Cape McClear is a resort town located on the shore of the stunning giant Lake Malawi. It's not a typical resort town, however, in that it's still a village where local people live normal lives, intermingling with tourists who are there to enjoy the lake and lodges. We stayed at a lodge called Mufasa, and while lying on the beach many local children approached us and started talking to us. In fact, we were quite the attraction for them. On many occasions, Malawian children sat on the beach in large groups watching our every move (as was common all over Malawi). I went to the lake shore with my friend Brittni and a big group of Peace Corps volunteers for the 4th of July weekend. In order to get there, we had to hitch. Hitching is generally the fastest and safest way to get around in Malawi. Taking overcrowded minibuses and motolas (essentially the bed of a pick-up) can be slow, dangerous (they frequently get in accidents), and uncomfortable (I once had to sit with two chickens under my feet for two hours. I thought they were going to peck me to death).
We started out in Liwonde in the morning. Our first hitch was a Malawian guy driving solo. He brought us from Liwonde to Mangochi. A little outside Mangochi, we were able to get a hitch from a Muslim man. The lake shore has a very large Muslim population. This man stopped alongside the road and bought us coconuts! We drank the milk and scooped out the flesh inside. Afterwards, he wanted to show us his house on the lake. He owns a huge mansion complete with guest houses and manicured beach. We were eager to get to the lake, however, so soon we were back on our way. The next hitch that picked us up was a couple from South Africa. They were Afrikaaners (as opposed to white South Africans of British decent. Click here to learn more about Afrikaaners). They were on vacation in Malawi and out for a drive (during a fuel crisis, yes, but we didn’t point this out since they were giving us a ride). Since the couple had no plans for the day, they offered to drive us all the way to the lake. An incredibly interesting conversation ensued about race relations in South Africa. That’s one of the reasons I liked hitching so much in Malawi. You meet such interesting people and have enlightening conversations.
After driving for an hour on the bumpiest dirt road I think I’ve ever seen, we stopped to get drinks out of the Afrikaaners’ cooler. They gave us a bottle of South African wine to share. Once back on our journey, we passed the bottle around in the back seat, careful not to take a swig while going over the giant bumps (don’t worry Mom, drinking in a vehicle is legal in Malawi). Eventually, we arrived at the lake shore. Cape McClear (and Lake Malawi) is one of the most beautiful and serene places I've ever been. The Afrikaaners decided they’d like to go on a boat ride, so they paid for us to be taken out to one of the islands in Lake Malawi and go snorkeling. We sat in a pub and drank Greens (Carlsbergs) for awhile, and then headed out on the boat. Lake Malawi is probably the clearest lake I’ve ever seen. The water is turquoise green just like the ocean. Beneath the surface you can see schools of fish swimming along. We reached the Thumbi West Island and suited up for our snorkel trip. After snorkeling and seeing tons of little cichlids, we got back on the boat and went around the other side of the island. The boat conductor began whistling for the fish eagles, Jerry and Obama, to come catch some fish. He would throw a fish into the lake and one of the eagles would swoop in and catch it in his talons. We fed the fish eagles for awhile before heading back to shore. The rest of the 4th of July weekend was spent lying on a dock in Lake Malawi with other Peace Corps volunteers and having a braai (South African BBQ) on the night of the 4th. On the 5th we packed up and prepared to head down south to Brittni’s village.
Stunning Cape McClear
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