(or at least the vast majority) obeys
the law. A very good example of that
is the fact that all motorcyclists in
Rwanda wear helmets and only take
one passenger, while in neighboring
countries, the sight of a tiny Chinese
250cc motorcycle, its rider sitting on
the tank, to fit a family of six or a full
sized sofa, together with a couple of
live goats on the back does not sur-
prise anyone, let alone the absence of
helmets.
After being spoiled by not having
a dull moment of riding in Rwanda,
where all the distances were pleasant-
ly short and the roads were perfectly
curvy, we felt like Tanzania is a bit too
big, a bit too flat and a bit too hot.
We stopped for a few relaxing days
on the coast of Lake Victoria in a city
called Mwanza. Then we had a long
ride towards the very touristy north-
ern part of the country, which is home
to many iconic African animals roam-
ing the vast grasslands of the Seren-
geti and many other national parks,
which are visited daily by tens (if not
hundreds) of thousands of tourists
from all over the world.
After waving to the highest moun-
tain in Africa – Mt. Kilimanjaro as it
peeked at us during a moment when
the thick cover of clouds cleared up
before the sunset and chasing four
cheery wild zebras off the road near
lake Manyara, we turned back south
to cross this vast country and arrive
at the border with Malawi; a country
which is famous for its lake which is
home to the popular colorful fish spe-
cies - the cichlids – kept by aquarium
enthusiasts all over the world.
The white sandy beaches of Lake
Malawi host not only locals going
about their everyday errands of
fishing, bathing, laundry, but aslo
numerous groups of tourists from
everywhere you can imagine, sun
tanning, snorkeling, diving or like we
did – riding into the crystal clear wa-
TRAVERSE 21
ters of the third largest African lake
on horseback. No, not an iron horse,
but a real one, with two ears, four legs
and one horse power. That was a good
way to refresh, as the temperatures in
Malawi were torturous – no wonder
this country is nicknamed The Warm
Heart of Africa. We’re guessing that
the warmth not only means the blaz-
ing sun everyday and temperatures
above 35 degrees, but also symbolizes
the amazingly friendly and cheerful
locals.
While riding in Malawi, as nowhere
before, have we seen so many kids and
adults waving so enthusiastically at us
and smiling brightly when we would
ride past them.
Finally, after 7 great days in Malawi,
we crossed yet another relaxed bor-
der into Zambia. We headed straight
to Luangwa river valley where we
camped on the shores of the river, full
of hippos and crocodiles, and had an
amazing early morning surprise visit