Walking in Mulanje’s wild gardens

One of the things that I have so enjoyed about living in the South of Malawi, is its diverse landscapes and activities. Within a couple of hours from our home, there are a number of game reserves, the bustling little city of Blantyre and a few good restaurants, the tea estates, the cool Zomba Plateau, the lake and last but not least, the spectacular Mulanje Massif.

Last weekend we hiked up the Mulanje Massif with our children . We walked on a path that winds its way up the steep and rocky slope, following what looks like a staircase into the clouds. At the top, as if by magic, the clouds parted and we stepped into an enchanted world; a land of trickling streams, waterfalls, cliffs and wild gardens.

It seems impossible as one looks out towards Mozambique in the not so far distance, that a place like this exists here, a unique and beautiful landscape with wild flowers, ferns, lichen and moss. It’s a world completely different to all that surrounds it, a little world of its own, magical and brilliant.

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“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
― John Muir

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“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.”       – George Eliot

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“As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can”.” -John Muir

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“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news”
― John Muir

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“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
― John Muir

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“The world’s big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”
― John Muir

Category : Africa, Malawi
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