After the disappointment of Senga Bay we decided to call ahead in anticipation of an Easter weekend at the ‘beach’.  Having been in Africa for some time, I have learned how to ask the right questions (or so I thought), here’s how the conversation went:-

Me:  Do you do camping?

Lodge: Yes

Me: Can we camp easter weekend with a caravan?

Lodge: Yes

Me: Do you have hot water in your showers?

Lodge: Yes

Me: Do you have power we can use?

Lodge: Yes

Me: Do you have a cafe with food to sell (an odd question but we have come across cafe’s with little or no food)?

Lodge: Yes

Me: Do we need to book or do you have space? Are you having a party?

Lodge: Plenty space, no party

Me: Great, see you Friday

Lodge: See you Fliday (yup, Fliday….  We were having a problem communicating until we realised the Malawians seem to have been taught English by the Chinese.  One guide wanted us to go past the Libber and up the Radder to see the Reopards…. eh?  Past the river, up the ladder to see the leopards – what was so hard about that !!!!)

Did we get our Easter weekend in Nkhotakota????   NO !!!!!!!!!!  Despite the numerous questions, I didn’t ask the right question.

‘Do you have a bridge or road that will allow me access to your lodge’.   Yup, when we got there we discovered that the bridge and road had been washed away weeks before….aaarrrgggghhhhh    Farther North we went………..