Copyright © Tanya Piejus, 2003

Friday 8th July, 7.40 am

Had to get up at 6.15 yesterday morning in order to get a lift with all my stuff into town. Agnes came with me and we wandered round the city and went to the bank until it was time to meet the rest of the Truck Africa group at the Hotel Boulevard.

We are 23 plus driver and courier. Fifteen are from Edinburgh Uni., then there are two older couples, one with a teenage son, and two other 'independents' apart from me. My tentmate is Mary, an Irish nurse who's really good fun. I'm a bit pissed off about being with a load of undergrads again but at least they'll make it interesting.

We drove out to a campsite in Langata - not too far from Agnes's. After dinner cooked by three of the lads - surprisingly good!- we sat round the fire but couldn't manage much of a sing-song. Finally crawled into the tent at 11. Woken by dogs howling in the night but otherwise a good night's sleep. Breakfast at 7 after getting up at 6.

7 pm

Drive towards Arusha this morning. At 9.15 we saw our first game - 4 zebras. These were closely followed by a lone male ostrich, wildebeest and 2 giraffes. This is when I felt the trip had really begun. It was bitterly cold the first couple of hours and I had to put my sweater on.

We crossed to Tanzania at about midday. At the border town in Kenya we were beset by Maasai people trying to claim our last few Kenyan shillings. I got rid of my last 260 on a bracelet and necklace. I also parted with $25 on a Maasai necklace and carved mask. I probably could have got them for less but I feel sorry for these people who may have no other source of income. They were also bartering for T-shirts, scarves, boots, even biros. They also took payment for photos. Commercialisation of religious taboos is a pity.

The border crossings were relatively hassle-free. We stopped for lunch and were joined by a Maasai boy of about 13, his cows and 2 dogs. He was incredibly photogenic and was happy to pose for us. He had lunch with us, then his Mum turned up. I don't think she was too impressed at her son's consorting with whites. Now at Arusha and preparing for 3 days' safari. This is what I'm here for.

11th July, 7.30 pm

It still hasn't sunk in that I've just spent the last 3 days seeing the one part of the world that I've always wanted to see.

The Roy Safaris Land Rovers came to pick us up at 7.30 on Sat. morning to drive us up to the Serengeti. It took until about 4.30 to get there but we kept stopping on the way to look at things. As soon as we entered the National Park we started seeing game. I got rather too snap-happy and used up most of a roll of film - I only had two slide films with me. The rest of the time I forced myself to be more selective. I got photos of each of the game species we saw, then any other worthy shots.

The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area were everything I dreamed they would be. Over the 3 game drives and other times in the trucks we saw everything except cheetah - disappointment - but saw the Big Five - elephant, rhino (black), buffalo, lion and, best of all, leopard - a lucky find of a half-eaten gazelle up a tree which we returned to later and so had the leopard. We spent nights at campsites in the Parks being excellently cooked for and listening to the night sounds - lion, hyena and various birds, some of which I managed to photograph.

It's impossible to describe the weekend in detail and probably pointless. I hope the photos will do the experience justice but I doubt it. It was pure natural magic.

13th July, 7.25 am

Yesterday we were in the centre of Arusha just after 8 am. I had to change money, send a postcard to Mum and, most importantly, buy new batteries for my XGM - stupidly I didn't bring spares and of course it conked out on the morning in the Crater. There weren't many good b/w shots anyway so it wasn't a great disaster. Batteries only cost TSh 1000 - not much more than at home. I also bought a makonde carving as my Tanzanian souvenir and 2 ebony elephants for Chris and Jackie. Arusha is a really cool place.

Hit the road towards Dar Es Salaam at 10 am. As we drive along most of the local kids wave and shout to us and we cheerfully wave back. Some beg for money, clothes or food. The adults mostly stare. A few wave and some give insulting or rude gestures or throw stones. It's a shame that even here people lose their tolerance as they get older.

The road down was 95% bush with occasional scatterings of wattle and daub huts with thatched rooves, red from the rusty mountain soil. This is the Africa of storybooks - it's nice to know it still exists. Khangas are far more popular here than in Kenya as Agnes's Mum had said and nearly all the women, and even some of the men, are attired in brightly-coloured cotton. It's an extremely attractive setting.

Drove all the rest of the day and didn't set up our bush camp in a quarry by the road till 8 pm, well after dark. Hit the road again at 7 am to make the 1.30 ferry to Zanzibar Island.

The group has come together quite nicely. The Edinburgh crowd aren't cliquey and the 3 of us independents have integrated easily. The 2 older couples tend to stick together fairly understandably. Their son, James, seems happy in both camps. It's a squash on the truck but we seem to manage. My attempt at washing has ended up with most of my clothes being dirtier than when I started!

14th July, 3 pm

Had a 3 hr drive to Dar Es Salaam and caught the ferry at 1 pm - the one we'd originally arrived for wasn't running because it was too windy. The journey was quite rough - there was a big swell but only one person was sick. Schools of porpoises swam by the boat. The journey took 4 hrs on a packed, open-top deck. We had 3rd class tickets but, because we were white, we had 1st class seats. When we reached Zanzibar they didn't put out a gangplank so we had to walk along the side of the ship, with packs, and jump over a foot of water to the quay. Total nightmare - especially as other people were trying to get on at the same time. Once we got off, we had to go through immigration. It's like entering another country even though it's part of Tanzania. A bloke called Lally offered to take us round the cheap hotels to find rooms so 4 went off with him, leaving six of us at immigration. The 2 couples and James went off together and the other 8 formed a separate group. Eventually we found space in the Jambo Guesthouse for $9 a night. I had a single room to myself - the others had triples. Lally took us to change money and to the Jamatui Gardens for food - all for free. Ate kebabs, chips, barbecued sweetcorn, mince omelette and 2 glasses of sugar-cane extract for about 70p. Met the others at the Africa House Hotel which ran out of booze, so the 10 of us moved on to the Fisherman's Bar in the Old Town and met some locals. 2 of them said that Lally worked for the CID and that he'd take us to the east coast for 1200 TSh then demand 1500. If we didn't pay he'd then take us to the police and some trumped-up charge. We thought this was bullshit just to make us hire them to take us to the coast instead. We also went to what looked like a really dodgy nightclub at first but turned out to be quite good. Girls got in free, boys paid 700 TSh! Left there at about 2 am and wound our way through the little, narrow, dusty streets to the guesthouse. Even walking around in a big group, I still felt slightly insecure. It's a very easy place to get mugged but has bags of atmosphere for all that.

16th July, 7.35 am

Drove out to Jambiani Beach on Thursday morning with the 2 guys we'd met in the bar the evening before. Lally turned out to be a fake after all and threatened to report us to the police when we told him we'd arranged to go the coast with someone else for only TSh 500. Obviously the other guys were right. We paid him off for the night before and it was with much relief that we watched him walk away for good. The drive to the beach was reminiscent of the safari - rocky, dusty roads and a bruised coccyx. We bought konyagi (34% proof spirit made from cane sugar - vicious stuff!) and crates of beer. We all gasped when we first saw the beach - blue sky, turquoise sea, white sand, palm trees. We were all expecting the Lilt Man to appear at any moment!

Spent the afternoon swimming in the sea once the tide had come in, writing postcards and strolling up the beach. We are staying in double rooms in a sort of bungalow building for $7 a night. It has proper flushing loos and cold showers. Expectedly, there are quite a few other tourists but it's very unspoilt and black kids come round saying 'Jambo!' all the time and selling doughnuts.

We spent the evening eating crab and chips, and then drinking konyagi and telling each other crap jokes all night.

Got up for sunrise yesterday morning and took some photos and went for a swim. We'd booked a guy called Rama to go snorkelling. 6 of us went out in a wooden catamaran-style boat with a rice bag sail and leaking like a sieve. It was very cool - just like on all the TV progs and films I've ever seen about tropical islands. There were lots of fish and some interesting corals but the current was quite strong and it was tiring. Very few cowry shells, though, as the people catch them and sell them to tourists. Inevitably, in a few years that reef will be covered in sea urchins and totally wrecked.

Spent the afternoon sunbathing, walking, swimming, taking photos and poking around in the sandy pools. Found the other group of 8 down the beach and arranged to have an all-you-can-eat-for-TSh2000 buffet at the hotel next door. It was really excellent but I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I should as I'd had the squits all day, probably from last night's crab.

We walked along the beach to where the others were staying. They were supposed to be having a bonfire but it didn't happen so we all came back. Sat on the beach chairs with a lantern and frightened each other shitless with ghost and murder stories, drinking more konyagi of course.

Got up at 6.30 this morning and took more corny sunrise photos and went for another swim. This place is so idyllic I could stay here for ever.

18th July, 12 pm

The same group of guys that took us out to Jambiani picked us up at 9 am to take us back to town. It was an open-sided bus this time and we were all plastered with fine dust and had our bums severely battered on the diabolical road. They played cool reggae music all the way and 2 lads hung on the back, jumping on and off with apparently nt thought for personal safety at all.

Wandered around town a bit returning beer bottles and posting postcards and had a very bizarre lunch of day-glo poppadoms and hot coconut chutney. It was so hot in the afternoon (34 deg C) and humid that none of us felt like doing much, so we just hung around the guesthouse showering, drinking cold drinks and some were smoking joints. Went for a short walk to take a few slides of the streets.

We'd arranged to meet the rest of the group at the Africa House Hotel at 6 pm to collect our ferry tickets. Went back to the Jamatui Gardens for dinner. Met 2 really cool white colonial blokes in the bar and chatted to them for about an hour. They do safaris and diving trips in Kenya and were doing an ecological survey on Pemba at the time.

Still had the squits yesterday morning after 2 days of it so took 2 Immodium. These actually made me feel worse for a while until I had some lunch and it seems to be fine now. Caught the hydrofoil back which only took 1 1/2 hrs and met up with the truck again. Stopped for food, curios and fish for dinner. Spent the afternoon with my cook group cooking up a big fish feast of red snapper, parrot fish and prawns which went down very well all round.

Now on an 8 hr drive en route to Malawi. Just sent a p/card home from Morogoro.

19th July, evening

Drove through Mikumi Game Reserve and sat on the seats on top of the cab. It was extremely windy but had a great view. Saw a group of 9 giraffes right by the road, elephants (one c. 15" away), a troop of c. 30 baboons, wildebeest, hartebeest and zebras.

Camped by a 'waterfall' last night - actually a trickle over a few rocks. But it was still a very pleasant spot to pitch camp. The lads cooked curry for dinner. Washed my hair under the waterfall this morning which was freezing cold but very refreshing. Filled up the water canisters at the same time.

Stopped for lunch by the roadside and were immediately the subject of attention for about 20 kids. They watched our juggling and frisbee-throwing with great interest and even joined in themselves. They watched us eat what to them must have seemed a feast. We gave them what was left. As we were leaving, a girl of about 15 said 'Give me your pen' as she'd noticed my Slimbridge pen when I'd dropped it from my pocket. I gave it to her and it was worth losing it just to see the expression of pleasure and gratitude on her face. The others tried to grab it from her but she protected it as if it was the most valuable thing she'd ever been given.

Now camped just north of the Malawi border in readiness to cross in the morning.

20th July, 6.20 pm

During the bitter night the fire grill, bin and deckchair were nicked and some of Paula's clothes were pinched from under her mozzie net. Drove to Tukuyu - noisy, dirty, frantic and pressured. Not a pleasant place but it was the last major town before the border and we needed to buy food, etc. The border crossing was relatively easy. We had to say how much money we had but they didn't check or search the truck. Good thing they didn't really, as we'd all changed money on the black market on the Tanzanian side of the border! Stopped for lunch soon after and were immediately set upon by about 50 kids from a nearby school. One of them, a 13-year-old lad called Allexios, wanted me to be his 'penny-pal' so we swapped addresses. He wanted me to give him something. I would have liked to but after the jealousy my gift caused yesterday amongst the other kids, I thought it best not to, but promised to send him something from England. We played frisbee and football with them all.

Malawi is drier than the part of Tanz. we've just left - like northern Tanz. - more acacias, less palms. The lake is stunning and we've just pitched camp at M'Buta Lodge camp ground. Cold showers and beer on tap - (relative) luxury! Also picked up a lone traveller called Hamish who, coincidentally, also goes to Edinburgh Uni.

22nd July, 8.30 am

Had a good night at M'Buta Lodge. Went for a swim in the lake in the moonlight - the biggest communal bath in the world! It was just like being by the sea but it wasn't salty, there was no sharp coral or starfish to cut feet and the tide's always in. I was fantastic. It was so good to feel really clean again as well.

Had a relatively late lie-in yesterday morning - breakfast at 7.30. But everyone got up at 6 anyway to go for a swim. It was a very refreshing way to wake up. Drove to Mzuzu to shop. Very civilised, clean and organised town. It even has a supermarket that sells Marmite! Changed up some money and tried to buy contact lens cleaner in the chemist but that was too much to hope for. Had lunch in town - samosas, Coke, a doughnut and a banana, all for about 50p. Bought a packet of chocolate digestives which cost £1.40!

Everyone seems to have fallen in love with Malawi. After the game parks and Zanzibar we were all thinking that the rest could be a disappointment but it just keeps getting better. And there's still Vic. Falls and the Okavango Delta to look forward to.

Took a sandy track down to Kande Beach but got stuck on the way. Had to dig the truck wheels out and run the truck out on metal duckboards. When we stopped we were beset by the usual group of local kids chorusing 'Halloooooo!' as each of us got off the truck and holding out their hands. They were very excited about us and asked our names and posed for photos. One little lad asked for my address but one 13-year-old Malawian penpal is enough!

The Kande Beach campsite is extremely cool. There's the classic hippy beach bar made from reeds, structured round a tree. It has aeroplane seats and old dug-outs to sit on, sells the Malawi equivalent of Konyagi which is even rougher and more lethal, and plays cool '60s music. It's the ideal place just to hang loose which is what we'll be doing today after a two-hour truck clean. We can also get our laundry done by the locals.

I was going to sleep out under my mos. net last night, and several people did, but decided against it because I didn't want to be woken up at first light. I wish I had slept out because I woke up in a claustrophobic panic, convinced I was in the wrong tent. Very bizarre! I'll definitely sleep out tonight.

23rd July, 9.25 am

We had made a radical break with the itinerary and unanimously decided to stay here for a second full day at the expense of a whole day at the Wheelhouse which apparently has a naff beach.

We had our truck clean yesterday morning. It took two hours to clean the truck top to bottom. I scrubbed out the cage. All the cutlery and pots etc. were thoroughly washed and sterilised and a stock-take was done under the floor. We have to do this twice more before the end of the trip.

I gave my laundry to one of the local staff to do for 50p. It had dried within two hours. We had a game of volleyball and went swimming. The lake here is just great - no stones at all.

After lunch of boiled eggs and potato salad, seven of us took the camp boat out and paddled to the little island that is about 1 km offshore. We took masks and flippers and went snorkelling. The fish were incredible - much more in quantity and quality than on the reef in Zanzibar. It was just like swimming in a giant tropical aquarium.

It was a full moon last night so the bar was doing special Full Moon Cock Tales called the 69er and Flight to Oblivion. The first was a powerful mixture of malibu, gin, Power's, vodka, soda water and orange juice. The second had ouzo, ginger ale, soda water and, later on, plum soda. I had two of each, then set up my mozzie net on the bushes by the bar and had a very pleasant night's sleep. Except for waking up rather annoyed because someone had left a bright light on. It wasn't till the morning that I realised it was, of course, the moon!

I've had an embroidery thread braid put it the back of my hair in red, white, green and black - the national colours. It was done by Gisa, one of the staff - a skin-headed Scandinavian (?) girl. It cost £3 and can last for a year with careful looking after. It'll be a good souvenir of Malawi and, particularly, Kande Beach.

25th July, 7.30 am

Writing this sitting in bed in a 'five-star hotel' in Salima Bay. This means it has a hot shower (my first of the trip), air-conditioning, sterilised water, a phone and use of the swimming pool.

Phoned home last night and talked to Mum for three minutes - cost 72 Kw (£6). The hotel room costs about £22, without breakfast, but what the hell - I'm on holiday!

Spent our extra day on Kande Beach reading, swimming, sunbathing and playing volleyball. It's a hard life! In the evening a cake had been cooked that was heavily laced with hash. I had about half a slice and felt no effect at all, but some people were tripping quite seriously. Dorothy had written a poem about us all and events on the expedition so far which was she recited after dinner. It was very funny and much enjoyed by all. I must get a copy.

Drove to the Livingstonia Beach Hotel where we are now after a sad farewell to Kande Beach. Stopped off at the Wheelhouse on the way to make arrangements for a pig on a spit tomorrow night.

Most people spent last night on the beach under their mosquito nets. But a few had their doubts after Paula warned us not to go in the lake after dusk or before dawn - the reason? Hippos! Apparently, they come to the shore to feed at night and can very dangerous. The hotel actually prohibits lake swimming after 6 pm!

26th July, 2 pm

Had another hard day on the beach yesterday drinking soda, watching water-skiing, reading, etc., etc. Was going to go water-skiing but it was too choppy by the time it came round to my turn. Went out to an island instead - excellent snorkelling , big cormorant colony and fish eagles.

Glenn came down with malaria but seems to be recovered now. He was fit enough to drive us to the Wheelhouse anyway.

Now watching a whole pig being spit-roasted for dinner.

Tried water-skiing this morning. Had four goes and managed to go a short way in a crouching position but the skis kept coming off my feet as they were too big. Still, it was good fun and I'd have another go some time.

27th July

Practically everyone abandoned their tent last night and used mos. nets instead.

The Wheelhouse does have a good bar as Paula had promised - it's round and placed on legs in the water with a jetty leading up to it. The only problem was, there wasn't any water under it so it looked a bit silly. The dry season drought is becoming increasingly evident as we head further south. It's becoming more savannah-like all the time.

The pig roasted all afternoon and was finally ready at 6.30 pm although some bits were still red. It wasn't to everyone's taste but I enjoyed it. No-one on this trip is vegetarian fortunately! After the meal, which we all mucked in to clear up, we all hit the bar and had a fairly rowdy session. The bar staff didn't look too impressed.

Now in yet another beach campsite. There is an option to pull out of here tomorrow and have an extra day at Vic Falls which I'd prefer, but it has to go to the vote, of course.

29th July, 3.20 pm

It was decided by majority vote to stick to the itinerary and stay at Palm Beach, Monkey Bay, largely due to finances. I got up early and went to look for birds. The night before I'd discovered a cut by the water that was stuffed full of birds, so went back there. Saw a really good selection including a malachite kingfisher only 15' away.

Then had to rush to the loo with an attack of diarrhoea. Took one Immodium which didn't cure it and made me feel terrible. Thought having lunch would make me feel better but in the afternoon I felt worse. Crashed out on my carry mat but by late afternoon I was running a temperature of 101 deg F and felt like I was getting flu.

Another space cake had been made and drinking games planned for a birthday celebration, but I had to go to bed straight after dinner and missed all the fun.

Felt much better this morning but still have the shits in a big way. Drove to Zomba today via craft markets where I bought a Malawi chair with fish eagles on it.

Everyone seems to have lost track of time. No-one knows what day, or even what month it is. Not that it matters particularly.

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