|
You are using an insecure version of your web browser. Please update your browser!
Using an outdated browser makes your computer unsafe. For a safer, faster, more enjoyable user experience, please update your browser today or try a newer browser.
|
This post does not need many words…the following pictures should give you some vague idea of our insanely special Lake Malawi is:
Boat trip out to the island
Boooya
Local Fisherman doing their thing
Like an aquarium – only its a lake
Fresh water tropical fish – are you for real real
Fish everywhere – EVERYWHERE!
Snorkel Snorkel
Better for in the water
RealFin
Good bye Zambia (for now) and hello Magical Malawi. In the very short distance we have traveled after leaving Zambia yesterday morning, Malawi has managed to bathe us in her charms! The roads are good, more open, the landscape is beautiful and even the police check points seem nicer somehow (the police are more like information kiosks where they stop you to simply ask how you are doing and point you in the direction of your destination). The roads wind down the pass from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay on the lake making the drive way more interesting and fun. Baobabs and hilly outcrops dot the countryside…its awesome – I already love this place!
The pass down to Monkey Bay From Lilongwe
Baobabs…Everywhere!
Like I said…Baobabs
A massive thank you to Realtime Financial Solutions for sponsoring our stage 03 through Malawi
RealFin
We woke up on the morning of the 27th to find Kevin looking very sorry for himself with a more than sagging roof rack. It had probably been broken for a while with us blissfully ignorantly driving along – lalalalalala…life is golden….lalalalala. But with some bad roads ahead we needed to get things fixed up and out of this came one of the highlights of our trip so far. On the side of the road in a tiny town somewhere between Lusaka and Chipata we met Lizwe who went to work manufacturing us a new rack! What a legend:
Kevin looking sad with a broken roof rack
Lizwe the legend manufacturing a new rack on the side of the road
I really like this man
A much happier Kevin the rally car
Drake Fund Advisors
As the rally moves across some amazing countries and landscapes, its has come as sad news that one of the checkpoints has been changed. Announced yesterday by the Rally Chief, we will unfortunately not be sampling some 2Ms and R & R’s on the beaches of Mozambique due to some political unrest along a portion of the rally route in Mozambique.
However, it does mean that we will now be adding another country to the route as the rally moves the final checkpoint to Botswana another beautiful country and setting for the rally! And it may give us the chance to pass through Zimbabwe on the way!
Between the shoe drop and the checkpoint party (numero dos) we got to go see Victoria Falls! Many kinds of impressive.
Above the falls
Below the falls
in a jungle below the falls
the water goes down and then up again
So magnificent…and the falls too
So much water
Don’t jump Mand’s
A baobab
Drake Fund Advisors
The second checkpoint party was held at the SANPAR resort on the banks of the Zambezi, a few k’s upstream from the mighty Vic Falls. The theme was the Royal Barefoot Banquet. After an amazing dinner, an excellent band from Cape Town played long into the evening. The atmosphere at the checkpoints is great with many stories over a few cold beers. We heard about one crews breakdown in a herd of elephants, another’s 5 breakdowns in the Caprivi strip and about the Mini in motion completing a full on 4×4 trail! Kevin is holding up well in comparison to some of the other non 4×4′s. Malawi here we come!!!
SAFPAR
Zambezi Sunset
Royal Barefoot Banquet
Royal Barefoot Banquet
Will the real Livingstone please stand up
Drake Fund Advisors
Travel in Africa, particularly Southern Africa is extremely challenging and uncomfortable! Check out the kind of conditions we have had to endure over the last 3 days – how we have managed I don’t know:
How must I shower in this
and sleep in this
We have been astounded by the presence of Protea Hotels in Southern Africa. While researching our Rally Route we realised that the Protea Hotel locations coincided remarkably with our stop overs – who would have thunk. You can travel through most of Southern Africa including Namibia, Zambia and Malawi staying in Protea Hotels all the way.
We have been insanely fortunate to have been hosted by Protea Hotels over the last 3 nights. We spent 2 nights at the Protea Hotel Livingstone which we used as a base for Check Point 2 and for the Put Foot Foundation shoe drop. We are tonight in the Protea Hotel in Lusaka. Both hotels are insanely plush and offer such great relief from the long hours on the road. The staff are so friendly and helpful and are probably the highlight of our stay at Protea Hotels in Zambia.
Protea Hotel Livingstone Team
A true Zambian Oasis
This stage has very kindly been sponsored by:
Drake Fund Advisors
We spent our morning helping out with the Put Foot Foundation’s shoe drop at a small primary school in Livingstone. The morning started with a parade of all the put foot crew cars through the streets of Livingstone. The little mini lead the police escorted parade from the camp site to the school. We were greeted by hundreds of children and after a few speeches and some lovely singing the fun started. Each child was given a new pair of SA made school shoes and a bag with some new socks and some stationery. It was truly an privilege to be part of such a special occasion and were all left humbled by how much joy and pride a new pair of school shoes can bring.
Mini in motion
This dudes name is fluffy…or fuzzy..can’t remember now
the convoy
Put shoes on kids…do it
size 7
Team AK
How classic is that green Merc
Another kid another shoe
Drake Fund Advisors
Our first stop after leaving the start line in Cape Town(Only) 1000km down the road was at Quiver Tree Forest Rest Camp in Keetmanshoop! We arrived in the dark and were very happy to have a bed to rest our tired heads on in the very cool igloo type room we stayed in. We went to the Quiver Tree Forest the next morning which is a National Monument in Namibia. A very interesting and naturally beautiful site to see! We were also lucky enough to see a Cheetah on our way out which was a purr-fect way to start our long journey to Outja!
Tree
Novare Investments
Thank you Clause and Michael from Germany for their generous donation to Put Foot! We met them at Ndhovo River Lodge in Namibia while sitting on the deck looking out onto the beautiful Okavongo River! One of the greatest things about this rally has been meeting cool people along the way, from all over the world who love Africa as much as we do!
Ze Germans