To the heart of Africa

Vast swarms of midges rise up from the surface of the inland lough on hot days in summer, having spent a year preparing for this moment of flight by feeding off the algae on the bottom. The swarms are so dense that people have been known to call the fire brigade thinking they’re plumes of smoke. We were assured they’re no bother to humans as they’re not biting midges, and that we should welcome them as it’s the midges that bring the buntings and warblers to the lough. But I can’t say I’m convinced, having experienced the ravages of a Highland summer. I almost feel I’ve been there anyway.

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Dominic

January 22nd, 2009 3:02pm Report this comment

Livingston never discovered any lake. He was the fisrt caucasian to see the lake that he later baptise it his name. Try to delete this information from your mind if at all you aware that africans are human beings too.

Sally Field

February 12th, 2009 11:32pm Report this comment

I travelled round Lake Nyasa, as is was then, in the late 1950s on the Ilala. It was a great adventure for a child in the heady days of African Nationalism when the calls of "Kwacha" as we visited lakeside ports in today's Malawi gave way to "Uhuru" as we landed in Tanganika. Highlights included a stop at the cathedral on Likomo Island, where we deposited a load of sea-sick clerics and the loss of our so-called cook before we even started our voyage - normally a crocodile hunter he failed to board after a drunken night out. Our doughty captain always had a large brown bottle at his elbow during meal time - to cure "Ilala Tummy". We also met the largest cockraoches we had ever seen ...

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