Cape Maclear Malawi

Blog 9

GOD IS WITH US ……….JJ & SONS, so says the writing on the “kappenta” boat as it chugs by, it is 6.15 in the morning. JJ at the helm and the Sons curled up asleep on the fishing nets squashed between the paraffin lights and the dugouts which are loaded across the beam of the boat. They and many others have been out all night laying their nets. It is a tough life staged within the backdrop of tranquil beauty.

We have taken up residence at Fat Monkey’s. The Kombi is parked under a massive Mango tree and my view of the lake, half sunken boat and the island is framed by hanging mangoes that “thud” down on the Kombi roof and the ground around us at regular intervals. The beach between the no-go zone of Fat Monkey’s wall and the lake is traversed by all sorts of passing life; kids going to school, woman with large colourful plastic bowls balanced on their heads baby strapped to the back and the previous child toddling next to her, Hustlers waiting to engage the unsuspecting traveller who puts foot into this zone, with “Hullo, how are you, my name is Livingstone”  (he got around did David!) and all sort of stragglers walking to where-ever. Some prefer to paddle the distance in their hollowed out dugouts.

Fingers of Chembe village occasionally fill the gaps down to the lake which is otherwise occupied by White owned resorts of mixed nationalities.

If you flew into Cape Maclear you could be forgiven to think you had arrived in heaven, the warm water of the tranquil Lake Malawi, very agreeable weather and peace of the Lodges with their straw roofed bars on the lake edge.

I don’t think I like it, I feel like a monkey in a cage, Ewa says that we are looked at as “money on two legs”. You can’t blame them as the economic difference is massive. Yesterday we walked through Chembe village and thei little market to buy some yeast, (I am determined to perfect the making of bread!), it is really depressing, you look at them and they look at you. It is almost impossible to communicate with any sense of equality, (it is raining mangoes, a breeze got up!) then you retreat back to your largely white enclave.

I was appalled on our arrival. We were sitting under our mango  tree about to enjoy a Carling Green Label (manufactured in Malawi by the only Carling factory in Africa). Two of the Fat Monkeys children ran out into the lake, hotly pursued by their two pet dogs, black jobbies of mixed pedigree. An unsuspecting villager on his walk back home comes between dogs and children and is immediately set upon by the dogs and flees into the lake. I feel sick. The dogs back off and the villager moves on.

I approach the Fat Monkey owners. Repentant? Not a chance. “No doubt he taunted the dogs at some time in the past, welcome to black Africa!” is their reply. I ask them please not to summons me to court, as I would have to say what I saw and in any civilised country in the world the dogs would be put down before someone was killed.

How in the world can this place survive if the only reason the villagers tolerate you is economics. There is absolutely no intention of bridging the gap.

Cape Maclear reminds me of Apartheid in the sixties. Except for the falling mangoes!

I have to say that snorkelling around the island about IKm off shore was like swimming in an aquarium! Now we have to pack up and endure the 18km of hellish corrugations back to the main road.

It has been an interesting couple of days. Did I enjoy it? No, I can’t close my eyes.