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ISSN 1108-8931 |
INTERNATIONAL ECOTOURISM MONTHLY |
Year 5-Issue 54, Nov. 2003 |
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For most travellers the main attraction of Malawi is the lake that flanks the east side of the country virtually from top to bottom. Lake Malawi, believed to be between one and two million years old, has the highest species richness of any lake in the world. Out of 640 species of fish, over 600 are found nowhere other than Lake Malawi, according to a WWF study. Incredibly, it is home to more species of fresh-water fish than all of Europe and North America combined. In some places, it is as much as a mile deep, giving rise to stories of boats lost forever in its depths.
Malawi today is marketed as 'the warm heart of Africa'. One of the big attractions for me when I'm travelling is meeting people who come from vastly different backgrounds to mine, but finding we still share common ground. The welcoming nature of the Malawians I met did not disappoint! One magical day in Monkey Bay, on the shores of the lake, a friend and I got chatting to a young man named Patrick, from the local village, who can't have been more than about seventeen. He invited us to his family house for dinner. His mother cooked nsima for us (the local maize meal which resembles Italian Polenta). With us we took a gift of tinned tuna - it was a remote place and there was little else we had to offer.
The nsima, along with the opened tin of tuna was presented to us in the shade of a small outdoor shelter in the yard. We tried to explain that the tuna was for the family, and after much persuasion, they accepted our token gift. The wisdom of our choice of gift was brought into question as we left the house to begin our tour of the village - Patrick's little sister sat devouring the remains of the tuna, the lethal edges of the tin frighteningly close to her four-year-old fingers and tongue.
*About
the author: Stella Bell is our new Assistant Editor. CROATIA Croatia, one of the former Yugoslav republics, is a magical place. For years it was a cheap mass-tourism haven for Westerners. However, since the war in Yugoslavia its tourist industry has been devastated. Today, Croatia is once again on the tourist map. Before long, millions of tourists will swarm into Croatia every summer. Cities like Split and Dubrovnik will again become a Mecca for tourists capitalising on the golden coastline and rich culture. I began my journey through Croatia on the East Coast of Italy, taking advantage of a cheap no-frills airline flight to Ancona, a famous gateway for the Croatian coast. October is the perfect season for visiting as the weather is fine but you avoid the summer crowds. Arriving on the overnight ferry, the view of Split is exceptionally beautiful, with its buildings dazzlingly white in the morning sun. It is easy to feel the romance of the city simply by walking the palm-lined coastal promenade. The town is steeped in history, with gems such as the cathedral, with spectacular views from the top, the local bazaar and Diocletian's Palace, a fortress-like building constructed as a retirement home for the aging Emperor.
The following morning, I took the public bus along the scenic coastal road, to the city of Zadar. As a result of its strategic position the city was targeted by the Roman, Byzantine and Venetian Empires as well as more recently during the WW2 and the Yugoslav war. Since then, the city has been rebuilt. The café-lined streets are mostly pedestrianised, so you can wander at leisure. The best thing to do in Zadar is to sample the seafood and stroll the coastal promenade. Seafood dominates the Dalmatian coastal diet. Dishes such as octopus salad, lobster and tuna are readily available.
Dubrovnik is an amazing sight, and surely the most beautiful city in Croatia. Its fortified, traffic-free old town, Stari Grad, was heavily bombed during the Yugoslavian war and was left devastated. Mainly because of its attractions as a tourist destination, the city has been entirely rebuilt and today, few scars remain. Its bloody history is hinted at in the mingling of brand new roofs with the old rustic ones. Not to be missed is a stroll round the city walls with spectacular views out over the city and the Adriatic coast. From Dubrovnik I took a coach trip to Mostar, crossing the border into Bosnia Hercegovina. On the road to Mostar, heavy scars of war are evident with burnt out villages scattered along the road. We made a brief stop at the village of Pocitelj, famous for its recently restored Mosque, Turkish style houses and castle. We were advised not to walk to the castle, the threat of landmines is all too real After the brief stop, we continued northward towards Mostar.
On my return I decided to take the ferry, stopping a few days on the island of Hvar. Hvar town has a beautiful harbour with a seaside promenade, medieval red-roofed houses, gothic palaces, a Franciscan Monastery and an impressive Venetian fortress, perched high above the town. Climbing to the fortress is the best way to view the medieval town. After two days in Hvar, my trip was nearing its end. I returned to Split to catch the overnight ferry back to Ancona. Because of its coast, for me, Croatia is indeed the most beautiful country in Eastern Europe. I hope to return one day soon. *About the Author: Stephen Mak is the Director of Vision Ecotour Ltd, (www.visionecotour.com ) and an ECOCLUB.com Expert Member, contact him at: http://ecoclub.com/experts/mak.html
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Ecotourism
D.I.Y.
In
pre-colonial times the edges of the lake were inhabited by the Maravi
people, the derivation of Malawi's name. Further migrations in the
18th and 19th centuries brought Lambya, Ngonde, Yao and Zulu tribes to
the area. Early Portuguese explorers were active in the region between
the 16th and early 19th centuries, when the lake was used to transport
slaves and other exports from central Africa to the Ivory and slave
trade of the Indian Ocean. Livingstone, although not the first
European to 'discover' the lake, was the first to bring it to
prominence in Europe, and his descriptions of the lake brought further
Christian missionaries to the area, eventually bringing an end to the
trade in slaves.
While
his mother prepared our lunch, Patrick shamed us with details of the
use and re-use of everyday things we throw away without a thought. For
example, not one bit of the maize was left unused. The kernels were
pounded into flower, to produce meal, the husks were siphoned off and
brewed to make (head-achingly) strong beer, whilst the cobs were used
as kindling for the fire. It seemed that the only thing that ended up
on the village rubbish tip, was plastic packaging from our imported,
western food.
The
tour of the village took us to the school (where we sat in on a
geography lesson). We visited the church - a plain whitewashed
building with tiny arched windows and a trampled mud floor, empty of
furniture, with spectacular pink flowers scattered everywhere. As we
approached, we were welcomed by the exquisite African harmonies of the
choir. Outside was a flat-based basket of fish drying in the sun. We
visited the bakery, where bread was baked in tin cans (discarded, no
doubt by the Western Tourists in our campsite) in an oven comprised of
two sheets of metal, a shallow pit and hot coals. We stopped off for a
cup of the sweetest tea I have ever tasted (it must have been about
50% sugar) in the local teashop. The lady who prepared it for us
didn't speak a word of English, but her smile expressed her warm
welcome. Finally we were taken to the top of the hill where the local
school children drummed and danced oblivious to the spectacular views
out across the lake - to them an everyday sight. This magical day, in
return for nothing more than a tin of tuna, numerous requests for
penpals and any spare t-shirts we happened to be carrying, will live
with me forever.
In
the afternoon, I continued to the ancient Roman city of Solina, one of
Croatia's most impressive archaeological sites. Just 5 km from Split,
Solina is easily accessible by local bus. Some of the highlights of
the city include the Manastirine, a burial place for early Christian
martyrs; the public baths, the cathedral and the Kapliuc Basilica, but
the most impressive surely, is the amphitheatre.
My
next destination was Dubrovnik. Along the road from Split the coach
enters nine kilometres of Bosnian territory, further evidence of the
region's complex history, passing through the Bosnian town of Neum
before crossing back to Croatia. Neum, for Croatians, is a haven for
cheap consumer goods since Bosnia does not impose the hefty 22% VAT.
As a result, tourism is booming here.
Mostar
was given its name from a beautiful old stone bridge across the
Neretva River that linked the two sides of the town. The scenery along
the river is so beautiful that many writers and artist congregate here
for inspiration. Sadly, the Yugoslavian war devastated the city. The
stone bridge was demolished and many of the old buildings torn down.
When I visited, a temporary wooden bridge spanned the river linking
the two sides. Fortunately, with EU and UNESCO funding, the stone
bridge has been rebuilt and is scheduled to open in January, 2004.