MALAWI - THE WARM WET HEART OF AFRICA

Look at those roads and crazy traffic - love the open hatchback full of kids

Family time - getting the water

Heading to the tea plantations - such huge loads

Pluckers at work collecting the tips

And bringing in the tea for collection

We talked our way in to the Tea Plantation

Loading  the leaves into the conveyor

Crushing

The old school quality control. Note the old scales and ball bearing weights

Tea testing time. Swirl it around in your mouth and spit it out like wine!

Mr Barrows old house - it was once a lovely home

Down on the plantation - tea break

This is how its done - snip and the leaves fall into the box

Then throw it over your head into your basket

Even in rain the roadside stalls are open with umbrellas up

Gorgeous Mt Mulanje

More tea at Mt Mulanje

Housing estate

Market day takes over the main road

A bit to cumbersome to ride

The lovely St Micheals & All Angels Church in Blantyre

Lovely old buildings in Zomba

Wood cutters up on the Zomba Plateau bringing down loads of wood

The view

Carrying loads and it is steep

Imagine bringing this down the mountain

The Church in Zomba

Exploring town

Women are incredibly strong

Phew. 3 heavy bags of charcoal on their bikes

Market day

Local butcher

The beach at Kingfisher Lodge

Mending nets

Pulling in nets

The wet and muddy road to Cape MacLear - we had to turn around

The main road is flooded

Playful monkeys

Selling dried fish

Lots of big guns!

Local transport

Taxi cyclists - there is a back seat with handlebars

Getting ready for Palm Sunday

Singing

Heading out to check the nets

Going out further with sail and oars

Got one

More firewood

Our view from our campspot

Buying a rubber ball

Nkata Bay port

There are always so many men hanging around 

And lots of police stops - all very easy

Tobacco hanging out to dry

Magic driving amongst mountains and crops

The Livingstonia Church

John admires the boys toys

The stained glass scene of David Livingstone inside the Church

View from the Mushroon Farm

Oh dear! Looks they will be camped there for a while

Coming down the mountains. Rivers are brown from so much rain

Yes this is the main road

Fishing village

Rice paddies

Funeral procession - see the coffin