Distance: 68.3 km
Ride time: 4:06:51
Average: 16.6 km/h
Max speed: 54.0 km/h
Total: 48088 km
It was a misty morning in the highlands of northern Malawi – cycling up, down, and around the spectacular rock structures typical to the region. I felt I could take a new photo after every turn…
The traffic was light, and I was able to enjoy the views at the same time as I was listening to a new set of podcasts I had managed to download on my phone. Interestingly enough the mobile internet works pretty well out here – probably because not many people have smartphones, so the capacity is mostly unused?
Later in the day I was enjoying some fast descends on the way to Mzuzu – a major town in northern Malawi. I was surprised to find a modern supermarket riding into town. I also found a nice restaurant run by locals with Indian family background. Apparently quite a few Indians made it over to Eastern Africa in the beginning of the last century. I’m quite excited about entering an area with an Indian population. I cycled through India in 2011, and now it feels like I have really been around the world as I start to see the Indian culture once again!
My 10$ hotel room was about five times as expensive as what I would have paid in the small villages, but then it came with hot water and electricity. Not a bad deal. In general Malawi is one of the cheapest countries I have visited on the whole trip!
Tomorrow I will be heading down to Nkhata Bay, a tourist town at the shore of Lake Malawi.
No wonder you mentioned you could take a photo around every bend. They look fantastic!
Out of interest, what kind of podcasts do you usually listen to?
Thanks Stephen! About half of the podcasts I listen to are Danish. Then I have some about entrepreneurship, hamradio, JaYoe who is climbing Everest, and one about Faroe Islands (I used to live there). That’s what on my list right now… By the way, sometimes very challenging to download new episodes in Africa, but once in a while you will find some fast internet.