Chilling by the lake and Plan C...

Well, tomorrow we move on from Senga Bay – our first long holiday! These last few days have been really great. We have a spot about 30m from the lake, the water is always warm and inviting, and our coffee machine is still working (surprisingly!)

Up until this morning, we were neighbours with a couple and their 5 year old daughter returning to Holland (www.terugdoorafrika.nl); a father & son from George on 2 month travels and a small overland crew on their way back south on their 24 day round trip.

As of this fine Christmas morning, and right up until 2am tomorrow morning (so we hear) we’re also neighbours with half of Lilongwe ... apparently the whole town has an agreement to go to Senga Bay (Steps Campsite) to enjoy the water, the sun, the parking facilities in the campsite and the tables & stuff that the campers leave lying around!!Basically it’s been like we’re camping on Clifton 4^th Beach for the day – but in Africa! (Actually very pleasant and happily festive). We moved upwards away from the campsite crowds to the hotel upperclass – where they charge you to swim and provide entertainment (singing & drums & dance through blown speakers) while you eat your buffet lunch. We booked a lunch table with our travelling neighbours from the 24^th; and shared our picnic table and braai grid, as well as Xan’s toys with our neighbours from the 25^th a bit later on when we found our Truck again amongst the growing crowd in the campsite.  It was quite an education on how other cultures celebrate Christmas.

So our time at the lake has been fantastic. The picture of the kids swimming with their clothes on is from the first late afternoon we got here – before we were even parked and plugged in to our site they were in the water clothes and all, and since Xan convinced himself that he CAN swim now, he’s been absolutely LOVING the water – he’s even taken up Stand Up Paddleboarding ... exotic beginning.  We’ve been enjoying having the PaddleBoard here with us, and even got in a few waves this morning after a night of stormy wet season wind swells.  Laura has enjoyed the peace of paddling without the stress of looking out for shark fins, the occasional imaginary hippo grunt is a bit unnerving though.

Hendrik & Alex & their daughter “Phine” (Josephine) have been great neighbours – the girls especially have enjoyed playing Barbie dolls, and dressing in their best dresses together. They’re 7 weeks into their 5 month journey back home to Holland after 4 years in SA building, running and now selling a game lodge in Hoedspruit. Trusty Landcruiser 70 s/w doing the job for them!

So our plans have changed again... now the latest (plan C) is that we’ll leave Max in Nairobi at Jungle Junction (a place where overlanders leave their trucks and cars and motorbikes while they go back home for a break ... long term secure storage) and we’ll fly home near the end of January, and return to Nairobbery sometime later (May onwards) to do plan M, N, O or P (Ethiopia? Uganda? Southern Africa? Sudan & Europe? Cairo?)... its great not having a plan!

Tomorrow (26^th) we’re heading further north to Nkhata Bay for another 3 day relax, and then we’ll head further north (past Koronga where the earthquake was) to a National Park (Nyika) and then Tanzania (Zanzibar, Serengeti, Ngorogoro) & then into Nairobi, Kenya. We’re driving straight past Kilimanjaro International Airport, and have 4 extra beds (roof top tents) with us if anyone wants a ride into Serengeti?

That’s it, we’re having a great time, and trust that you’re all having a good time too!