Lake Malawi Adventures and our first few weeks in Village

Just got back from an amazing 4 day holiday in Matema on Lake Malawi. The whole adventure was absolutely amazing. We took a 4 hour bus ride into the mountains on a bumpy dirt road. There is nothing but village and farms and jungle for miles and miles then you come into a clearing and you see the lake. It one of the biggest lakes in Africa and there are mountains surrounding the whole beach. It's like a scene out of Lost. We stayed at one of the two resorts on the Lake. Our resort is run by a Lutheran Misson and it uses the money made from resort revenue to fund a hospital and a school in the the village. It's hard to believe the misson makes a profit at all considering how unbelievably inexpensive the accommodations are. From 7,500 TSH or about 7 US Dollars you get a bed in a bungalow on the beach flush toilets and showers plus breakfast. The area is so secluded it seems like the whole lake belongs to you. The only other people on the lake are local fisherman in their hand craved wood canoes. We took a ride in the canoes to a pebble beach where we snorkeled and collected the most beautiful stones. The next day a few of us hired some guides to take us on a hike up to an even more secluded waterfall in the jungle. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We hikes along a river across slippery rocks and over boulders and cliffs. I was terrified most of the way because I'd never done such an intense dangerous hike. We walked through thigh high water and by the end we were all hiking bare foot. We had been hiking for about 2 hours when we came upon the final challenge before the waterfall and pool. It was a 6 or 7 foot high sheet of rock we had to scale with a 20 drop into whitewater and boulders below. I kept saying I don't think I can do this and the risk factors in my head were beginning to out way the temptation of see the waterfall. But the guides were amazing and they told me you can do this you made it this far and they helped me scale the wall. To my surprise I didn't slip and fall to my death but instead spent the afternoon

swimming in a hidden lagoon under a 30 foot waterfall and eating pineapple on the massive boulders. It felt so good to conquer that fear and I never felt more alive in my life than I did swimming in that lagoon. This amazing life changing adventure came at the hefty price of 2 dollars and 20 cents. Tanzania is a truly amazing place. I'm challenging myself almost everyday and so far the rewards have been priceless.