Zomba Plateau

After leaving Mvuu we headed on back down the road to Zomba where we were staying 2 nights on the plateau. We arrived in Zomba and decided to try our luck in finding this cake shop which we had both heard about and had come highly recommended to us from separate sources. Our sources were correct and had a lovely lunch there and a delicious pudding of meringue with strawberries and ice cream and fruit coulee. We then headed on up the plateau after picking up Peter and his wife (they look after the cottage we were staying at) it was a rather tight squeeze in the back for them as they had to share just one seat as the other was taken up with all our paraphernalia. It was a steep drive up a very winding road but well worth it, and just very grateful that we had the car and didn't have to walk up it. The views from the front of the cottage were breathtakingly beautiful, you can see for miles and could even see Mount Mulanje in the distance, and it is easier to see in person than via the photo I admit.

It was extremely chilly being up that high and we were very grateful for the fire that Peter lit for us (it seems to becoming a theme having fires lit for us, although employing a plastic bag technique I had managed to get the breakfast fire going at Mvuu prior to the camp staff coming to help). We did manage to end up reeking of bar-b-que afterwards though as the wind kept blowing smoke into the house, so we would have to keep opening the door to let the smoke out, rather negating any warmth from the fire. Our fire the following night was much more successful though. We were also treated to a power cut on both nights for a couple of hours which is why it all looks rather glowing in the candle light.

On the Wednesday morning we headed off on a walk around the plateau, having procured a map from the nearby hotel, and deciding that we therefore wouldn't need a guide, off we trotted. What should have been an hour's walk to the Williams falls became a 2 hour walk. Obviously the map when it said go straight on really meant turn right, but this finer point of Malawian map reading was lost on us. A short detour through the woods, across dale and river and we ended up back where we had started none the worse for our slight diversion. We did make it to Williams falls though, possibly not quite as spectacular as had been anticipating but still a really lovely view and a lovely walk.
We then walked around to the dam and then down the mountain via a very steep path, how this poor man managed to carry this wood all the way down was beyond me, I was having enough trouble not going down on my backside as it was.

This is the view from the top down to the bottom larger dam.

We left on Thursday morning ready for sun and relaxation at the lake side. There was extremely low cloud though on the way down from the plateau which made for an interesting driving experience, and when we arrived at the lake clearly someone had forgotten to put the sun out as it was cloudy and overcast all the time we were there, so we just had to make do with relaxation. Managed to watch the football match at Hiccups bar although why we bothered I am not sure as the result was pretty dismal. The world cup is being shown everywhere, so if you want to try and pretend it is not happening there is no chance. Wimbledon doesn't seem to be getting a look in, can't think why!

After plenty of relaxation it was off to Lilongwe were I was going to be spending the next week on a training course. All in all a really lovely week off.