Lengwe count and the Hash in Bangwe

a Vervet monkey at the camp



warthog and baboon



warthogs would love coming to the watered lawns of the lodge where they could get good grass



Our tent and campsite



the view from the first hide, where, with the help from the WESM (and Malawi's) bird expert we spent a really enjoyable few hours ticking birds.



Nyala antelope, Samango monkeys and bushpigs



sunset at the camp



the pool at the lodge, which we could use to de-sweatify



there is a bird called Arnot's Chat!...pretty rare, and much sought after I'm sure!


What to do when the temperatures soar, up in the highlands of Bangwe? Well, one option was to go down the hill to Lake of Stars festival (unsurprisingly it is held at Lake Malawi), but nothing really grabbed us from the line up, so we couldn't face the sweat-fest it was bound to be and were looking for an alternative. One arrived in the form of the Wildlife and Environment Society of Malawi’s annual game count at Ridiculously Hot Hot Hot National Park…or at least that’s what it should have been called, but actually its official name is Lengwe National Park.

This was the 44th annual ‘game count’. To my mind it sounds like we are producing an inventory for people with guns to come in and peruse, but actually WESM are very much about protecting the wildlife, and are strongly against hunting. We were to count Nyala Antelope, which the park was established to protect in the ‘70s. By the early 1980s there were literally thousands of the animals, but relaxation of the political regime (i.e. less ‘disappearances’ of people who dis-pleased the president), constant poverty, increased population, and probably loads of other factors have meant that numbers have fallen significantly to a much lower but stable level now.

Down in the Shire Valley, Lengwe is even lower than the lake. However, as the temperature soared to 41.7 degrees Celsius on Friday (mother’s day here) we met up with J & L, and S, who we knew from the Majete hike. Their air conditioned vehicle was lovely, and the best surprise was in the back – a fridge! WESM certainly know how to camp without suffering! J & L had also very kindly lent us a tent and roll mats, so we were all set. There was a lodge next to the campsite, and some people were staying there, so the Friday night briefing was at the bar, where more deliciously cool beverages could be purchased. We were told the details on the animals we should look for, and the amount of info we were expected to include in our various sightings-forms. Quite an onerous task, but an enjoyable one.

On Saturday and Sunday we had 2 three hour shifts each, in pairs, with a different partner each time so you get mixed chat (and mixed spotting ability!). One shift would be in the heat of the day, and one in the cooler times. Saturday we did 9-12 and 3-6. Temperatures rose to 42.6 degrees Celsius so really the best thing to do (if you could not sit in an air-conditioned space) was to sit still in a hide watching wildlife at a watering hole.

The end of our shift on Saturday was quite exciting, with rare sightings of old male water buffalo and a hyena – both rare and potentially dangerous as we walked back to the lodge!

Sunday morning we were on the early shifts 6-9 and 12-3 so we could leave early in the afternoon. The day was much cooler, probably only reaching 30 degrees. The weekend was a really nice thing to do, really enjoyable to spend time in huts with people who know so much about the wildlife and are so passionate about it. I spent 3 hours with one of Malawi’s best bird-spotters, and had a great time pointing out birds for her to identify. Other sessions were spent discussing Holland vs. Netherlands, and the ubiquitous conversation of How to Solve a Problem Like Malawi (but in a very good natured way). For those that are interested, the WESM consists of African Malawians, White Malawians/Zimbabweans/South Africans, Very Long Term Ex-pats (i.e., since the ‘60s and ‘70s), medium term ex-pats and short-term visitors like Rach and I. So a real mix of people to chat to (quietly) in the huts and at the bar – very interesting group, and many of them were really lovely individuals. A great weekend, very relaxing and informative, and DEFINITELY the best thing to do when the temperature spikes above Ridiculously Hot on the thermometer!

On Tuesday we hosted the running club, “the Hash House Harriers” for the first run in Bangwe in a long time (if not the first ever). I went out with one of the Swedish volunteers in the afternoon to set the route with dots of white lime powder, and then the ‘hashers’ had to follow the trail (including many dead-ends) through the township, up hills, across streams and through the market – all the while accompanied by kids at a ratio of about 3 or 4 kids to each ‘hasher’. The bloke who was meant to turn up with the beers got stuck in traffic and had to turn back, so the evening ended up being even more of an ‘authentic Bangwe’ experience as we headed up to the local bar for our after-beers and songs and ceremonies under the watchful eyes of local kids and drinkers. The evening was topped off with a power cut, which Rach and I were really glad about. The ceremonies (including our friend A’s leaving beer as she’s moving back to London to save the world from there) were conducted in moonlight. It was all we hoped it could be, a truly Malawian experience – more representative of what Malawi really is like than the normal (lovely and really enjoyable) runs around Blantyre. Unfortunately we didn’t take any photos, but I’m sure the images of around 80 people running along the railway line will stay with us for a long time!