Final Post (probably)!

So, here I am, still in Lilongwe, but almost done.  The placement is all over, the workshop completed.  I've been interviewed for radio, and listened back to myself (slightly less cringe worthy than I expected but still very odd).  I've travelled almost certainly more than most Malawians ever will and completely fallen in love with Malawi.  OK, so 4 months is hardly long enough to really know a place, and I am ashamed at how little Chichewa I've learned.  There have been quite a few frustrations and I will never get used to those children who on seeing me, or any other white person, hold out their hands and say, quite simply “give me money”.  But that is learned behaviour; too many white people before me have done just that.

Pat arrives tomorrow, no doubt completely exhausted after working way too hard whilst I have been here.  On Saturday we leave for a 10 day tour of Central/Northern Malawi.  There is so much to see here I struggled to decide where to take him.  In 10 days we can’t do it justice.  In the end the beauty of the Lake heading North from here won over the more commercialised (by Malawi standards) Southern Lakeshore.  I toyed with safari and was sorely tempted to head for Mulanje and climb Malawi’s highest mountain, but we will have to come back for that.  I was also tempted by Zambia and the highly acclaimed South Luangwa, even Vic Falls, but all that will have to wait.

We are starting with the wonderful Cool Runnings and the exceptional Samantha – she runs her business in order to make money for community projects and is a complete inspiration.  Her spot on the Lake in Senga Bay was my first glimpse of the Lake and where I really began to see what can be done with a lot of determination and selflessness. 

Then on to the wilderness of Tongole in Nkhotakota for our bit of real luxury – still Eco, of course – then more Lake further North and hopefully Livingstonia, if the weather allows.  The rains have begun.  There was a huge electric storm on Monday which brought down quite a few trees in the centre of town, yesterday was the first day I have felt cool for weeks.  Today we have returned to blue skies, but Livingstonia is only really accessible in a car rather than a 4x4 if it is dry, and in any case, my main reason for going are the breath-taking views on clear days.

Looking back, what are my lasting images?  Lots of laughter, some great friends on and outside my compound, the inspirational people I have met, the different perspective I hope I will carry with me in my life back home.  The wonderful welcome Malawians offer, the lovely, lovely Lake and its many different faces. Nyika, Liwonde, the Zomba plateau, …  I could go on, and on.

I have missed all the people I love back home, and am very much looking forward to seeing everyone, although I'm not looking forward to being cold again!  But I know I will really miss this place, it has definitely got to me!

I would love to come back and very much hope I will.

See you all soon!!!

Long time, no post

Ok, I know I've been useless lately!  So much to do, you see.  But as I am waiting for the storm to subside (yes I did say storm, a novelty - it has rained twice today!) I thought I would quickly let you all know I'm still alive.

So since the fabulous holiday with Vera and Jackie I've been working very hard.  The end of my placement is fast approaching and I have a lot of analysis and writing to do.  Apart from that, I have made probably my last long research trip.  This time I visited Nkharta Bay (because you can't come to Malawi and not go there), Chintheche, Nyika and Luwawa.  All stunning in their own rights.  Nkharta Bay has the reputation of being the backpackers mecca here, maybe I missed that bit of it, what I saw was a different aspect to the Lake - relatively little beach but beautifully clear water and a livelier atmosphere than elsewhere.  It was midweek so maybe the weekend vibe is different.  I expected not to like it, just because so many people I know don't have much love for it, but I loved it!  Though I admit the more I stay here, the more I fall in love with the country, so maybe I'm just wearing rose coloured specs now?!!

Chintheche was different again - the most stunning white beach and crystal clear warm water (even at 7 am, I know I was in there!)  The hotel was pristine, though pretty empty and as a result it all felt a bit too quiet.  It's definitely a couples place.  Watch out Pat, it is on the potentials list!  There is some excellent afforestation work going on up there, including with a deaf school, one of only 6 in the country, which is very few considering the major cause of deafness is Cerebral Malaria that's very prevalent here.  The school amazingly had links with Cardiff and the headmaster spent a couple of weeks there last year - he couldn't get over the amount of tea and cake that came his way at all times of day!  Rather incomprehensibly from my British perspective, he was sick of potatoes and couldn’t wait to get back to a plate of Nsima!

Then the trip to Nyika began. I knew the road was difficult, but I had no idea how long that difficult bit was.  I was expecting the last 16km to be rough - not the last 120 km or so!  I have never felt so absolutely filthy in my life.  The dust gets everywhere.  Nyika is known as little Scotland and it is easy to see why.  It has a unique and completely contrasting landscape to the rest of the country - rolling hills, pine tree plantations, a dam, thick indigenous forest, orchids (in season, of course – although they are increasingly targeted for sale for culinary purposes) some wildlife, although not as much as there should be - the same old subsistence poaching story.  It's higher up and much colder than elsewhere - but the roaring fire in the old forestry cottage sorted that out.  The generator gets switched off at 9pm, I was still in the restaurant, when they told me at 5 to 9 to get moving back up the hill through the forest to the chalet quickly, before the whole place was plunged into darkness!  

The Parks and Wildlife guy who accompanied me was another inspirational character - full of knowledge, ideas and plans.  Thank you Charles - you made it a fascinating trip.

Then on to Luwawa - run by an inspirational Yorkshireman!  Not that I am in the slightest bit biased!  Certainly a place I want to go back to - tucked into the forest, more log fires and yet another vegetable curry (I seem to eat an awful lot of those as cooks here struggle with this strange vegetarianism thing).

Since then it really had been head down time.  I’ve so much more to do and only 3 weeks left.  I can’t believe it has gone so quickly – at the beginning 4 months felt like forever.  I’m having a sneaky night off tonight and going to volleyball – not that I can play but its fun and I need a night off the keyboard.

Just one interesting incident I’d forgotten until I looked at the photos.  Driving along we came across an overturned lorry, not only did it block the entire road, but a local beer lorry had tried to drive around the edge and had become stuck, precariously balanced over a steep bank.  The tiny tractor that had tried to drag that out was stuck in the dirt too.  There were about 100 people there by the time we arrived, with one policeman who, as far as I could tell, did nothing and spoke to no-one.  The stranded road users found axe and hoes and proceeded to chop down a tree, cut into the bank and fill the dip with as many rocks and stones as people could find to make it level enough to drive around the obstacles.  The whole thing took about 2 hours, and then they promptly and deservedly charged each passing vehicle 200 kwacha to pay the guys for all their hard work.  Needs must of course, as no emergency vehicle is going to turn up here to clear the road – though I wonder if that truck is still there!

Just one or two photos of all these places.  Facebook friends – I apologise for the repetition.  In order they are - Nkharta Bay, deaf children enjoying their Nsima and beans, Chintheche beach (the view from my room!), Nyika landscape, the overturned lorry and the dining room at Luwawa Forest Lodge!

Bye for now.