Day 301 Malawi 30/08/2011, Mufasa camp, Monkey Bay – Mangochi – Mufasa camp. Pick-ups, shopping and a minibus.

Breakfast this morning was bacon and eggs for the first time on the camp stove since Europe. The bacon in town may have been quite expensive but it was worth every penny! It certainly made a change from boiled eggs, toast and honey.

Having eaten our fill, we headed into town to catch a bus/matola (pick-up) to Mangochi, where we hoped to get some supplies and more importantly some money. Luckily the first vehicle we encountered that was going to Mangochi was a matola with two empty front seats, so we wouldn't have to ride in the back. Getting to the town which was only 50km away certainly wasn't fast. The constant stopping to pick up and drop off passengers and their cargo, combined with lots of waiting at villages until we were overloaded, meant that the journey took nearly 2 hours. By the time we arrived we were both suffering from numb buttocks, our backsides are now shaped for a bike saddle, and stiff limbs. Still it could have been worse, we could have been crammed into the back with everyone else.

Our trip to Mangochi was a successful one. We managed to get some money out, checked out a potential guest-house for when we cycle through and bought some fruit and vegetables. The journey back was also an improvement, when we got a seat in one of the minibuses. Changing driver three times on the journey back was a bit of a laugh, especially when each one seemed to try and outdo the others on the speed front. The last driver was especially fast, seemingly holding out changing gear until the engine was screaming. We half expected to hear a bang and see parts of the engine flying out from under the bonnet. With the vehicle remarkably still in one piece, we arrived back in Monkey Bay and it had only taken just over an hour.

Walking back towards the camp we found some cheap sausages in a small market. Having struggled to find food for most of our time in Malawi, we now have sausages, eggs, bacon and vegetables. It is just a shame that I rejected buying potatoes while we were in Mangochi. Sausages and pasta just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Our time in Monkey Bay and Mufasa camp has been pretty good, but it will be nice to try and find somewhere that has a flat camp-ground and electricity. Considering the fact that Mufasa camp is quite expensive, it offers very little for the money. It is undoubted peaceful and being on a private beach means that there are no beach boys trying to sell you things. There are however still quite a lot of locals coming in and out that leave you wondering who they are. The camp-site is also full of half collapsed tents, which apparently some of the staff sleep in. In the couple of nights we were there, we only saw one being used so why are they taking up space in what is quite a limited area. I personally haven't found Mufasa camp to be the restful, 'paradise on earth' that the owners would have you believe. Having to camp on a slope certainly hasn't aided it being very restful. There is too much of a work in progress look to the set up at the moment for me to get too excited. Of late, people seem to have been quite quick to tell us that Cape Maclear is very touristy and there is a lot of hassle from the beach boys, so it will be interesting to see for ourselves when we head there tomorrow.

Day 300 Malawi 29/08/2011 Mua – Mustafa camp, Monkey Bay. 46.85miles/75.42km, 4hr12minutes, Av11.1mph.

We breakfasted, settled the bill, loaded and got on the road early this morning. About 3km along the road from Mua we turned off the tarmac and onto a decent unsealed road bound for Monkey Bay. In truth we could have stayed on the tarmac, but a short 15km of unsealed road saved us 30km on the road. The scenery along the track was beautiful the villagers unfortunately weren't. It was an almost constant “give me money”, which we largely blocked out by ignoring everyone and having our headphones in. This is starting to seem the only way to cycle through the country without being constantly saddened and annoyed.

With the track behind us we rejoined the road and started to make good progress. It may have been a long time coming, but for a short while at least the wind was behind us. It has to have been the quickest we have covered 50km for quite a while. Having just stopped for a drink in a small village we moved on and encountered yet another cycle tourist. Wayne from Manchester has been on the road for a while, having already cycled down the west coast of Africa from Spain. He is currently doing a big loop round Southern Africa before heading north through East Africa. It sounds like an amazing trip, which fortunately seems to have no time scale. Once again we had a quick photo session and then waved goodbye. This meeting of cyclists is starting to get common!

The wind being behind us was obviously too good to be true. Shortly after saying goodbye to Wayne either we changed direction or the wind did. For the next 30km until we reached Monkey Bay it was almost constantly blowing in our faces.

Before we reached the town we passed a stall with some fantastic wooden carved Land Rovers, better still they had bicycles. None of the cycles were like ours, but one of the carvers, George has said that he can make one like ours if we give him a picture. We have no idea where we will put it if he makes us one, but I guess we will have to find space somewhere.

Arriving in Monkey Bay we headed through the small town to 'Mustafa rustic camp', which is to say the least rustic. After a struggle to find one of the ready made camping spots that was big enough for our tent, we are now pitched albeit on a slope. There is no electricity on the site but there are hippos and crocodiles in the surrounding area, not that we have seen any. The staff also seem to be really friendly. Rob is especially interesting as he arrived here from England via the west coast on a Honda CG125 motorbike; which in his words is the perfect motorbike for Africa.

Enquiring at the bar as to where the easiest place to extend our visa is, we found out that we could do it here at the port. A short walk up to the gates, some basic form filling and the parting of 5000 kwacha (£20) later, and our visas were extended. It seems we won't have to go to Lilongwe after all. From the port we went and bought some shopping from the supermarket and then headed back to the camp. We have decided to eat dinner at the restaurant tonight instead of cooking, which is just as well because some beers have been drunk. Tomorrow we will take a minibus to Mangochi to get some more supplies and fingers crossed find a working ATM.