support, what's the "staple food" in England, do we have hydroelectricity, and what's the most common form of transport. 

The windy road up the mountains was one of (if not THE) worst road I've ever been on. I got a very bruised shoulder from being smashed into the car door every time there was a huge bump, which was every other second for over an hour!

Mushroom Farm better be worth it because I've had a hell of a journey to get here!

I arrived around an hour later and realised I hadn't booked... They were completely booked out apart from one tent! Which is apparently really rare for it to be this busy- I'm just incredibly unlucky! I would've been more than happy with the tent but then they found a spare mattress and put it on the floor in one of the dorms, which felt very cosy.

I was very on edge when I first arrived cause of the stressful journey followed by finding out they were full, but then I settled into the dorm with my mattress and met a lovely Scottish girl called Kirsty. She was here volunteering with an NGO nearby, but also following her grandpa's footsteps from when he lived here as a young boy. Very interesting hearing all her stories! She's a incredibly bubbly 27 year old qualified accountant living in north London, but looks much much younger!

During dinner I sat with Kirsty and two travellers I'd met at the beach BBQ at Butterfly. I had a lovely little visit from a cockroach on my plate and very nearly ate it!  Portions here are massive, which was good today cause I didn't have lunch so was starving.

I had a little wander around the lodge before bed and it's amazing here, with all the fairy lights lining the little maze of paths, I even spotted a sign to a yoga deck!

 


It was dark when I got here so I could only see a vague image of the view, I can't wait to wake up and see it tomorrow morning. I think that now I'm settled I might spend a day or two more here, and not spend so long in Cape Maclear. This is the first time it's popped into my head that I wish I could extend my trip here and delay my flight. Of course that won't happen but one can always dream! I really could live out here, it's one of the sort of places you spend one day here and a year later you're still here. I don't know if it's the amazing country of Malawi in particular, or if it's the backpacking life in general, but whatever it is its addictive!