Adventures with Julia

September 1, 2016

Sorry I was so hasty in sending the last post. The next morning, August 30, 2016, I remembered how to fix the formatting issue. Could have fixed it and sent it then. A function of being overtired. Hope you were able to read it anyway.  On the Malawi map, we started at Lilongwe, the capital in the south central part of the country and traveled east to the Cape Maclear area on the southwest side of the lake.  Pumulani and Mumbo Island are in the same general area.  then we flew north to Likoma Island, where you can spot a circle around it, separating it from Mozambique.  Lake Malawi is 1/5th the size of the country, which is about the same size as North Korea.

I left off wanting to tell you about the fish species called cichlidae (pronounced “sick-lid-ee”) that are endemic to Lake Malawi. They occur in other freshwater lakes in Africa, Central and South America and parts of Asia and are endemic wherever they occur. They are small perch-like fish, that very considerably in shape and color and are delightful to snorkel among. They are not fearful of us and will feed out of our hands when we have a piece of bread to crumble.

Cichlids from the surface.

A colorful Cichlid catch still in the bottom of the fisherman’s boat.

After a thoroughly enjoyable snorkeling experience in a lagoon on a small, uninhabited island called West Thumbi, I looked them up in a fish book and learned that they have many unusual features including; complex reproductive habits, a highly developed facility for looking after their young and the potential to evolve very rapidly into an array of species capable of taking advantage of a wide variety of habitats and situations. The most notable of them is the algae-eating mbuna, a spectacularly colorful group of which 300 species are known from Lake Malawi alone. All Lake Malawi Cichlids, except one, are mouth-brooders. The mother carries 10-300 around in her mouth, depending on her size, until they are ready to fend for themselves. In most species, the male establishes a territory, that may be very small, into which he attempts to lure a female, and then defends it fiercely. Cichlids are exceptionally quick to mature, resulting in a very rapid turnover of generations. They also appear to have a genetically malleable anatomy with structures that readily modify over a relatively small number of generations. The explosive specification that has occurred among Africa’s cichlids is like Darwin’s finches amplified many times. Evidence suggests that cichlids have a unique capacity to erect non-physical barriers between emergent species. All this from “A Guide to the Fishes of Lake Malawi National Park”, by Digby Lewis, Peter Rental and Jasper Trendall, 1986.

Lake Malawi National Park boundaries. Pumulani Lodge is where the park meets the green area on the left side of the image.  Mumbo Island is in the upper left corner

During a leisurely boat ride back to the lodge, we passed slowly by the fishing beach at Cape Maclear and then watched our boat driver throw small fish in the air to lure Fish Eagles out of the treetops to snatch then. He threw a lot of fish, but attracted only 2 Fish Eagles and one Kite. Back at Pumulani, we were served lunch on the beach. Mark and I hung out at the pool the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed a very good BBQ dinner. He went to bed and I worked until I crashed, as you know.

On the 31st, we were up early for our much anticipated adventure to Mumbo Island. Eddie picked us up and drove the bumpy, dirt road from the lodge until we hit pavement. There to meet us were 2 motorcycles and drivers whom he had arranged to drive us to Cape Maclear. Mark was very happy not to be riding on bicycle taxis we had been told to expect. Must admit, I was glad too. The motorcycles were more comfortable and faster. Our drivers spoke a bit of English and we had a few good laughs with them.

The motor cycle gang on the road to Cape Maclear.

Half way to town, we stopped at a locally famous rock called “Rock of Tribal Face Scars”. The 10 meter high rock is crisscrossed with lines that the locals think were done by ancient ancestors. In fact, the incisions are a natural geological phenomenon created by uneven weathering. The boys, including Mark, got a kick out of climbing to the top, while I watched. Shortly, we were at the village of Chembe, next to Cape Maclear. We abandoned the motorcycles, while Eddie paid the drivers, and walked slowly through the village taking many photos of kids, people at work in their shops, market stalls and whatever attracted our attention. It was a delightful experience with most everyone we encountered.

Chembe village market

Very few people said no to photos and those were all women. After passing through the business part of the village we passed through a residential area and encountered a variety of styles and conditions of houses from very basic to painted and well tended with gardens in front.

Children loving to be photographed

Mark has a new friend.

An old man in Chambo village

Eventually we arrived at the Cape Maclear beach. Eddie introduced us to the manager of Kayak Malawi that handled transfers, scuba diving and kayaking. He made us sign a waver and instructed us in the plan that had been arranged for us. We would kayak 5 kilometers to a point on a nearby island, where we would transfer to a catamaran ride to Mumbo Island, another 12 kilometers away. We could have kayaked all the way across open water to Mumbo, but were sure glad we opted not to do that.

We will be kayaking straight across the lake to the middle of the island in the distance.

Soon we were in our 2-man kayak with another kayaker beside us and a boat following. I wonder if they thought we were decrepit. It sure seemed like they did not expect us to manage the distance. However, we did it in less than the hour they said it would take. Mark was pretty uncomfortable as there was no back support, but he kept paddling. At the small beach where we met the catamaran, we jumped off the kayaks and were on the cat in a flash. We relaxed.

Enjoying the catamaran ride to Mumbo Island

The cat crew served us a prepackaged lunch and off we headed for Mumbo Island, one of the famous Lake Malawi islands we had heard about. The breeze was very light so we motored most of the way, but did enjoy about half an hour of sailing before arriving at the small protected beach.

The attraction is being on a nearly deserted island in a cabin

A cabin at Mumbo Lodge

literally built into the boulders and overhanging the lake. The one we were assigned was no exception. We walked up a long, narrow, elevated boardwalk over sand and water to an even smaller islet where our unit was situated over a rock precipice. It had a setting fit for a travel magazine cover including a small porch with 2 chairs and a hammock.

Over coffee we watched the Kayak Malawi boat flail around in the water and nearly sink a small row boat in the process. I wondered how we would manage the rough sea on the return trip to Cape Maclear. After bangers, beans and toast, we said goodbye to the camp host and went to sea in the pea green boat. The waves made good sized rollers, but no chop. By the time we approached the cape, the lake was flat. Another adventure survived with a smile, if not enthusiastically enjoyed.

The Mumbo islet our cabin is located

It is now September 1 and we are getting close to the end of our trip. Eddie was at the dock to greet and deliver us us to the local airport, Club Makokola. We understood that we would have to fly to Lilongwe and then change planes to fly to our next and final stop, Likoma Island, midway up Lake Malawi. We were thrilled to learn that the pilot of the 210 was intending to fly us directly up lake to Likoma, saving a lot of time. Super news. We said good bye to Eddie and were off, flying over Mozambique most of the way and landing, an hour later on the isolated Malawian island, called Likoma. Although it belongs to Malawi, it is immediately adjacent to and surrounded by Mozambique and its part of the lake. When Africa was being carved up by the colonialists, the British wanted the island for a holiday retreat and so drew a circle around it and assigned it to Malawi.

Watching bamo being played in Chema. It is a popular game all over Africa

Our suite at Kaya Mawa

There are 11,000 people on the island, an airstrip, an Anglican cathedral, a town and several villages and a few cars. Of the 18 million Malawians, 80% are Christian, mostly Protestant, Anglican and 7th Day Adventist. About 13% are muslim. Our last home on this trip is a place called Kaya Mawa that means “maybe tomorrow”. It is a 15 minute bumpy ride over dirt roads through palm, mango, fig and baobab trees; frangipani, plumeria and bougainvillea bushes and the small town. The facility is sublime and our room glorious, with all the conveniences we are used to and more. The space is painted in pastel colors that bring thoughts of the Mediterranean. It has an indoor/outdoor bathroom, a small plunge pool, outdoor lounge area and separate dining area overlooking the lake.

Lunch in our room at Kaya Mawa. Note pool in background.

We are glad we chose Kaya Mawa as our last stop. There is a good sized bay with a grainy sand beach and generally calm water. Our first request was for a large green salad served in our suite. We enjoyed the place so much we did not leave until dinner, which was served on the beach by candlelight. Then we trundled back to the room and bed for a wind free sleep.

September 2, 2016

Coffee delivered at 6:30 and breakfast on the veranda overlooking the beach at 8. Lots of birds make music everywhere. Mark is identifying most of them so far and watching the weavers build  nests.  Very tedious process.  Only the males do the building and they quit work shortly afternoon.  Perhaps they take a siesta.  There is an especially cheeky, large pied crow, who barges right in for snacks and squawks loudly, almost like a screech.

About noon, I took a break from the blog and we went kayaking around the bay.  Too rough to venture further as the wind has not completely left us.  Had another delicious salad for lunch and am now finishing this message.  Hopefully, I will get one more off at an airport before returning home.  Meanwhile, here is a map Mark found for you to contemplate.

A map of Afric with the major other countries overlaid. Sure gives one a sense of scale.