19th August:
I attempted to pack all my things into my big rucksack but it didn't all fit, especially cause I bought my big hoody and trackies yesterday. So I put the remaining stuff into a plastic bag and somehow strapped it to the outside of my bag.
We all jumped in a minibus to Limbe and then another to Mulanje. Another detail I failed to mention earlier in my travel journal blogs is the amount of police stops that happen on the roads. There's always at least 4 or 5 of them hanging around in the smart, clean, fancy uniform and they stop every vehicle that comes past, ordering to look inside and check the driver's licence and other paperwork etc, just to look like they are actually being productive and to make people think they are important and powerful when really they just hang around all day making money by wearing a uniform when the rest of the population do back-breaking work and earn tuppence! Corrupt much... Although I am pleased to see lots of female police officers, some thing I didn't expect to see here, given the shocking inequality in nearly all other professions.
When we arrived at Mulanje motel, we all squeezed into one room even though it wasn't allowed. Oooh rebellious...
After dumping our bags we set off to Chitikale, the nearby town about 20 mins walk away. It has a People's supermarket, where we got our food and the InfoMulanje centre where we booked our guide, porter and two nights in Chisepo hut while we're on the mountain. When we got there it was locked and empty so we called both numbers given in my Malawi guide book. No answer.
After dumping our bags we set off to Chitikale, the nearby town about 20 mins walk away. It has a People's supermarket, where we got our food and the InfoMulanje centre where we booked our guide, porter and two nights in Chisepo hut while we're on the mountain. When we got there it was locked and empty so we called both numbers given in my Malawi guide book. No answer.
We waited for an hour while playing with some local children who lived just next door.
(Nice arabesque ;p )
Too cute!
Eventually a girl called Emmie (Amy) picked up the phone and said she was on her way. It was already getting dark.
Downstairs in the pizza place I bumped into the group of cousins from Cape Maclear who'd just come down after climbing Sapitwa Peak. Emmie eventually arrived and we organised everything, bought our rice, pasta, bread, veggies and over 10L of bottled water.
(Nice arabesque ;p )
Too cute!
Eventually a girl called Emmie (Amy) picked up the phone and said she was on her way. It was already getting dark.
Downstairs in the pizza place I bumped into the group of cousins from Cape Maclear who'd just come down after climbing Sapitwa Peak. Emmie eventually arrived and we organised everything, bought our rice, pasta, bread, veggies and over 10L of bottled water.
Our dinner back at Mulanje Motel was pretty unimpressive and the portions of were tiny, not the ideal last meal before climbing a mountain but hey ho, it was food.
Early to bed for an early start tomorrow.
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