I arrived in Mzuzu after a very stressful journey from Mbeya! I had originally booked a bus that would take me straight to Mzuzu and cost me around $20. I was told that I would leave from Mbeya to Karonga (the border of Malawi and Tanzania) and then there would be a bus there to pick me up to take me all the way to Mzuzu! Well from how the morning started, I should have known that this wouldn't go to plan. That morning I was escorted on a random bus going in the opposite direction, accompanied by the ticket seller who would take me to the other bus station. When we got there he put me on a medium sized bus which he said would take me to Karonga and then I would take the larger bus to Mzuzu! Well when I was told to get off the bus, a motorbike picked me up which I thought was a part of the deal, but in the end wasn't, and ended with a the driver demanding money which I didn't pay of course. Frustrated I went and changed money and headed through the border which was easy enough. When I got to the other side I showed my bus ticket and was told by everyone that this didn't exist in Malawi at all and that it was a scam. After all of this, I just wanted to get to Mzuzu, so I was taken to a place that had all the local Malawi mini buses. I guessed I was overcharged when I paid the mini bus towards the end of the journey, considering everyone laughed and paid less than me. I didn't care at this stage, for the sake of $7 I wanted to get to Mzuzu and eventually to a cool hostel Mzoozoozoo which id read about.
The bus journey there was rocky as expected but the lake views along the way were incredible. The tiny bus filled with at least 16 people each time and they would push us forward in the seats to make room for huge packages that seemed to be way to large for the small vehicle. But somehow in Malawian style, they fit, and even if they didn't, they tied the door shut. My backpack held on in the trunk, and saved itself from falling out many times. A little boy on his own, became my best friend on the journey as we gave each other thumbs up, hid from each other, pointed at the wild monkeys and ate some sweets.
When I finally got to Mzuzu I hopped straight in a taxi and headed for the countryside hostel Mzoozoozoo dubbed for being the kind of place that will change your plans maybe for a night or two...And that's how it began!
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