Heaven on Earth, but is Gary Payton now driving minibuses in Malawi?

I got out of bed really early today. 5:30 sounds terribly early, but that's when most Africans are up anyway. I booked a taxi from the hotel to the bus station which cost me only 2 dollars. I jumped into a minibus going to Mangochi, driven by a guy that resembled Gary Payton so much I couldn't believe what I saw. I did not know that Gary Payton worked as a bus driver in Malawi. For those who does not know, Gary Payton is the best ever point guard to play in the NBA. He played most of his career for the Sonics, and of course he was my favourite basketball player. He's the reason why I never wanted to play as a forward when playing basketball?

Anyway, back to what happened today. Along the road I could spot a VCT centre in Ulongwe. That made me very happy, and I am happy to see that Malawi is also doing something combating HIV/AIDS. It may not be as good as in Uganda or Ghana, but at least they are doing something. The first leg of the day lasted only three hours, but it felt like much more. It is not a good thing being almost 2 meters. Not in Norway, not in Africa, and I guess not in Japan which is going to be the destination of my next summer holiday. Another thing is that the drivers are just driving around a long time looking for people so that he gets a full minibus. Again, I mean packed, meaning that there will be less space for my poor feet. Well, we made it to Mangochi...

In Mangochi I found the next minibus, the one that was going to take me to Monkey Bay. This was probably the least up to date minibus that ever saw the road. It makes the old Hiace that Odd Arne used at Soltun look like a sports car. In Monkey Bay I changed bus again, finally going the last leg to Cape Maclear. Those roads were really bad, and I am very glad it didn't rain.

In Cape Maclear started the not so easy hunt for a bed to sleep in. I first tried at Gaia, where the receptionist could tell me that they were closing down waiting for a new owner. Then I walked about 2 km with my backpacks to Fat Monkey, just to be told that they didn't have any available rooms. Finally, I had to walk all the way back again to Gecko's lounge, and I am really happy I did, because I got a bed in the dorm and this is a heavenly place. They're showing world cup games, and serving the best pizza in the whole of Malawi. I am going to stay here for five nights, meaning that I have four days of relaxation and boat trips ahead.

I just watched a sunset that can only be compared with the ones on the outer side of the Lofoten Islands. The lights were extraordinary. Let me just refer to what the Lonely Planet guide says about this place. "Cape Maclear ? a long piece of golden beach shielded by granite hills and thick green bush ? sits on a scenic jut of land at the southern edge of Lake Malawi? the kind of place where plans are forgotten?" (LP, Zambia & Malawi 2009: 253).

I am actually not planning anything until I have to go back to Lilongwe on Sunday?

So long?

Øyvind