Tony Hawks eat your heart out.

I spent the bus journey here with a Tanzanian acrobat who's backpacking around africa with a unicycle.

one more for the road

and I'm afraid that may me your lot until I'm back in Tanzania on10th June. Internet out here is about 20p a minute and not all that fast. Today was quite random, I went to church like a good girl. The campsite I'm at is pretty much jus tthe back garden of the prespitaryian church so I went there and the associate pastor is Irish, I bagged myself a dinner invite which it would have been rather foolish to turn down. right now anyfood that is neither bread nor cooked by me is heaven. So I'm a bit less home sick now having spent the evening with a load of kids matthews age and remembered what handfuls they can be (little ders that they are) so now i value my solitude thank you very much. He has internet acess at home so I'm saying my peace and then I'm off.
Malawi is amazing, beautiful weather, beautiful lake, all that jazz (hmm must watch Chicago when I get back). I'm in Mzuzu no, tomorrow I'm headed to Nkatha Bay on the Lake to get a steamer across to my little desert island campsite. from there I'll make my decision about Mozambique. Then down to Blantyre to take advantage of he fee brewery tour (includes free tasting session!!) and a paper factory which in a bizarre ay actually seems really appealing. I'm spending everynight under canvas (27 in all I think) which is abnsolouely fntastic.
all off this of course is assuming I find a bank in the morning that'll change Tanzanian Shilling into Kwacha (deffinately the prettiest money though it's a close run thing between it and Macedonian Dinar). If no hen my only option is to Hitchike back to Tanzania...
Don't worry Mum, I'm sure they'll change it.
The whole 'call me' plan kind of fell on it's face as nowehere seems to have a phone, or if they do he don't want to ell me about it and don't understand that an incoming call won't cost them money. Ach well. Can you hang in here for another 37 days? Thats less than 3,000,000 seconds. Yes I did sit and work that out.

False alarm

Sorry to any and all who cleared their dairy in anticipation, no phone here. Limited choice of places to stay I'm afraid-the bus to Malawi is at 6.30 am so I really didn't want to risk any guest house that didn't have a view of the bus station, I know what'm like for mornings. Once I'm awake it's not so bad, it's the bit before that's the problem. The place I'll be camping in Malawi does have a phone and the number is even listed in the guide book. I'll be there tomorrow evening and will arrange it with them so that I can take over the office/desk for an hour. Alsoi I'll confirm the number and try and get my head around Malawian country codes and silly technicalities like that. So it's all systems go for Friday night. Hoorah.
So I'm in Mbeya now and have just returned from a little treck up to the train station tp find out times for when I come back. The train takes 22 hours but it runs through the game park and you can usually see at least some of the animals without having to pay the $30 entry fee. And the train is cheaper than the bus, even for 2nd class where you get a bunk. So 'tis all jolly. See how organised I am Mum...
Speaking of free game viewiong, the road from Dar to Iringa also cuts across the park (everything cuts acroass the parks, that's the beauty of being in a country of which 38% is protected). I saw one giraffe-though it could have just been a tree-got thoughroly over excited and thopught that was my lot. Then saw ELEPHANTS. Only 4 so not the biggest herd ever, but still more than you've seen this week. Probably. Then saw two more giraffes and thought nature was rather spoiling me, then saw five more with a little tiny baby one. So that wwas a good journey.
Off to Malawi in the morning to give my passport a work out. It's not done anything since arriving in Zanzibar so it's getting rather lazy. It still thinks it's in Zanzibar lazing on a beach so may be chocked to be rudely awoken at silly o'clock in the morning only to find it is not on a beach but is in fact being taken camping. Not far from the beach but I guess lake malawi doean't quie compare to the Indian Ocean. Malawi has one game park that is only $5 a day instead of $30 like the ones in Kenya and Tanzania. And it has everything they've got so I don't know why it's so cheap. But I'm not about to point it out to them. And they'll let me camp out with the elephants, assuming the elephants don't mind. So 'tis infact all rather good.
Hope you all liked yourletter, those that got them anyway. I do like surprising you all.
Oh by the way, internet access is apparently hideously expensive in Malawi so don't expect half as many updates as usual. Post is expensiver (sp?) too so don't be watching it too closely (AJ this means you). I'll try my best though. As ever

Damage Control

I'm so happy to not be in Dar anymore. I completely chilled out as soon as I got on the bus and it didn't even bother me that we took an hour to leave. Very glad to see the back of the place as you can probably tell. Spent the last two nights camping in the middle of nowhere(ish) which is just what I needed. Now I'm back to civilisation have figure there are probably a few people who would like reassiring that I'm still alive after a rathyer up int he air few days. I'm good ta so you can all stop groaning at your moniter everytime you log on to see if there's a new post. There is a nice shiny new post and you'r ereading it, hoorah for you. More to the point I'm writing it thus am clearly still very much alive.
My angel is not of Celtic origin as far as I know, I'd have to ask. Can be grumpy at times but then we all have our off days. Yes dad I know (or at least assume I know) who you're refering to. Sorry that life line was used up quite a while agoelse I'd deffinately have come home early me thinks.
So now I'm in Iringa-trying to get to Mbeya which is the last stop before Malawi. All the busses are really early in the morning (opkay so 8 isn't that early) but I'm staying in a place really close to the bus station. My bags are already packed so all I need to do is roll out of bed and onto the bus. I've already slept in these clothes once so I figure what's one more night. Don't look at me like that, we've all done it, that's part of the joy of camping. That and eating everything with your hands-yes even spaghetti. The jeans are going in the bin tomorrow anyway, my pasrents would be appalled if they could see the state of me. Good job I've not seen a mirror for 3 days, othewrwise I'd be appalled too and that would never do.
In other news I would like to announce that anyone who wishesd to talk to me may do so. Or hopefully soon anyway. I'll try to arrange it with the place I'm going to stay in Mbeya then if it's okay with them I'll post the number on blog and a time you can call. Will probably be Wednesday night. Think the time diffenence is 2 hours, it used to be 3 but then your clocks went forward, or at least I think they did. Bear in mind if any of you start down the 'told you so' route you will be hung up on (you kniw who you are) so just don't do it. We'll have nothing but nice things thank you, the odd tear is perfectly acceptable however-I plan to shed many though I obviously wont let on. I still have some dignity...?!

Parents

Hold everything and disregard any e-mail recieved in the last two days. have another Angel who i forgot about (or rather didn't realise was an angel). Thanks God, he's like that you know. Most people won't inderstand this. Three will.
See things do always happen in threes.

Things always happen in trees

Punt there is on the word threes, if you missed it I don't blame you.
Anyway where was I. Ah yes.
Could have been worse, lesson learned, still not coming home.
The sign on the wall of my hostel says 'do not leave valuables more than 100,000 in room, management not liable' etc etc. But I ignored that of course and a (pardon my French) bloody good job I did too. Left money belt containing: passport, airtickets, 320,000 shillings, $50 and my debit card.
Left for the morning with camera, phone and Mp3 player in my bag and went to the botanical grounds to sit under a tree and write some letters. Did so, though ended up in the tree rather than under it when it started raining. Was just on my third letter when two guys came into the garden and started the dreaded 'hello white person I'd like to be your friend' conversation. Definately sick of having that one. The guys were really getting on my nerves; why don't you want to be my friend etc etc. all I wanted to do was write my letter in peace, which I explained to them. So they left me alone. Hooray. The one of them comes back 'is it okay if I just sit here then?'. Yes fine I think to myself as long as you don't try to talk to me. I should explain that by this time I'm no longer in the tree but back under it.
I hang my hread in shame at this point as I admit that my bag was still up it and therefore behind me. I hear a noise and turne aroung to see bloke number 2 going for it. As soon as he sees me they bith scarper so I'm thinking good for me I caught them. Few seconds later putting my letters in there to leave I realise that he was actually putting the bag back having taken my camera, mobile and purse.
I know I know but it could have been soooooooo much worse as I will now explain. Some guys who had seen the whole thing (though necer thought to stop the guys?!) walked me to the police station where I met a dutch guy who had not been so lucky. He had his moneybelt taken after he'd just left the bank. Lost passport, credit cards, driving liscence, $170, load of sillings and travellers checks.
The way I look at it is this. The phone is an old model which had no credit on it. The camera cost 12.99 and was covered in paint, the viewing lense was practically opaque from being scratched so much and the winding mechanism was on its last legs. My purse only had 600 shillings in it which is less than 50p. They didn't take the most valuable thing in there (cheesy Christian moment coming up) which was my Bible -well it's all annotated and cool. I'd be gutted to loose it. And they left my MP3 player. Either they didn't see it, didn't know what it was or (and it's pretty beaten up) they thought it was broken and left it.
When I was at the police station I was speaking to one of the interpretors-when he found out what had been taken and that my camera wasn't even digital he just looked at me and asked what I was doing there. I already knew I had no chance of getting it back and really there was no point me spending 2 hours getting an official report. And I've learnt my lessons now too.
*Money belts are called belts because they go around your waist, not in the front pocket of your bag.
*keep an eye on your bag for crying out loud.
I know I should have been more careful but the way I look at it is that it could have been a lot worse, I could have lost everything, I could have got hurt. If it had to cost me my camera and phone to learn that then it was worth it. I'll be so careful from now on ( I walked to the internet cafe with my rucksack over on shoulder tucked under my arm and my thumb threaded through the zip, it only had 10,000 shilling in it). So 've learnt a lesson in time to stop anything worse happening. I plan to replace my camera and carry on like it never happened. Bet the thieves were gutted when they checked the contents o my purse. Haha.
I talked with the Dutch guy (who'd been there 5 hours) and we both agreed that it's the little things we miss the most. He can get a replacement passport through within 2 weeks which is fine because he's here in September. But the one he lost has stamps in it from the last 8 years of travelling. I can buy a replacement camera for not a lot of money at all, but I've now not got any pictures ot the mountains, David or anything else from the last few weeks. I can afford to loose 600 shillings but te were some earings in the purse that I'd bought in Zanzibar (though they probably sell the same things here somewhere).
There's a very sobering message in there somewhere. I'll let you find it for yourselves.
I'm safe, was a little shaken up but I'm fine now. Obviously there's no point any of you texting me now though. I'm not going to replace the phone because it'll be way cheaper to do that once I'm home. It wouldn't have worked in Malawi anyway which is where I'm headed in the next 2 weeks.
Off to get myself a good hot meal and then a shower I think. Strange how much better the world seems after both of these.
Love you all. x

La di Dar

Liz if my diary were ever published I think I'd have to go into hiding. It's not writtren in the sme tone as this atall. Well bits of it are. To get the whole picture of my trip they'd have to publish the diary (which deals mainly with the more pessimistic stuff) and this blog (which deals with all the stuff it's safe to tell my parents about).
I'm in Dar now which theoretically is the biggest city in the country but it took me over two hours to find an internet cafe so I'm not sure it deserves the title. Got here and it was raining and there was a power cut so I had a shower and did some washing by candle light which was a very strange experience-candle kept going out so I'd have to wrap up in a towel and run down to reception to relight it. Got up early this morning but my good intentions of leaving the guesthouse before 9am were ruined when I realised I'd made a rather foolish mistakel.
Last night I washed all of my underwear so had to wait until some was dry. Luckily it didn't take too long so I think I was out before 10. Found a supermarket, bought Big Sis a little pressie which I hope will survive the next 50 days (not that I'm counting)
Not really that much to tell since my last update. I did get your text mum, I just had no credit. Then I had credit but no signal. Now I've got both which is rather a luxury so I don't know what to do with myself, I my just go text crazy.
Anyways, things to do etc etc. Love you all, Miss you all. Especially you.
Terrible craving for Harry Potter but found a copy in a bookshop this morning so have now read a few sentences and am satisfied at least for the short term. Feel like a traitor though as it was the adult edition. Pah

Sosage

Completelt irrelevant title other than I saw it on a menu yesterday and thought it was hilarious. Don't know if that's actually the swahili word (swahili is fantastically phoenetic) or a really good spelling mistake. I liked it though.
Anyway back to business. Finally manages to leave Zanzibar (though it was a bank holiday so immigration office was closed- according to my passport I'm still there. Though according to my old on I think I'm still in Macedonia). I say finally because I think it was the longest day of my life. We got up ridiculously early to get on a bus to take us to get a boat at 10 but because it'd started raining amd the wind was the wrong sort (?!) we had to wait. And wait. And wait. Eventually got a boat out at 4. We had to stop halfway across because now the wind was the right sort but there was too much of it (ever seen a windsurfer turning cartwheelly type things-we didn't feel like doning that). It was dark and it rained. A lot. We had out trustly plastic sheeting though didn't get too wet. And the crossing was a lot comfier than the first one-this time the cargo was sugar which is a lot les lumpy than charcoal. Got to the mainland at aronund 11 I think. I tell a lie, we didn't yet to the mainland, we got about 10 meters away from the land and because the water was deep and cold we paid a guy to carry us across to the mainland. That definately scores me poiunts if we're playing transport bingo. Human taxi-not recommended.
The port (and I use the term oh so lightly) only has one guest house which was full but luckily (again, a very loose term) the boat captain has friends there so we were provided with floor space and a straw mat. Yey. Another early morning-the only bus is at 4! All the way up to the mountains, beautiful journey if a little (or a lot) terrifying, lots of turns on a slippery mud road in a bus who's sides didn't seem to be attached to anything. I've got a considerable (though diminishing) amount of weight and nowhere really to put it. Certainly interesting though.
Now we're still stuck in the mountains in a place called Bumbuli (which on all the bus signs is shortened to bum, crude I know but I've got to get my kicks somehow). It's really pretty but getting steadily less so. We wanted to go ont to a place called Mtae but it's been raining so much that no buses are daring to risk the road which is all up hill. Think the plan now is to wait until the road is a little better (the rain seems to be easing a little in that it hasn't rained yet today, though it's only lunch time and time will tell) then I go on to Dar which I'm really not looking forward too. It has little/no sewerage system so is not the nicest place to be in the rain. I theoretically could by pass it all together but it's pretty much the only place between here and Nairobi that has a cash machine. From there I'll be heading down to Malawi and then I start my journey back up again.
Tom your birthday is the day I come home so I don't need to worry about finding a cake that will withstand airmail.
Anyone know what Alex Howell's up to. It occured to me last night that he's meant to be in Mozambique at some point-or at least that was the plan last I heard. It probably isn't anymore.

In the Mountains

Hi just a quick update for everyone, I texted Wendy today to make sure she was still alive; she is.

She said she was going to try to update the blog today but when she got to the internet cafe the internet connection was terrible so here I am.

The text says,
Still alive, in the mountains now, beutiful despite constant rain. No chocolate here, desperate now.

Does anyone think she's missing chocolate then?