Diary Extracts

THE ARRIVAL

Whilst waiting for the scouts to arrive we began to get to know each other. We attracted the attention of the local children. It started with just three and ended up with a large crowd watching us. The scouts arrived and we had brief introductions before settling on the bus and travelling to Uledi. The journey was dusty and we all got very orange tans (that washed off). We stopped for lunch near the edge of a hill with spectacular views of the African landscape. It seemed to go on forever. We could already see the evidence of poaching from burnt areas. Later in the afternoon we arrived in Uledi, where we met the final two scouts to join our team. Finally the whole team is together and we waded across the North Rukuru River and set up camp around a magnificent large tree.

RECONNAISSANCE

Our reconnaissance team left at the same time as the survey teams and got to the last known water point some two hours later. The Upper Mpero River was a series of pools and small waterfalls. Quite recently, poachers had used the camp, which subsequently became known as Camp Overton . We set up camp and then walked well with light packs, reaching the ridge path for lunch and a much needed hour's rest in the shade of a Brachystegia tree while admiring a splendid view of Mpanda to the North and Kawozya to the south.

BLEAK HOUSE

We walked along the grassy ridge, with the Nyika National Park laid out below us to the west and eventually views to Lake Malawi to the east. After about half an hour we came to the ruins of Bleak House. It was believed to be the retreat of the missionary Robert Laws, who set up Livingstonia in the 1880's. They moved away from the ravages of malaria at Cape Maclear and Bandawa on the lakeshore. The bricks were well made and the walls stood stubbornly against the onslaught of vegetation. Trees a foot thick dominated the lounge but this showed that it had been used much more recently than we had previously thought. We had often talked over previous years of visiting this site but it always seemed too far from our camps in the Mondwe and Chipome valleys and the long-running Base Camp at Nganda. Now we had at last found the site and there was a feeling of great discovery, knowing how rarely anyone comes this far, as indicated by the lush vegetation inside the building. Kingfrey found a small watercourse in the evergreen forest just below, so our mission to find a campsite was accomplished. We set off hot foot back to our camp below, to arrive before dark. I apologised for the over-spiced rice and the beans weren't ready until bedtime - so we had supper largely for breakfast. Flexibility is the art of an expeditioner!

SETTING UP CAMP

We left Base Camp for our next camp near Kawozya. It was a long walk and all our backs were sore from carrying our large rucksacks. During our journey the scouts showed us a poachers' hut, which they had found previously. We pulled the hut apart and burnt it. We walked down a steep hillside and through bushes to the area, which was to be our camp. We all stood looking at very thick vegetation wondering how we would all fit in, within minutes the scouts had cleared the area. Running alongside the camp is a lovely stream with a fallen tree over it, proving an ideal area for sitting and for drying clothes.

PATROLLING

Whilst out on our trek, we stopped to take our first breathtaking views from within the park. Standing at the top of a small hill we could see for miles ahead of us; the hills folding in to each other and covered in trees. With the keen eyes of the scouts, Grandson and Solister, we found 15 snares, used to trap birds. The scouts dismantled them all, probably to the annoyance of the poachers. We gained a better idea of how close you have to look for even the smallest signs of animals, which the scouts can spot so easily. The scouts brought us some nsima and relish for us to try. This is their staple diet.

POACHERS

Walking to our allocated random square we stopped when Hassam and Solister spotted four people walking in the distance. We all crouched down so as not to be seen by the poachers. We hurried along as quietly as possible until we reached the stream where the scouts left us. Hassam Patel took us to an old poacher camp to wait for the return of the scouts. We sat anxiously awaiting their return. After what seemed like hours we heard what sounded like gunfire. Then from nowhere the scouts appeared, laughing. The 'poachers' turned out to be Quincy, Laura, Roxanne and Laxton. Somewhat disappointed we continued on our way.

EVENING CONFERENCE

We next held a meeting to refocus our aims. Chris Neal gave a brilliant talk at the start of the meeting, saying how much he was enjoying the expedition experience, meeting new people and discovering Africa . We focused back on the project work, which Catherine Tabor and I went through in detail. Hassam gave a really good talk, introducing himself as one of the two botanists on the expedition and explaining the importance of the work. I was not sure that everyone would have understood his strong accent, but a star speech nevertheless. Richard Nyirenda gave a good talk explaining that these were areas they could not patrol without the help of the expedition and thanking everyone for their support. Poor Peter had retired to bed unwell but said that he and Michael had heard most of the proceedings from within the tent. Right on cue, near the end of the meeting when I introduced the 'large mammal project', was a series of Hyaena calls causing great excitement. We slept with our leather boots inside the tents that night, so Hyaenas wouldn't get them. That night as soon as everyone had gone to bed, a Leopard came right through the camp, close to our tent and a little later, a Jackal called close by. In the morning, we found fresh Hyaena prints on the sandy path skirting round close to our camp. Whilst the camp was quietly guarded by Quincy and a scout during the day before, a troop of about forty Baboons had visited, coming right into the camp and close enough for some good photos.

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN MEALS

The scouts were very generous and often let us try the food that they eat. The main food that is eaten at every mealtime is nsima. This is maize flour, which is boiled with water until it thickens. Nsima is normally eaten with a relish; this could be anything from boiled vegetables to kapenta , a dried fish. Although these foods were interesting to try, they generally didn't tickle the group's taste buds. The scouts occasionally would eat cassava for breakfast. This was boiled and can be best likened to sweet potato. This was definitely a favourite of the group and was sometimes preferred to porridge, when the groups were split and were in separate areas of the park. The cooking was shared on the fire between group members and the scouts. Rice, cooked the Malawi way, with salt added to taste, was enjoyed. With the smoked flavour coming from cooking on an open fire it was a very enjoyable breakfast.

During the evenings when the groups are sat around the fire, the scouts would usually roast nuts. The nuts were heated and then a small amount of water and salt was added. This was also a very tasty snack. The Malawi way of cooking mentioned earlier is a basic procedure that very future group should be aware of. Firstly the fire should be built up and left to burn. The food cooked out in the bush should always be cooked for a long time. This is to ensure it is cooked but also that all the germs are killed off. When boiling food, there should only be enough water added to cover the contents. Water should be continuously topped up when needed. This is because generally most foods are dried and they need along time to re-hydrate.

Biosearch Expedition Team - © Biosearch Expeditions