AFRICA

On the way to the plateau

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After having spent six months travelling through Africa and missing Malawi, I'd always wanted to go there one day. Everyone around me was climbing Kili but I wanted to climb Mount Mulanji, Malawi, so off I went.

My adventure started at Blantyre’s Chilewa airport, followed by a short drive along a road lined with stalls, mainly selling second-hand clothes donated by well-meaning overseas organisations. Unfortunately this has ruined any chance of poorer African countries ever having their own clothing industry and everywhere, tailor’s who run-up clothing from local material, are going out of business.

Surrounded by gum tree plantations and hills, sprawling Blantyre is the commercial capital and main industrial centre of Malawi with a laid-back atmosphere and natural beauty. Streets bustle with traffic, particularly pregnant minibus taxis and people, the women wearing colourful sarongs of African fabric. The main landmark is Le Meridien Mount Soche Hotel. Perpendicular to this is Victoria Avenue lined with craft stalls where traders are eager to do deals. It was fun bargaining for hand-painted animals in soapstone and wood, clay figures, mats and baskets, model bicycles, trucks and cars made from wire or raffia and of course Malawi’s famous chief chairs. In the main market, I was amazed to find pharmaceutical drugs for sale, from headache pills to anti-malaria medication. Multi-coloured little piles, unlabelled and sold in tiny handfuls.