Malawi

Well. Since you last heard from us we have:
- Sat next to a local vomiting violently on the ferry back to the mainland from Zanzibar
- Caught the Tazara 'Express' train from Dar Es Salaam to Mbeya that took 30hours, only 6hours behind schedule which is actually very good. We have heard it can take 4 days!
- Been refused access into the second internet cafe we tried to use in Tanzania! (is it cause I'm white!)
- Arrived in Malawi (phew!)
- Watched locals buy 2mx2m straw mats, fruit, torches, milk, meat, fish - in fact anything you could wish for from the window of a bus or train. We have been more conservative in our purchases, the boiled eggs with heaps of salt are good!

It is great to be out of Tanzania and in Malawi. The contrast between the two people couldnt be greater. On the one hand you have Tanzanians, who really don't want you in their country and resent tourists and on the other hand you have Malawis, a much poorer country whose people are open, friendly, HONEST!!, and will have a chat with a real interest to LEARN.... Yes there are the odd exceptions as there a the odd exceptions in Tanzania. We met a very nice Tanzanian on the train but Alex feels the majority of the T's have been tainted by the mass resort tourism and the huge amounts of money Mzungus throw around at the Serengeti safaris, on Kili (we are guilty of this one) and on the big exclusive resorts on Zanzibar (where the locals are not even employed but staff brought in from S.A or India to serve its clients).

Ok so enough ranting. Back to Malawi.
We like. Its a bit hot though.
After a few not so nice rooms in the small Malawian towns (pics to follow) we have found a beaut spot on the lake (Malawi that is) with great burgers, and simple wooden huts right to sleep in (actually its probably the nicest room we have stayed in since arriving in Africa). Amms spent yesterday afternoon on a boat trip to a nearby beach where we played games with the locals including the hop, skip, jump game (a version of beach long jump).