Chintheche

Chintheche is a stretch of Lake Malawi around 40 km south of Nkhata Bay. The town of Chintheche is not very interesting, with just a few shops and markets, but the beach and bays are worth a visit. There are a number of hotels and campsites along this stretch. Many dirt tracks lead off the main road down to these bays and hotels, so you just need to be on the look out for signposts.

One interesting historical place is the Old Bandawe Mission, established in the 1890s. The old church still contains the original pulpit and large chair where the priest sat, as well as many of the original wooden pews. The curator of the church who is also the teacher of the nearby primary school, will bring out a plastic bag where he keeps a 100 year old priests robe, said to have been worn by Livingstone, now slightly moth-eaten.

There are also some of the original stone chalices from which the Blood of Christ was drunk. These relics are probably worth thousands, and should be stored properly in a museum. However, it is lucky that this schoolteacher has seen their worth and is trying to keep them safe. You will be asked to sign the visitors book and give a small donation, and he will be happy to answer questions and show you around the rest of the property and his school.

It is interesting to visit the graveyard, with a beautiful view over the bay, and read the headstones of the 15 or so missionaries lying in a walled-off area. Most died in their late twenties, probably due to malaria. The legend regarding the lone grave under a nearby tree it that a priest was relieved of his duties after he held a funeral service for his favourite dog. Another version of the story is that the grave belongs to a sailor who died in a shipwreck, but was not a Christian.

The children will be happy to practice their English on you, and also to show you their rudimentary school. There is only one teacher commanding all the children, aged 6 - 12, and any gifts of pens or paper are much appreciated.

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