CAPE MACLEAR TO ZOMBA. ZOMBA TO MULANJE MULANJE TO MDEKA

Route: Cape Maclear to Zomba. 190km. On M3 potholed tar road. 
 Route : Zomba to Mulanje. 140km. To Limb - Thyolo - Mulanje. Decent tar road. 

 Route : Mulanje to Mdeka. 245km. but 80km was going around mountain on dirt road. Mdeka is 40km. N. of Blantyre. 

 Was a fun few days hanging out with Andi and Inga , Alex and Evelyn at Fat Monkeys. Got off to a late and lazy departure after all the good byes and headed to Zomba.
Stayed at Cassa Rosa , nice camp spot and only person there . Went for a ride after pitching my tent up to the Sunbird on a nice steep winding tar road and had the best cappuccino overlooking Zomba in the mist. Lots of people on the road with bicycles stacked with wood which they push down the the mountain for 6 km, holding on for dear life as it is a steep descent and the woman have the wood bundled pro ably 40kg. on their head.
 Had a tin of Woolworths tomato soup which is excellent better than most restaurants believe it or not and a Tim Noakes favourite. Which reminds me when Evelyn first saw me at Katima I was fat from all the good living in Cape Town and then when she saw me in Fat Monkeys she asked me if I was eating and am I okay cause I have lost so much weight , so that was encouraging.

 Camping was $5 and included a small breakfast of toast and coffee after which I left to ride the plateau. Was real misty and damp and could not see a thing sometimes it was so thick. Started off on wet clay and was all over the place , plus on the ground where I seem to reside a lot. Luckily that ended but it was basically a trail and a rough one at that and was a good work out for me , especially with my head bearing gone , it's like steering a tanker when you go slow. Took about two hours and was relieved when it was over , would be a fantastic ride in the sun and if you could enjoy the views , as Alex told me afterwards.

 Left Zomba at 11am and headed for Mulanje which is on the border of Mozambique way down south. Went to camp at the Mulanje Golf Course which is real nice for camping and I was the only one there , besides the military chopper on the fairway and a truck load of troops. The head of the Air Force (Malawi may have 5 aircraft ) Military Operations were on the stoep about to have lunch. They are after the poachers and the people cutting down all the trees on the mountain and we're trying to chopper the troops to the top for a two week operation but with the foul weather had to wait for another day. He was more interested in my bike than his operation drinking a Scotch to boot. Was club night so ended up having supper with club members , all foreigners working for the tea companies , Indians an Austrian and a Jaapie, was a lot of fun listening to their stories. Rained all night and the barman offerede a bed in the clubhouse but I declined like a fool. Wind and rain throughout the night bit was dry inside amazingly enough , and was fortunate that it stopped when I rolled up. Had a lekker Ouma Rusk with my coffee and then rode around the mountain, 80km on dirt , some slippery as snot but did not go down surprisingly but had a few close one's.

 Then headed on the M2 to Blantyre then the M1 , 40km to Mdeka to the orphanage that Alex and his wife manage. Quite the compound and have a room in the new dorm , nice bed and bathroom , utter luxury for me . Had a great pasta for dinner and then enjoyed a big bed and the bathroom facilities . Have the place to myself as there are no volunteers at the moment , so is most enjoyable being able to unpack and relax inside without having to zip and unzip the the tent a hundred times a night.