Following a very relaxing week in Nhkata Bay we decided to head to Livingstonia. This is an area with a rich colonial history and being on the top of a mountain, fabulous views. It is however a little off the tourist circuit so can be difficult to get to. However, we were incredibly lucky and getting off the minibus at the turn off there was a truck waiting (to try and get some paying passengers) to go up the hill. It's about 15km which would be a very long walk up hill with packs on. The view from the top was jaw dropping, with mountains heading down to the lake. After winding our way up 20 hairpin bends we reached Mushroom Farm. Our room was a simple A-frame which was totally open on the side facing the view, absolutely stunning!!
The next day we walked the 8km into town where exploring all the sites and doing some shopping took about 1 hour (although it was interesting all the same) and it was quite strange seeing all these colonial buildings in Africa. We also walked to the waterfall, and found the cave where locals hid from slave traders (this is behind the falls, so a bit wet and muddy). It was a beatiful area and very different from anywhere else we've travelled in Africa.
Getting down again was a bit trickier and we ended up walking the whole way. In 3 and a half hours on the road we saw one car going downhill and it was full. By the end we were exhausted and collapsed at the bottom, without even enough energy to find ourselves a drink. Also, the passing minibuses were full so we ended up hitching - which was the best trip yet. We went with a local man in a very plush rental car, which even had seatbelts!!! We each had are own seat and only one bag around our feet, what luxury. He was incredibly nice and drove us all the way to our hotel (despite the fact this was one town further on than he was going) and refused to accept any money. Blissful.
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