Domwe island

Sitting in the bay at Cape MacClear two islands loom just in front of you. Domwe Island looked like you could reach it by crossing a 150m channel. This was too tempting an adventure to let go.

So on a pleasant morning I set off around the bay towards the channel between the mainland and Domwe. The first 30 min walk along the beach was easy, but then I ran into a boulder field that took me another 50 min of intense scrambling, climbing and jumping before reaching the channel.

The channel had a strong current pulling through it and admittedly some slightly suspect reed beds. Suspect, as this is crocodile area. So I hunkered down for a little while to observe and check the water. I stuffed the few things I was carrying into a dry bag: camera, pocket knife, banana and granola bar and plunged in for the swim. There was a small outcropping in the middle of the channel and I was glad to reach it as the current was pulling me into out into the lake. There I quickly surveyed the crystal clear blue water around me and was back in it to cross the second length of water. Glad to have made it, I paused briefly on the other side to catch my breath.

I then started to make my way along the edge of this 3km long island, towards a ridge, so as to climb to the top of the island. While hopping from stone to stone along the bank, I met a really friendly fisherman called Green, who immediately confirmed my suspicions about the channel. He told me that it is an area where crocs irregularly appear. So now I really wasn’t keen on swimming back the way I had come. I immediately changed my plans to go to the top of the island and asked Green if they could ferry me back in one of their Bwatas (canoes). Green told me that he and the other fishermen had had a good catch that day and had just arrived on the island to have a late lunch of Nsima and Chambo (maize porridge and fish). And so he and his three other collages Dave, Isaac and Dickson invited me for lunch.  

Dave the senior in the group started the fire for the nsima while we grabbed some firewood for the fish. In the meantime Isaac was gutting and scaling the fish and then spicing it with some plain salt. He then proceeded to butterfly the fish on a stick and flame grill it in front of a very hot fire.

When the nsima was ready they poured it out onto two big leaves to cool. Shortly after, Isaac brought the Chambo.

Lunch was very simple, but absolutely delicious!

After lunch Green and Isaac took me into the middle of their Bwata and asked me to sit still while Dave and Dickson cruised alongside. The crossing back to Cape Maclear was swift and they dropped me on the beach.

While walking back I was thinking about how amazingly friendly they had been. First off for inviting me to an amazing lunch and then for taking me back to the main land and not asking or expecting any form of compensation in return.

I did of course organise our fish from Green for the rest of our stay. J