Day 318 Malawi/Mozambique 16/09/2011, Mwanza – free camp about 60km from Tete. 46.30miles/74.03km, 4hr24minutes, Av 10.5mph.

We were very good last night and only had one beer, our last 'Kuche Kuche' to say farewell to Malawi. Consequently we had a very restful night, which came as a bit of a relief after the previous evening. After breakfast, where we had scrambled egg and chips, (which made a pleasant change) we chatted to two South African guys who we had met at dinner last night. Tearing ourselves away, as our planned early start was no longer that early, we hit the road and climbed up to the Malawi border. Getting signed out was quick and painless, as was changing the last of our Kwacha to Metical. We then started climbing again as we rode the 5km to the Mozambican side of the border.

Arriving at the border I stayed with the bikes while Debs went in to get her visa. She hadn't been gone long when she returned saying I had to come, as she had been told they wouldn't issue a visa. Whether it was all a misunderstanding or they were just being awkward we don't know, because after a lot of sighing and tutting they decided to issue them. The process wasn't very quick, but it was quite professional. Instead of the simple stamp we were expecting they printed out proper visa stickers, complete with our photos on them. By the mood of the issuing officer though, we hope that no one else turned up at the border without a visa after us!

Visa issued, we left the building, changed some dollars with the money changers (which was remarkably hassle free) and headed off into a new country. Fortunately the staff at the border control weren't representative of the people we would meet along the road. Stopping for a drink just across the border we met a lovely guy who had grown up in England, were greeted warmly by the shopkeepers and received warm smiles from everyone. To make things even better, not one person asked us for money!

Getting the visas had taken longer than we expected, so we had no idea where we were going to get to today, or where we were likely to end up staying. Malawi has the advantage over Mozambique of the distances between towns being relatively small. We knew we were heading for Tete, but with most of the morning gone and at least 120km to the city we knew we wouldn't make it.

With no plans, we decided to just ride and see how far we could get. Despite the temperature and hilly terrain it turned out to be one of the best days in the saddle we have had for ages. Mozambicans are very friendly, if a little shy; a wave and shout of Olá (hello) from us was enough to elicit a big smile and greeting in return.

When we cycled past a group of people sitting round listening to music who offered us some agua (water) we thought we better stop. Either we misheard or they were having a laugh, but the clay pot that I was directed to filled with what looked like very runny porridge, certainly didn't contain water. Or at least that was just one of the ingredients. Having avoided Chibuku (Malawi's home brew beer) on the basis that any beer that you have to shake first and then drink through gritted teeth is probably not good for you! It now looked like I was going to try the Mozambican version. Apparently it was going to give us plenty of strength for the road ahead! Having been handed a largely clean plastic mug filled to the brim, complete with plate underneath as a kind of slops tray, I had my first sip watched on by practically everyone. It certainly has an acquired taste, pretty much like I imagine the sludge left over from fermenting beer that is used as animal feed would be like; just with a much higher alcohol content.

Debs had a small sip, but was happy to allow me to take one for the team. She is so lucky to have me as food/drink tester and all round sacrificial lamb! The locals all thought it was hilarious and got even more animated when we asked to take some photos. It must have been the beer, but I even had a little dance, which brought about another round of laughter. It was brilliant fun and a terrific experience to take away with us, especially as we had only been in the country for 2 hours.

Back on the road I discovered that the home brew is the gift that keeps on giving. To say that it repeated on me is a bit of an understatement, it will be a while, if ever, before I repeat the experience.

There may have been no more drinking of beer, but the rest of the day was full of smiles, waves and friendly villages. It was also full of a valuable and slightly painful lesson for me. Having stopped for lunch under a tree, I became intrigued by a furry seed pod that was hanging down from a creeper. Brushing it with my hand, the pod released its intensely irritating, barbed hairs into my fingers. Which I then managed to spread to my other hand. Lesson learnt, any vegetation can consider itself safe from any further molestations by me!

Despite having had a few hold ups and very itchy hands, we had made good progress and started to look for somewhere to stop. Finding a guest-house was definitely out as everywhere we had passed was no more than a collection of huts. Fortunately though it looked like we could probably find a free camp along the road. Everyone had been so friendly that we were pretty certain if we were spotted that they wouldn't mind. Shortly after 4pm we found a pretty good spot hidden from the road. As it turned out it isn't completely hidden as we have been spotted, but the person carried on unconcerned. It has been a very good day and a lovely start to a new country.

Hopefully it will continue when we reach Tete tomorrow. If our map is correct we only have about 60km to do tomorrow so we should get to the city fairly early. Which is just as well as we have no idea where we are going to stay and the guide book rather helpfully doesn't have a map!

Day 317 Malawi 15/09/2011, Zalewa – Mwanza Hotel. 31.83miles/50.95km, 3hr40minutes, Av 8.6mph.

Having written the blog earlier in the day yesterday, I should mention something that occurred afterwards. When we went to the bar for a drink we met a General in the Mozambique Army, who was to say the least a little intense. He gave us his contact details which may be useful if we are ever brave enough to contact him. He did however buy us a beer which was very nice!

Back to this morning we both came round after a terrible nights sleep. Since leaving Blantyre and heading west the temperature has been rising. Last night has to be the hottest night we have spent since leaving Sudan. The fan helped a little, but was unfortunately so noisy that even ear plugs wouldn't block it out. It was a good thing that we planned to have another relatively short day.

Breakfast was only really notable for the child's plate that Debs food arrived on. It added a novelty factor to the standard egg, chips and bread. Although this time we had a sausage as well! With any luck we will leave the egg and chips breakfast behind when we leave Malawi. Despite eating most of it, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it this morning.

Even though we were on the road just before 8am, it was already very warm. A nice downhill section for a few kilometres kept the wind blowing around us and had a nice cooling effect, it of course didn't last. Before too long we were back climbing as we headed towards the border. Climbing and the temperature, mixed with a total lack of sleep left us both struggling to keep moving. Debs though was having an especially bad time of it.

Having got within 10km of Mwanza we encountered another climb. By now the temperature was in the late thirties, our water was running low (we hadn't expected the ride to take so long) and Debs was feeling very faint. As I continued up the hill, I saw Debs dropping back. Having secured my bike on the side of the road, I walked back down the hill to give her a hand. As I was heading towards her I saw her drop her bike and all but collapse. When I got to her she was struggling to stand, the heat and lack of energy was getting to her badly. Taking her bike off her I pushed it up the hill while she walked along beside. By the time I had got the bike to where I had left mine, she dropped behind again. Quickly putting the bike down, I went back to give her a helping hand. Eventually I got her into the shade of a tree and found some food for her to eat. Despite her recovering a little the next few kilometres were a real struggle. We made several stops when she started to feel faint again and I was quite concerned whether we would make it to town. Normally having an escort of children is a fun experience, but when you are pretty much staying on the bike by will power alone, lots of kids surrounding you is the last thing you need. Fortunately they were pretty well behaved and a combination of the road levelling out and the sun heading behind some clouds meant that we made it into Mwanza.

Finding a hotel proved to be more work than we really needed. The first place, that had been recommended to us by a shop keeper, was good but had no restaurant and we have no food. Ordinarily this wouldn't have been a problem as we would just have gone out. Unfortunately it wasn't near anywhere either. The second was cheap and not so cheerful and the third, where we ended up staying, is a little expensive. The main thing is that the room is a lot cooler than our room last night, the restaurant is alright and we are not that far from the Mozambique border.

I have very mixed feelings about our time in Malawi. We have had some great experiences, met some lovely people (most of them western) and have cycled through some lovely scenery. If only the soundtrack to our time here hadn't been 'give me money' then I would happily visit again. From what we have heard from some people who live here, there has been a change in the local populations attitude in the last few months. Undoubtedly caused by their Presidents recent erratic behaviour and increasingly dictatorial actions. Far from the friendly, warm hearted country that we have read about. We have found the people often rude, begging and generally only interested in what they can get out of us. As it is I will be glad to be moving on, another country beckons.

Day 316 Malawi 14/09/2011, Blantyre – Kilimanjaro Lodge, Zalewa. 32.25miles/56.39km, 2hr51minutes, Av 12.4mph.

Another peaceful nights sleep and a decent breakfast set us up for a short day in the saddle. We are heading towards Zalewa, on the way to the Mozambique border today. Although we can find no information regarding accommodation options in Zalewa, as it is situated on a main road junction, it looks like the most promising place to stop.

Getting out of Blantyre wasn't very difficult, despite no road signs. The main road wended north out of the city and for the first few kilometres we had a decent hard shoulder to ride in. There may have been more traffic than we have encountered in the rest of the country, but by most standards it was still pretty light.

We are sure that anyone who has cycled a lot knows that the wind is often unfair. Having had a southerly or south-easterly wind pretty much since we arrived back in Africa. We were looking forward to having it behind us, as we headed north for the first time in Malawi. Amazingly we ploughed on towards Zalewa straight into a northerly wind! Fortunately aside from a few climbs, today's route was mainly downhill, which went some way to counteract the wind. In fact at one point we seemed to be getting on so well that we discussed the possibility of carrying on to Mwanza, close to the Mozambique border. When we arrived in Zalewa and saw no sign of a guest-house it looked like we might have to.

Carrying on a little further to the main junction, we saw a sign advertising Kilimanjaro Lodge and went to investigate. The word 'lodge' is a little overused in Malawi, rarely does it provide the beautiful wooden, self contained rooms of our imaginings and here was no exception. However the staff are friendly, the room is alright and lunch was decent enough. Plus we don't have to go any further today, which is always nice.

Where we end up tomorrow will depend on how hilly the road is. There is a possibility that we could cross the border, but it is more likely that we will have one more night in Malawi.

I should also mention that for the first time since arriving in Malawi, we weren't called 'mzungu' once, which may well be the highlight of the day!

Day 314 & 315 Malawi 12/09/2011 – 13/09/2011, Doogles Lodge, Blantyre. A Hindu temple, an old church and a two very successful shopping trips.

We were a bit concerned that Doogles was going to turn out to be a very noisy place to stay. So it came as a pleasant surprise when we slept through the night in relative silence. Even the very noisy bus station next door quietened down after about 10pm.

Setting off on our first morning in Blantrye we headed into the city centre to have a look at the sights, which didn't take that long! Having made a stop at the Hindu Temple, where we were rather sweetly given permission to take photos, we headed towards Victoria Avenue.

Our guide book seemed to imply that Victoria Avenue is Blantyre's main street. Which it may be, but all we found along it was banks, offices and the odd restaurant. It seems like in most of the African cities that we have visited, there isn't a great deal to see in Blantyre, despite it being the oldest settlement in Malawi. Having wandered round for a while we headed back to a coffee shop and had a second breakfast.

Walking past the turn off to Doogles we continues along the road to have a look at St Michael's church. Built first in 1882 and rebuilt in 1888, the church is quite an impressive construction made entirely of local handmade bricks and wood. The surrounding grounds are also quite pleasant.

Having seen the sights we returned to Doogles grabbed our bikes and rode back to the Chichiri mall to get some shopping. Between the Walmart owned Game and the South African based Shoprite supermarkets, we managed to restock our food supplies. It was strange wandering round such modern shops after the more typical, often poorly stocked, tiny stores found in the rest of Malawi. Having bought food we went to the pharmacy to get some Bilharzia medicine. We are not sure that we have Bilharzia, but it is fairly likely having swam in and had a great deal of contact with the water from Lake Malawi. All of the advice we have received is to buy the medicine, wait three months before taking it and everything should be fine. Getting treated in the UK is apparently very difficult and involves a quite expensive test procedure. Debs has four tablets to take while I have five and at 100 kwacha each (about 40p) it seems silly to not get them.

Back at the camp-site we had a nice dinner made from the supplies we had bought earlier. Followed by a few beers while chatting to some of the other residents.

Aside from another trip to the supermarkets and a short walk to the post office, our second day has been very quiet. We are both feeling that it is time to move on now, we have been in Malawi for long enough. Two more days should see us at the border and into Mozambique.

Day 313 Malawi 11/09/2011, Ndindeya motel, Zomba – Doogles Lodge, Blantyre. 44.39miles/70.69km, 4hr32minutes, Av 8.7mph.

Leaving Ndindeya motel this morning wasn't particularly difficult; the breakfast was rubbish and the staff have to be some of the unfriendliest we have encountered in Malawi. When I accidentally locked the keys in the room; easy to do with a Yale lock, whilst being distracted by a bar staff member demanding his empty bottles back. It was then up to me to break into our room as the staff had no spare key, or couldn't be bothered to look for one. Fortunately I could reach through the window and undo the lock, not great for security, but good for me! If Debs wasn't suffering from an upset stomach we would have been very glad to leave. As it was Debs popped a couple of pills and we hoped that she would be alright.

It was a strange day on the road filled with a fair bit of climbing and some very nice scenery. What made it a little odd though were the people along the road. Everyone seemed strangely silent as we passed. Even if they are asking for money, Malawians have generally been quite vocal. To pass people silently staring was a new experience for us.

Getting to an area where they did acknowledge us it was in their native language, not English as we have become used to, and often quite unfriendly in tone and delivery.

Almost out of the blue we arrived in the outskirts of Limbe, Blantyre's smaller sister city. Reaching an unsigned junction, we asked some local women which way to go and they told us Blantyre was to the left. About 3km further on, having passed through a quite built up area, we came out the other side to a roundabout. There were still no road signs and no sign of the big city of Blantyre either. Asking another local, we were told that we had missed Blantyre and that it was back the way we had come! The problem was that we hadn't passed a single sign on the road and we seemed to be in an area where very little English was spoken. Eventually we found a helpful guy who told us we just had to stay on the road we were on and we would find ourselves in the city. True to his word we were soon heading down a main highway towards Blantyre.

Due to our becoming directionally challenged we had arrived in the city a little later than expected. Passing the very modern Chichiri shopping mall we stopped for a bite to eat in a fast food restaurant. Compared to everything else we have seen in Malawi the shopping mall came as a bit of a shock. Suddenly we were surrounded by modern cars, bright western looking shops, westerners and wealthy looking locals. It was a far cry from the mud-brick, thatched roofed buildings we have passed along the road. Suddenly the gulf between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' looked enormous. Perhaps this also went some way to explain the strange atmosphere of the towns and villages that we had ridden through today. It must be difficult to be struggling to make a living, when 30km up the road is a gleaming, seemingly money-laden city.

Back on the road we covered just over 2 kilometres to Doogles Lodge pretty quickly and arrived at a very western looking bar. The checking in procedure was all a little vague and it didn't get any better when we were shown where to camp. The guy who took us round to the camp-site couldn't seem to get into his head that we were pushing very heavy bicycles. Directing us along a path that involved steps and then looking surprised when Debs explained that she couldn't get up them showed the level of helpfulness we were dealing with. Especially when we could simply have gone round a building and missed them all, which is what we did. Our first impressions weren't good and they didn't approve too much when we went to get a drink at the bar. Even by African standards the staff took indifference to a whole new level.

Since then though I have to say that it has improved some. The camp-site is alright, the showers and toilets are pretty good and the restaurant food was very nice. The only issue we have encountered is a sign saying that all non-residents have to pay in foreign currency. On questioning this, the owner explained that the government, convinced that westerners are walking round with millions of US dollars in their pockets destabilizing the Malawian currency, has decided that all visitors will have to pay for accommodation in dollars! Apparently this came into effect early August, but is clearly being ignored by everyone else as it is the first time we have come across it since arriving in the country. It is hard to think of a more stupid ruling that the government could come up with, especially as most people nowadays travel with plastic and ATMs only give out local currency here. For a country that has no exports and is surviving on tourism and dwindling foreign aid, it seems ridiculous to make it more difficult for the few visitors the country is getting. Having said that the President has been making increasingly more bizarre rulings over the last few months, some of them leading to the violent protests during July of this year.

Tomorrow we will have a trip into the city to have a look round. Depending on how much we like Blantyre we will stay for one or two more nights.

Day 312 Malawi 10/09/2011, Ndindeya motel, Zomba. Rugby, resting and a nice dinner.

Breakfast unsurprisingly was chips, egg and bread, which wasn't served with what you could call a smile. In fact I would go so far as to say that the restaurant/bar staff were somewhat abrupt this morning. This wasn't a good start as I had planned to persuade them to put the rugby on in the bar for me, as our executive room's TV didn't seem to want to work. After asking at reception, they got our television working and then explained that there is only one satellite decoder so everyone watches what is on in the bar. The manager(?) assured me that I could have the rugby on, so we went to change channels in the bar. Unfortunately the bar staff didn't seem to understand that someone was watching sport and kept changing the channel. As to why I never found out, as every time I went to ask to change it back, no one was watching the TV. It turned out to be a bit of a frustrating experience which wasn't a disaster as the England match wasn't on until 10:30am.

With Debs content to do her own thing, I headed off to Dominoes bar and restaurant where our Lonely Planet guidebook had said they show sport on their big screen TV. I had no idea whether they would be showing the rugby, but it had to be a better option than the hotel. The bar staff at Dominoes were very accommodating even if I had to find the correct channel myself, which would have been easier if the decoder was in the same room as the TV. Eventually I found the rugby and sat down to watch on the somewhat less than big screen. It wasn't a classic match and a couple of the other customers kept trying to ask me about my religious views, but in the end the result was a pleasing one. I believe I now have a week off before I have to find another television!

Back at the hotel Debs had had a relaxing time reading, emailing, and eating quite a lot of salad. We didn't venture out again until late afternoon when we went to 'Tasty Bites' restaurant for a nice dinner. It seems to be the food place of choice to the local western population and pretty good it was to. Walking back to the hotel in the dark was a bit of an experience. Not because of any concern about muggers, but because of the possibility of falling down one of the many holes that fill the streets. It makes me wonder how many people who claim to have been mugged, have actually fallen down a hole and lost their wallets on the way back from a bar and are just too embarrassed to admit it!

We have another hilly road to contend with tomorrow, when we head to Blantyre our last main stop in Malawi. It may also be the last day into the wind as our remaining days will be spent heading north and then west towards Mozambique, so fingers crossed!

Day 311 Malawi 09/09/2011, Shire camp, Liwonde – Ndindeya Motel, Zomba. 34.11miles/54.63km, 4hr05minutes, Av 8.3mph.

The insects and the slightly too small for the bed mosquito net didn't affect our sleep and we woke feeling pretty refreshed. Instead of waiting at the restaurant for breakfast, we boiled some water for coffee and hastily made some toast, before hitting the road.

We knew that the day was going to involve some hills and shortly after leaving Liwonde we were straight into the climbs. After the last few weeks of flat ground the hills were a nice diversion. For me at least, I much prefer the variation of climbs and descents to the constant pedalling of a flat road. Plus while climbing, the wind isn't as much of a factor, instead it provides a pleasant cooling effect.

After the often difficult and occasionally unpleasant cycling we have had through Malawi, today was completely the opposite. Everyone we met along the road seemed genuinely friendly and the villages along the road were well supplied with food. Stopping for a plate of chips and salad at a little stall was a nice experience, even if the stall holder wasn't keen to have his photo taken.

All of the drinks we had along the route were cold, the scenery was nice and the school children were really happy to see us. If only every day on the road had been like this in Malawi, then perhaps it would live up to its reputation as the warm heart of Africa!

Arriving in the very hilly city of Zomba, Malawi's capital until the 1970's, we rode through the heaviest traffic we have encountered in the country and headed for a motel. Finding the Ndindeya motel was easy enough, even if we had to ask where it was while standing outside as there was no sign! Having had a look at the rather dark standard rooms we elected to have one of the brighter, bigger executive ones. After paying for our stay, which seemed to take ages, we unpacked our gear and got settled.

After a short rest we headed into the city and found a very well stocked market where Debs bought herself plenty of salad. The vegetable highlight had to be finding avocados for sale for the first time since we left Tanzania.

Back at the hotel I did some blogging and photo uploading while Debs rested. A nice meal in Uncle Dan's café took care of dinner and signalled an end to a very good day. Tomorrow I am off to find somewhere to watch England's opening match of the rugby world cup.

Day 310 Malawi 08/09/2011, Mvuu Camp – Shire camp, Liwonde. 24.92miles/39.82km, 2hr17minutes, Av 10.9mph.

Another night where we weren't trampled! While there were definitely elephants in the camp last night they didn't come near our tent, instead staying off to the side. Morning brought a beautifully calm day, the river was flat and the trees were barely moving. It looked like we were going to have an easy cycling day, especially as we only had about 35km until our next stop.

Having breakfasted and packed we said a fond farewell to Ron and Jo, with the promise that we will see them in Cape Town, if not before. They will be following a similar route to us on their way home, so we may meet on the road. A cold drink has been promised if the see us, so we will keep our fingers crossed.

Having settled the bill we carried our bags down to the jetty and were ferried to the other side by Henry, our guide from yesterday. Unloading the bags the other side, I went to retrieve our bikes and we quickly got loaded and under way, watched on by some golden baboons. Signing out of the park took a few minutes and then we were off onto the dirt track back to the road. A few of the now expected 'give me' moments and an upsetting moment for Debs when some kids were grabbing hold of her bike as she tried to ride through a village, put a bit of a damper on what would have been a pleasant ride. As it was we were glad to get to the road where we stopped for a drink, before moving on.

The river may have been calm this morning, but we hadn't escaped the headwind entirely. It was certainly a lot lighter than it has been, but the occasional gusts still made for heavy going. With such a short ride ahead of us, it was never going to affect us too badly though. One annoying occurrence during the ride was that I had completely forgotten that we would pass the 9000km mark today. We had expected to do it on the ride to the park, but the map misreading had meant that we hadn't gone far enough. When I eventually remembered we stopped for a photo, but then got disturbed by a Malawian bicycle taxi rider who seemed convinced that we could employ him somehow. At least he did come up to us looking for employment as opposed to just asking for money.

After just over two and a quarter hours we arrived at Shire camp in Liwonde. Having had a look at the camp-site, we decided to treat ourselves to one of their rooms. The light, airy reed buildings are very spacious with what appears to be a very comfortable bed. Which will be nice after the often hot and occasionally uncomfortable tent. Lunch may have taken an age to arrive, but the setting right on the banks of the Shire River watching hippos made up for it, just about!

It eventually arrived not a moment to soon as Debs was losing the will to live. Fortunately it was tasty which was just as well as it was also cold. I have no idea what they do with the food they prepare, but they obviously have no way of keeping anything warm.

For the rest of the afternoon Debs fell asleep, or at least tried too. The wind got up during the afternoon and knocked over first Debs' bike and then mine. Sadly breaking my rear view mirror in the process. After a couple of hours I woke Debs for round two at the restaurant. The service wasn't any swifter and they gave me boiled potatoes instead of the rice which I had ordered. As it turned out though the boiled potatoes were really good and we were fed up with waiting by then anyway. With dinner eaten it was back to our room to do battle with the myriad of flying insects that seemed attracted to our computer screen while we tried to watch a film. Having had enough of the bugs, we pulled down the mosquito net and settled down for the night.

Tomorrow we have another shortish day, although this one involves some climbing, when we head to the city of Zomba.

Day 309 Malawi 07/09/2011, Mvuu Camp, Liwonde National Park. A boat Safari, a game drive and some great company.

Another night survived, although Debs did encounter a large animal when she went to the toilets in the middle of the night. By the pile of dung near the tent, we are assuming it was an elephant.

Having breakfasted, we met Ron and Jo and headed down to reception to meet our guide. A little later than planned, Henry came and introduced himself and said that he would be back with the boat in a minute. In the meantime we had been watching a baby swallow be harassed by some weaver birds. Suddenly, a grey headed bush shrike swooped down grabbed the swallow chick and flew off with it! It was all rather dramatic and not altogether pleasant to watch. If we were after the wildlife experience then we were off to a good, if somewhat blood thirsty start.

As the boat arrived at the jetty, Henry called us over and we went down to get on board. With only four of us on the boat and Ron and Jo both being keen birders it was going to be an informative trip. In the last few years we have endeavoured to learn a bit more about British birds, but elsewhere our knowledge is a little lacking. Had it been only us on the boat the conversation probably would have gone “look a bird” and “look there is a different one”, or “ooh that one's pretty”. As it was with a combination of Ron, Jo and a very informative Henry we learned a lot, which when it comes to labelling the photos we will have completely forgotten!

Other than the prolific bird-life we encountered some very large crocodiles, countless rafts of hippos and lots of elephants. It is hard to do the safari justice in words as there was just so much to see. It would certainly count as one of the highlights of our trip. Hopefully the photos will give you all some idea of what a fantastic experience it was.

Later in the afternoon Ron and Jo very kindly offered to take us for a game drive around the park. After the morning's river safari, the drive round the park didn't produce many great animal sightings, but we did get to see some elephants, impala, water buck, hippos and a lot more birds.

We also got to see rather too much of some painful biting flies, that made having the vehicle windows open impossible. It is hard to believe that something so small can cause so much havoc. We eventually resorted to spraying the inside of the car with some powerful insect killer! The dirt roads through the park eventually took us to Livingstone's Baobob tree, where he had allegedly rested within the trees hollowed out core. Strangely the tree didn't appear to be hollow, although the large creepers growing round the outside may have covered over the entrance. We didn't actually get to stop for a closer inspection as we were being pursued by an underpants clad local, who was trying to get money for a photo Jo took of him while he posed acrobatically on his boat!

Back at the camp having had a terrific day, we cooked dinner and then went to sit with Ron and Jo around their fire. Helpfully they also identified the birds in our photos, so if any are incorrectly named it is their fault or my listening! Good company and some marvellous game spotting has made for a very enjoyable stay in Liwonde National Park.