The day I started feeling unwell with Malaria was our second day in Malawi. We had a fantastic ride out of Tanzania the day before, with the huge climb from Mbeya and then the long descent across the border to Lake Malawi.

All riders were quite excited as we were headed for Chitimba Beach and a rest day on Lake Malawi, this is a highlight of the trip.

I rode with Wayne the 70kms to lunch, it was hot and muggy as we rode along the lake shore, added to that we were riding into a strong head wind. At lunch I was feeling beat up and as I sat in the small amount of shade that the lunch truck was able to cast I considered my options.

firstly I could ride on with Wayne, strong headwind, another 60kms, hot and humid!

secondly I could wait the few hours for the stragglers and then ride the lunch truck, waiting in the humid heat and trying to find any limited shade!

thirdly I could hitchhike with Sam!

With little persuasion required, Sam and I had loaded our bikes on the lunch truck and were standing by the extremely quiet road. Ten minutes went by, Sam tells me this is a long time without any traffic. Twenty minutes, still no cars, trucks, anything. Thirty minutes, by now half the cyclists had ridden past, Wayne was long gone riding with Anke.
Still no cars!
Finally a vehicle appears on the road, it’s one of the tours support vehicles a large green land rover. Paul the tour leader is driving, James the chef in the passenger seat.
We wave them down with the African universal signal for a lift, hand out palm down waving your hand up and down.
Paul starts to pull over and just as our hopes of an easy lift rise, he rapidly accelerates and pulls away laughing!
So we wait some more. After more waiting with no cars at all, Ok its been 40 minutes only. A small 4 door hatchback comes into view, hand signals out, and the smiling driver pulls over.
A little negotiation and we were on our way, 3 others were in the car making us 5 in a 4 door hatchback.
around the bend and there was a family waving us down, our driver screeches to a holt.
Now we were loading 2 adults and children in the car all in the hatch back part of the car.
We were off again and for the next 70kms we were constantly loading and off loading passengers
At one count there were 11 adults and 3 children as well as a massive assortment of luggage all in a 4 door hatch back!
Finally we rounded a bend and saw our trusty finish flag. Sam and I climbed through the crowd and exited the car, both with huge smiles.