Marc was so excited when we were making camp the evening we arrived. So many places to climb, too little time.
A 20 meter abseil from our campsite, all the gear at your disposal for free. The following morning he woke up with an upset stomach. He took it easy and it just got worse. By the time the rest of the squad arrived he was man down in his tent.
We all worried when he couldn’t make it to supper. We all made sure some was left over just in case his appetite returned. We all watched him with an eagle eye. Just in case he had Malaria.
No headaches or fever yet, but still we kept an eye on Marc.
Mark Thompson brought out some vitamins and oranges to dose him up with. He was not getting sick, just had unbelievable cramps. Marc’s energy just disappeared. The following morning he felt more himself. The whole crew were relieved until he lost his energy before lunch. We all hoped it was just a dose of gyp o guts. He slowly regained his energy after numerous re hydrating sachets and rest.
By then all our friends and ourselves were to be moving on. It was sad to say goodbyes to friends again. Mark and Kane were off south again, James was going back to Nkhata Bay, then back to England and Caroline was heading north to Tanzania, then on to Uganda to see the gorillas. A very brave girl to be traveling alone, but wise to the world and wide awake to. She would be meeting a fellow traveler from Nkhata Bay, Theresa. Caroline is sure we would be in Dar es Salem at the same time as her, or possibly even Kilimanjaro. Hopefully it all works out and paths cross again.
We stayed an extra day just to relax and monitor our health. The Mushroom Farm was great, but unfortunately very expensive. The idea of a self sustained resort, running off solar power and using compost toilets is very intriguing and wonderfully eco-friendly, adding possibly one of the best views you can get in Southern Africa will give you a reason to rant and rave about it, but it needs to jack itself up.
Next door are really beautiful and well-run establishments. Not adding 16,5% tax above all the prices and more suitable for the average tourist. I enjoyed the Mushroom Farm, but it living off its past splendor. It is not suited for the budget traveler and its menu’s are limited and only vegetarian, so Saffa’s will suffer. It was definitely not a place for Pedal2Peak. Beers cost almost three times more than other lodges and are only mildly chilled!
