Lake Malawi & Livingstonia
However, I can only pass so much time on the beach, beautiful as it may be. I get restless. I need to move and my curiosity needs to be fed. Myself and 4 others spent the day hiking to the historic town of Livingstonia with our local guide, Wisdom (which I wrote on in a previous blog). The 30kms our feet passed over in a day were stuffed with rich scenery and good conversation with Wisdom, his friend Ben, and others met along the way. We ate a delicious lunch of curried chicken and veggies prepared by a woman named Grace at the top of the mountain. With views of the lake and the outstretch of green below, it was the perfect perch to dine from. After a few hours of exploring the town, red roads wove us back down the mountain through varied vegetation and serene countryside. What a juxtaposition to what was happening in the political sphere of the country.
About half-way down we met a group of local women draped in campaign wear - it was just a few days following Malawi's first tripartite election (May 20, 2014) and citizens were out in full support after claims that the outcomes were fraudulent. The poll results meant the end to President Joyce Banda's political leadership - which is a complicated matter! Banda, who was already estimated to lose the election, ordered the annulment of the poll and insisted a second election be scheduled within the next 90 days. Banda argued the distorted results should not determine the next leader of Malawi. It is contested whether or not she was attempting another go at winning the leadership, or whether she genuinely wanted to provide the people of Malawi with the opportunity for a fair and open election. Either way, Banda's political career appears to be over, and there are mixed feelings among Malawians.
These photographs are clearly incongruous with what has been happening in Malawi over the last few weeks, but they speak of the beauty possessed by the landscape and people in the midst of political turmoil.
Mozambique |A Lot of Driving and Bush Camping
Entering Zimbabwe |Chimanimani National Park
To date, most of our time here has been spent in rural parts of the country, small towns with quiet streets and kind people. I've been most intrigued by Zimbabwe. Its complicated, and rather tragic history, seems to have softened its people in some ways (at least in the cases I've experienced). The openness and hospitality we have been met with has been astounding.
We stayed for four days in the Chimanimani region, hiking, taking walks into town, going for drinks at the local bar. This has been my favourite stop to date. Then warmth of the people and the natural beauty is simply unmatched. I can hardly remember a time when one day of hiking carried me through that many changing landscapes. From soft grasses to bulbous rock formations, rolling green mountains in the morning to iridescent pink peaks at dusk, pristine swimming holes to grandiose waterfalls, the softness of the light at the end of the day and then another brilliant display of stars at night. So much beauty. So very much beauty.
Experiencing much gratitude for all Zimbabwe has offered thus far.