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Dramatic landscape
Day 12
After an awesome experience at the Ngala Beach Lodge we departed for the next stretch of our journey. Due to some rookie errors we managed to lose track of each other due to some 8 foot swells. Day 12 and we have already lost half our team, Matt, Caiden and myself paddled to a point and waited for Sam and Guy for about 4 hours, after a long walk up and down the beach we decided to carry on thinking that they were ahead of us, we landed up camping apart for the first and hopefully the final time. We were stuck with the sleeping bags and Sam and Guy with the mattresses, was not our best decision to put all the phones in one boat. Caiden had a humbling experience when he went to the local village to get us some dinner; the chief (an old lady) was very happy with what we were doing and through translation she said that she new God would bless us and may the wind be at our backs. Once again the friendly Malawians have been there for us. When we pulled into the beach we were greeted by a local by the name of Victor, we were astounded by the knowledge he had of South Africa, he even knew where Wartburg was and half of South Africa doesn’t even know where it is. With the help of the locals we collected some fire wood and boiled some water for the next day. Caiden was kind enough to buy some Nali hot sauce which tickles the taste buds and makes horrible tasting food taste great. Three grown men stuffed into one cape union mart tent was not great but we had to stay out of the mozzies reach. Was very hard to sleep due to the fact we didn’t know where the other half of the team was.

Day 13 and we were up early to catch Sam and Guy. We paddled straight across the bay to Kande Beach, where the owner, Dave was kind enough to accommodate us. We couldn’t find our mssing team members or reach them by phone. (By the way, this is the first time our parents are hearing of this as we didn’t want any unnecessary alarm bells ringing back home.) Finally we received a message to stay put.  It turned out that they had been waiting close to our night stop, watching super rugby on tele! We suddenly heard a familiar voice and there, sopping wet and exhausted from a long paddle were Guy and Sam. We exchanged gratitude that everyone was safe. Apparently Guy had even shot off a flare to attract our attention.

Guy then shared his memorable night’s experience. While visiting the local chimbudze (toilet) he made one foot-fault and landed knee-deep in local digestive by-products. Not your best Robertson! We all agreed never to let each other out of sight on the water again.

Kande beach is an awesome place to stay. Thatched roofs and hammocks lined up everywhere. Gregelby Davies joined us and once again we landed up having a festive evening with a group of over-landers. 
Days 14 - 16

Day 14 was a day of relaxation and a short 8km paddle to the next lodge. Richard and Lauren Slater were kind enough to give us a bed and a meal. Good old South African steak and braai broodjies! It feels as though we are slowing down but I know that it is going to be totally different on the east side of the lake and we need to stock up on protein while we can.

Once again it was great to sleep in a comfy bed. 17 kms later we have pitched tent on a secluded beach in the middle of nowhere. Spaghetti with tomatoes and onions and a bit of the local chilli was probably our best meal outside of a lodge.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and donors. Without you this trip would not be possible. We have lived in our reef ski pants and rash vests every paddling day and none of us has had the slightest hint of a rash. Island tribe sunscreen has prevented sunburn and Ark dry-bags have kept our precious supplies safe!

We woke up as the sun was peeping over the horizon and hit the water for the final day of stage one. The scenery has changed incredibly over the last two days. It has become mountainous and the water has become crystal-clear. As we came around the corner into Nkhata bay, the water changed to a deep blue. It’s amazing how it can change over such a short period.

Personally, I’ve found that my right shoulder gives me some problems towards the end of the day’s paddle but it is so worth it when you get out of the water. We are staying in Aqua Africa and it has a serious Mediterranean vibe to it. We all agree that it feels like we are in Greece.

This is the end of the road for Sam. It has been a pleasure paddling with her and she has really helped us out along the way. We wish her safe traveling mercies back to Senga bay and we will definitely join her for a cold one in about 2 months time.

Marc Hampson

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The end of stage 1 and we say goodbye to Sam
Dieter Meyer
4/24/2012 11:56:12 am

Bet the folks are relieved that you're back together. Thanks for the updates and keep up the good work. Be blessed.

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Kari Currie
4/24/2012 06:28:12 pm

Hey Squeak and friends,

Pics are awesome!
You guys are doing amazingly - keep it up!
Take care and God Bless x

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Judy
4/25/2012 04:45:34 am

Oh my soul you guys.........8ft is HUGE!. We are constantly praying. Lots of love

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Mandy
4/26/2012 07:15:10 pm

So glad I didn't know about your separation at the time! A worthwhile lesson learnt. Thinking of you constantly as you head into quieter territory. Looking forward to the next update. Much love from us all at home

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Alex and Tim
4/26/2012 07:47:11 pm

Olivia and Joel liked looking at the awsome photos of your progress. The fish look rather small according to Joel! Keep it up and hope your toes are surviving. Love from us

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Mandy & Kim
4/29/2012 06:02:12 pm

Well done on passing the 400km mark! 30+kms per day is great. Hope you able to maintain your weight and energy!? Looking forward to the next batch of photos. xxx

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Lorna & Lucas
5/18/2012 08:56:05 pm

Hey - well done Guys!! Our prayers are with you it sounds so amazing. Look forward to the next update. Lots of love

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7/15/2012 04:37:15 pm

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Joseph Aidan
www.arielmed.com

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9/2/2013 04:55:59 am

Great blog post, thanks for posting this.

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