Day 292 – Malawi

July 24, 2010 – Mzuzu to Nkhata Bay, Malawi

Now we’re not sure if this is true or not, but apparently when David Livingstone first came upon Lake Malawi, he asked the locals what it was called and they told him it was Nyasa – “Nyasa” being the Chewa people’s word for “lake”. Not completely comprehending their literal interpretation, he named it “Lake Nyasa”… or “Lake Lake”. And even though its name was officially changed to Lake Malawi in the 1960’s, Eric and I still prefer to call it Lake Lake.

So after settling our bill at Pine Tree Lodge, we catch a ride to Mzuzu’s bus station and soon find ourselves squished into a minibus heading for Nkhata Bay…

OFF TO LAKE LAKE WE GO!!!

Nkhata Bay is only about 50kms from Mzuzu, but it takes us about an hour and half to get there. It’s a small little town, but it’s a good starting off point for exploring Lake Malawi. Eric and I don’t really have an idea about what we’re going to do when we arrive, but we figure a night or two in Nkhata Bay will be a way to figure it out.



As soon as we get off the bus it doesn’t take long for us to pick up a few “strays” – guys offering to show us to our accommodation, even though we know where we’re going. It’s been a while since we’ve really had to deal with hassling and I think we’re out of practice – despite a change of plans, a few sudden stops, a couple polite good-byes as well as a couple not-so polite good-byes, they follow us all the way to the hostel in hopes of receiving a “commission”.

We check into Big Blue Star Backpackers and once again, we’re given one of the best rooms in the place – a reed hut sitting over the edge of the lake with a balcony facing out across the water. It’s exactly what we want!


So after settling in, we wander into town to check things out. The main strip of Nkhata Bay is lined with women selling dried fish, men selling fresh fish, minibuses waiting for passengers and people enjoying the day. We stroll around, grab a drink and enjoy the sunshine.

Unfortunately my night has a slight hiccup when I find myself not feeling 100% - a little too much sun, I think – so I end up retiring early. But Eric has a great night by winning Big Blue Star’s Trivia Contest and getting a free round of drinks out of it.