Day 17 | Pakaya to Kasungu | Longest day Distance: 135 km | Terrain: Mixed gravel and tar, long sustained day In the evening at Pakaya I met a man who repairs medical equipment. He told me something that stuck: here in Malawi, standard glucose finger-prick devices often don't work. Workers' hands are so hard and calloused from physical labour that the lancets can't pierce the skin. They sometimes have to use a blade to cut the fingertip to draw blood. A quiet, honest glimpse into how tough daily life is for so many people here. Hit the road at 05:45 in the cool morning air. The biggest day of the trip at 135 km. A proper slog. I felt good early on, but by the end my whole body was cooked: legs aching, back stiff, brain running on fumes. One of those days where determination does more work than muscles. Along the way, loads of mushroom foragers sitting beside the road with huge wild mushrooms skewered on sticks, selling the day's harvest. Malawi really lives off the land in a way you can't miss. One absolute highlight was fresh bread. Proper, warm, straight-from-the-oven bread, the first truly fresh loaf of the trip. With peanut butter it felt like a gourmet meal.