Relax...3 days off the bike

Today was a relatively simple and quick journey. Only 50 miles further south to my next destination, the Mushroom Farm. This is an amazing hostel perched on the side of a mountain overlooking lake Malawi. What I hadn’t realised was to get to it you have to travel 5 miles up a rocky mountain track, which in 27 degrees is quite a challenge. I have since found out that the Mushroom Farm was originally planned as an over night stay for Ewan McGregor and Charlie Borman when they were filming the long way down, but Ewan’s wife could not make it up the stoney track, so they ended up staying down at the lake instead.

It took me about 45 mins to make my way up the rock track that included water crossings and making my way around land slides, before I arrived at the Mushroom Farm.

On arrival I was greeted by a very bubbly member of staff who showed me to my cabin for the next 3 nights. OMG this place was amazing. My cabin was perched on the side of a cliff with views out over lake Malawi. (The bed was made when I first walked in!)

This is the view from my cabin balcony...

However with the great views comes a slight negative. These are the loos. A hole in the ground as there is no drainage system. Not the most pleasant thing to use when you have a dodgy stomach!!!

When I arrived, mid afternoon, there were only 2 guests in the social area and realised that I had seen them both at the Malawi/Tanzania border the day before.

Later on a stream of guests started to arrive including 2 English doctors in Landrovers that I had met several days before at the Kenyan/Tanzania border. These were the guys that had warned me about the high police presence checking for speeding through the villages in Tanzania.

It was great to stay in such an amazing location which had extremely helpful and friendly staff. In addition, meeting up with some of the travellers that I had met previously to share stories was an added bonus. So coming to the Mushroom Farm was definitely proving to be a good move.

Once at the Mushroom Farm you are unlikely to just pop down to Lake Malawi for a quick ride around and then come back up again, as re negotiating the 5 mile rock climb in this heat was something I would leave until I leave the Mushroom Farm in 3 days time. In the mean time it is best to take advantage of the activities that they arrange for the guests. These are mainly organised hikes to various destinations. I opted for the waterfall trek which takes you down into the jungle to the base of the largest waterfall in Malawi, the Manchewe Waterfall. Needless to say on the way down through the jungle you are constantly looking out for snakes. However when you reach the base of the waterfall it is spectacular, even though you get absolutely soaked. However it was a must do trek, which was most enjoyable.

Under the waterfall....

My final day at the Farm was spent chilling out and drying all my wet clothes from the waterfall trek, in between the rain showers (its is the rainy season).

I now have to prepare myself for the 5 mile stoney track back down to the main road tomorrow, making my way to my next destination, Rafiki Safari camp near Nkhotakota.