Niassa, Chucky Norris and John the Baptist

[metaljockey]

This time, our journey starts here.




The plan was to do a coast to coast ride. That’s lake coast to ocean coast.

Start at lovely Lake Malawi and work our way through Niassa and Cabo Delgado provinces in Mozambique to the Indian Ocean and the Quirimba islands, then double back to Lake Malawi again.

Like this;




It did not work out like that though, we got sidetracked before we got started.

As luck or Lucifer would have it, on the very weekend that we were to depart from Malawi the “Lake of Stars” party kicked off at Senga Bay, Malawi.

Lake of Stars is a music festival slash club gig with a difference. DJ’s are flown in from all over the world to do an open air show on the lake shore lasting three days.

They also fly in several plane loads of freaky, friendly, fascinating, club groupie type girls from Europe and the UK. How can you say no to that?

We couldn’t , so we sacrificed three days worth of riding.

The participants this time around;
Myself and Hennie




Nardus and Brian




Our base was Fat Monkey’s. Best spot on Cape Maclear. Cape Maclear is a nature conservancy at the bottom of Lake Malawi.

While we had a day or two to kill, some had their bikes individualized by Richie, the village artist. This is the same guy that did my 1200 in 2006, when my wife and I came through here (the Mozmalzambots trip).




And I just know you are eyeing that twenty litres of fuel in the saddle bags. Yes, we were going to need that later.







Nardus and myself playing bawu.




Visiting friends.




Hell of a spot ain’t it?




Cold beer and lazy sunsets, I just love this place man.




Anyway, the day comes and we load up for the trip, we intend to do the Lake of Stars and then leave from there for the Mozambique border.

Immediately as we pull away from our undercover parking in Cape Maclear, I hit the deck. No idea why I lost the front, but not encouraging to go down in the first 4.5m of your trip.




Our route for the day, Cape Maclear to Senga Bay.




Pulling into the venue, we score a quality camping site.




The setup basically works like this. There are two stages, a main stage with live acts, and another smaller stage, both on the beach. There are many temporary bars and eateries and a hotel that serves food. Most people camp though.

The music starts at 12:00 on the Friday and then continues until the next day at 06:00, just after sunrise. You then have 6 hours to clean up, eat breakfast and sleep, before the music starts up at 12:00 again, until the following day at 06:00. Then the same again until Monday morning.

We snapped a couple of pics that afternoon before things really got going.



















Then we partied.

I learn that European House Music is basically crap.
I learn that the local drug pushers stock some pathetic stuff.
I learn that European club chicks are helluva friendly.
I learn that the Malawian expat chicks are really good people to know.
I learn a lot of other stuff and see some wonderful things, but this is a bike forum, I don't wanna bore you.

I learn that I won’t last three days, and so after watching the sunrise on Saturday morning and participating in the booing when the music stops, we decide to get breakfast and get going.

Yeah baby, bike trip at last!!!

[nachtflug]

[bullfrog]

[Lion BR]

I can't speak for the others here. But I can assure you I'm not prone to be bored by this little deviation from the motorcycle theme. Pun intended.
Lion

Originally Posted by metaljockey

I learn that European club chicks are helluva friendly.
I learn that the Malawian expat chicks are really good people to know.
I learn a lot of other stuff and see some wonderful things, but this is a bike forum, I don't wanna bore you.

[maccajim]

Looking very attractive so far keep it up

[FatherX]

Great kick off to the report...

More please. Before you get into the riding part

[Chanderjeet]

Awesome, cant wait for the second installment.

[Nox]

Fantastic pictures so far. Can't wait for the next post.

[Horton]

F... I'm stay by my selve.

Start the moto-part, please...

[metaljockey]

So, not having slept, we hit the road at about 08:00. It will be a long day. Here’s the route.




We ride the whole day to arrive in Lichinga at night. Lichinga is the capitol of Niassa and quite a sizable place.

I have only one picture to show. A quick pitstop at the first bar just past the Moz border post.




Finding camping in Lichinga at night turns out to be quite a mission. We get lost and ride around a barrier to go down a closed street. This turns out to be the street of the Governer of Niassa’s residence. This road gets cordoned off after dark and is guarded by AK47. Our patent ignorance shows though and we get redirected and luckily not shot.

We finally find a ‘lodge’ where we can camp. It looks abandoned and has no electricity, pitch dark and we are the only people there. Two staff members make an appearance and indicate that we can stay but there is no food. They have cold beer though and no man can ask more after a long day of riding.

We are happy, we made our target for the day and we are nice and deep into Mozambique where none of us had been before.

Our first impressions of this part of Moz is that it is not pretty. For the hundreds of kilometers that we did, everything around was either burnt or cut down or both.

Where the lake is about 400m above sea level, Lichinga is situated in the highlands, 1500m up. It is a little fresher but we sleep in the open as the bungalows that are offered are on the expensive side. Especially as there is no hot water, lights or anything else for that matter.

[Clarkman]

I'm in. Subscribed.

[schismatic]

this is great, can't wait for more!

[marine dad]

i'm in...

[GB]

It's been a long time since your last awesome adventure! Thanks for the visual feast

[kktos]

I definitively like the way your eyes are seeing life.
But I'm french, after all
Audience's listening, MJ !
keep goin'.
/thierry