Last Entry in Malawi

I now have exactly one week in Malawi. My plane leaves next Monday in the afternoon, so it is actually truthful when I say I have exactly one week left. The past 2 weeks were actually very action packed and maybe my most enjoyable in Malawi. I did some traveling, which cleared up a lot of self doubt that I could actually travel by myself. I know that your thinking, “Paul what are you talking about you are by yourself in Africa?”, but I kinda stayed in one place here and didn’t move around too much until this past week when I traveled up to Nahkata Bay and Mzuzu (google map Blantyre to Mzuzu and Nahkata Bay to see what I mean). I did meet some back packers from all around at Nahkata Bay that I am envious of. I met one from Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Norway, and 3 from Denmark. I am envious of them, because they are traveling overland all over Africa alone for the experience, alone that is a lonely and crazy trip to say the least. I will get back to all the people I met later, but you know how my recollections like to jump around. On December 19 we had the school Christmas party. Unfortunately Santa was not able to make it because we couldn’t find a Santa suit anywhere in Blantyre, I was co-assigned the task of finding the suit, but in all reality I had no idea where to look so a few of the Malawians looked for one and they came up empty-handed. I found it a little humorous, but on Christmas Eve in Blantyre I found suits they were selling at Shoprite. So we had the party without Santa. I gave a presentation on how people celebrate Christmas around the world and then had people from all the different countries represented stand up and tell about their Christmas traditions. Chihiro and Aumi dressed in traditional Japanese Kimonos (dresses, I think that’s the right word) and sang a few songs, Hanah also sang a song from South Korea which was awesome, she has a great voice. When it came time for Bingo, instead of Santa, Santa’s little brother Paul came in with presents and distributed presents to the winners. Yes, it was a little cheesy, but the Malawians loved it, they really really loved bingo. As we started to have lunch (chicken and rice), it started pouring outside. It even started hailing which a lot of the Malawians we were with had never seen before. It was only pea sized hail, but a lot of the people were afraid. I tried to explain about golf ball and baseball sized hail that happens every once in a while in the US, but most of the people just looked at me like what in the heck is this crazy white man talking about? I guess it didn’t help that I was excited by the storm while all of them were terrified. The party ended a little early because of the rain, so the second round of bingo was canceled. We also said goodbye to Forward on of the teachers from the school. He is leaving Malawi and returning home to Zimbabwe to go back to school. Forward leaving is a huge lose for the school. He was one of the most active and knowledgeable teachers at Amalika. A lot of people were sad about the news, several students and teachers were even crying, but I had a big smile on my face. I had gotten to know Forward pretty well over the past few months, and I think this was the best route for him. I had sensed that something was going on with him that week, but never guessed it would have been what it was. Forward was a great teacher, I can only hope that some of if not most of these students can end up being as good of a teacher as him. After the party there was a dance for the students. I went to the dance for a little bit, but had dinner with the DIs. The next day I went to Blantyre to spend a week with Lawrence and his family. The week was pretty slow, but it was nice because I needed a break. It was pretty nice to watch tv again, even if I did mainly watch music videos on mtv jamz and the urban African channel. On Tuesday I went with Grisham and lawrence’s kids Tintumbike, Limbani, and little Lawrence to Game Haven, the game reserve in Bvumbwe. We met Lawrence there for lunch which was heavenly; they had mashed potatoes which I devoured. After lunch we went on a tour of the reserve. Lawrence was supposed to join us, but he had to go back to work because they have been working him to the bone over the past few weeks. The tour of the reserve was way over priced for a 30 minute tour. We got to see a Giraffe, a few zebra, a sable, and a few other grazers. I really liked the zebras. The giraffe was great too, but it looked so sad. I guess giraffes are very sensitive creatures though, if they get stressed out or too nervous they will die so if I was like that life would be rough too. After we got back from the Game Heaven, life just sort of went on for a few days until Christmas. I wasn’t expecting much for Christmas, Lawrence’s brother Jonathon put up a few decorations and a small fake tree, there were also a few gifts under the tree for the little ones. I bought gift certificates to a clothing store for the three older girls that live with Lawrence and Prisca; his two nieces and the maid. They were very excited, but I really just wanted to thank them for treating me so nicely the past few months. I also bought Jonathon and Grisham some movies; it helps that you can buy like 30 movies on one disc. The quality suffers a little bit, but 30 full movies on one DVD is really not bad no matter what. I didn’t get anything for the immediate family because I plan on sending them a thank you/ gift package after I get back to the states (they know I am good for it). I went into town on Christmas morning to see if any stores were open, I was really hoping to use the internet. A few things were open, but not as many as I had expected. Christmas really just seemed like another day until I came back to lawrence’s house and Prisca and Jonathon had cooked up a big lunch. They made chicken and chips and had salad (Prisca even found Ranch for me) and sandwiches. They had been planning a big surprise lunch and dinner for some time, it was really special. The night before around 3 am I got to talk to my family which also helped me through the holidays. Sadly my uncle Doug’s father Doug Edward’s Sr had passed away early on Christmas Eve, so that was pretty sad news, but we all know that he is smiling down from heaven now. I know it is cold, snowing, and hard to see anything let alone the sky in KC, but in Malawi the sky looks so divine every day and you can tell that the people we have lost over the years are up there enjoying themselves in such spectacular beauty, waiting to greet all of us whenever our time comes. The day after Christmas the family minus Lawrence went to Chikwawa to go to the Nyala Game Reserve. We had heard it was the best one to go to that was in Chikwawa, which is accessible right now and only an hour drive from Blantyre. We went and saw a lot of the same animals as game haven, but a lot more quantity. We got to see a heard of Giraffe and some buffalo (African buffalo), and it was a lot more fun than game haven. They also advertised that they had a hippo pound which I was really excited about. They didn’t have elephants which was a bummer, any predators, or rhino, but I will see them sometime in my life, whenever come back to Africa (I promised myself this). We drove to the area where the hippo pound was advertised and when we got there it was a sports club. The people working at the sports club said that if you’re not a member then you need to pay 2000 kwacha per person to buy a one day pass. Before we paid I made Prisca ask about the Hippos because these people looked like they were trying to rip us off, coincidently even though there was a sign that said come see our hippos at the club house, they didn’t have any hippos. They said they were in the process of getting a few hippos, but currently didn’t have any. I was just a little ticked off. I mean they would have gladly accepted out money and then once we found out there were no hippos, we would have been SOL (shit out of Luck) on getting that money back. Prisca was also not very happy and told them what she thought of their little scam. They could care less and asked us to leave, which we gladly did. People come to their reserve to see these animals and they flat out lie about what they actually have, unreal, too unreal. They guy had a cross around his neck too, hypocrisy runs wild sometimes. Besides Chikwawa being the place to go to see animals, it is also the hottest place I have ever been to. The mini-bus we were in over heated simply because of how hot it was on our trip there and back. We were stuck on the side of the road for about an hour while the engine cooled. Standing in that sun during the 1-2 o’clock hours is not fun in the slightest. I later heard from a Peace Corps volunteer I met, that there is a Peace Corps guy that works in Chikwawa. He told the girl I met that it is so hot that they can really only work till mid day and after they have to go and sit in the shade just because it is so freakin hot. It doesn’t help that Chikwawa is in a major drought right now and that if it doesn’t rain like this week, all of the area’s crops will have to be replanted. We did make it back home and on our way back we met a small rain storm while driving through the mountains just a few kilo meters from Chikwawa, I know what you are thinking, but no that rain did not make it Chikwawa. It rains all around Chikwawa just not in that area. When we got back into Blantrye I was actually a little bummed out that I didn’t get to see any hippos. I really wanted to see those cranky creatures.
It’s funny how some things just happen. I got a message from my mom about a month ago, that she had met a Peace Corps Volunteer’s dad in a restaurant in KC. When I first heard about this after thinking what are the odds, I immediately made my mom track back down her dad and find out her information (by the way she is a volunteer in Malawi). I got in touch with Vanessa and we planned on meeting in Lilongwe on Tuesday afternoon and going to the Mizzou for Malawi school project on Wednesday. Vanessa had a college friend coming to Malawi to meet her and travel with her for a few weeks, so we thought it would all work out great. On my trip from Blantyre to Lilongwe I splurged just a little bit. I spent a little extra money on an “executive super coach” bus. It was well worth the money. It was 3100 kwacha which is somewhere around $19, but a lot for Malawians. The bus was great I still struggled with leg room, but the seats were comfortable, they had a set number of people on the bus (no body standing), we got a snack and drink, and best of all it was non-stop! Blantyre to Lilongwe is a good 4 hour drive. On this bus we made it in right under 4 hours, the other buses that stop more than the metro buses in KC, usually take anywhere from 7-9 hrs. I can’t tell you how amazing and unexpected this bus ride was. I had been dreading the traveling portion of traveling the entire time I have been in Malawi, but this bus gave me some hope. That hope was destroyed a day later, but I will get into that later. When I got to Lilongwe I met up with Grisham who was there visiting his parents. His father had contracted malaria and was very sick. We met up and walked around Lilongwe for most of the day until I checked into my hotel and then met up with Vanessa. Meeting Vanessa was definitely one of the overall highlights of my trip. She is a great all around person and made my one day in Salima a lot better. Vanessa is from KC, more specifically Independence, Mo. She went to mizzou and was also very excited to check out the mizzou for Malawi project outside Salima. It was great to talk with Vanessa and it is just funny how she is having all the same problems that I face in Malawi even though we are working in different parts of the country. As for the Mizzou for Malawi project, I would love to tell you all about it when I get home. I have found while writing this public blog that it is sometimes necessary to leave certain feelings and/or events out. Sometimes things are just better said in person, so I will tell you all about this trip the next time I see all of you in KC! I spent my night in Lilongwe at the Mabuya lodge. I decided to spend the extra money and get my own room. By extra money it was $18 for my own room, but would have been $6 for a bed in the dorm or less than that if I had brought a tent to camp. It is a great place for back packers. I met 5 Norwegian med students that had just gotten into Malawi. I will remember talking to them for a long time for the only reason that they were all smoking. One of them explained that they had never smoked before and thought why not give it a try while we are in Malawi? That thought still doesn’t make since to me, mostly b/c they came here to work in a hospital and they are MED STUDENTS. Doctors, who think yea lets light up for the fun of it even though we know exactly what effect every cigarette has on our bodies. They were all really nice guys and I enjoyed meeting them, but I will always remember them for the irony of that conversation. I can’t say enough great things about the Mabuya Lodge. The laid back atmosphere and great staff made it a really enjoyable experience. It was the first place that I had been that the Malawian staff didn’t treat me like a dumb mzungu, which was so nice. The next day after Vanessa and I checked out the Mizzou for Malawi project, we came back to Salima, had some ice cream, and went to the bus station. Vanessa helped me get on a bus to Nahkata Bay and then we parted ways. Vanessa had to wait in Lilongwe another day for a friend from KC. Her friend was coming to visit for a weeks, but the weather in the US had delayed her flight to Ethiopia where she missed her connecting flight and was forced to have one of those nightmare trips that people don’t even like to think about. Before I got on the bus I asked the guy selling tickets how long the trip would be? He said, “about 5 hours,” Vanessa heard that, smiled, and laughed, because she knew what I was about to, that I was in for a lot longer ride than that. I said goodbye to Vanessa and got on the bus, I was a little sad to leave her, because I can honestly say that she is the first American that I have meet in Malawi that I want to and will keep in touch with. When I got on the bus I realized I was lucky and unlucky to have picked this bus. I was lucky b/c it was the last bus of the day leaving Salima for my destination, I was unlucky b/c I was passenger 98/100 that they let on. The 100 passengers are broken down as 65 seated and 35 standing. I don’t know how anyone can think it is safe to certify carrying 35 standing passengers, especially the way they drive and the conditions of the roads in Malawi, but maybe that is why they can certify it? Anyways, I stood for the first 2 hours of the ride, when I did get a seat I was joined by Rachel a British backpacker. It was great to chat with an English speaker especially on the rest of this never ending bus ride. Just about 5 ½ hours after I met Rachel we got to Nahkota Bay. The bus ride can be summed up like this, basically the bus is packed full of people, luggage, and chickens, constantly stopping like a mini-bus to drop people off and pick new people up. The straight drive from Salima to Nahkota Bay is about 4 hrs, our trip took almost 8. When we finally got to the Nahkota Bay checkpoint the tree azungu on board (yes me included) were all hassled by the police. They wanted to see our passports and grilled us all with questions; the cops did not like the fact that I gave them a copy of my passport instead of the real thing. They probably make some good bribe money by taking white tourist’s passports and then selling them back, so I calmly explained I was a volunteer and after 10 minutes the cop finally let us go. Nahkota Bay is absolutely beautiful. I wish I had more time in Malawi so I could spend more time at Lake Malawi. I met up with Chihiro and a few other DIs pretty much immediately when I got to the bay. I found them at the greatest store in Malawi. It was a tourist shop that sold all the usual stuff, but this store had price tags. Even some of the market stores don’t have labeled price tags. I cannot even tell you how great it was not to have to argue and bargain with the store owner over prices. His prices were actually very reasonable too. New Year’s Eve was a very memorable night. We started off the night at Kaya Papaya and had a thai dinner. It was very good and was cooked by the English owner so at the time it seemed kind of original. For the actual year change we walked down to a little music festival on the beach. It was great having a new year on the beach. It was kind of funny the “count-down” came and went and we all said happy new years, and about 5+ minutes later the Malawians came on the mic and yelled happy New Years. I guess everything, even the new year is just on Malawian time. The best part of the night was staying up late with some new British and an Australian friend. We all stayed up to the early hours of the morning and decided that we were going to watch the sunrise on the lake, so we swam out to a raft that is about 250 m off shore and watched the sun break through the clouds and light up the lake. I was going to leave on New Year’s Day, but ended up sleeping in too late and missed the bus. That was ok though, because I had an extra night to hang out with the people I had just met a few days before. New Year’s Day was ok, but that New Year’s Eve is at the top of my new year’s list. It is right up there with my previous favorite new year’s eve at Anna Elliot’s house that was a great party. Saturday was a day of traveling. I said my goodbyes and took a mini-bus to Mzuzu. From Mzuzu I took the night bus to Blantyre, or as I like to call it, “The Bus From Hell”! First off all just let me tell you that this 12 hour night bus was the scariest traveling experience of my life. Maybe, just the scariest experience. I actually was preparing myself for this coach bus to flip over at any minute and roll down the side of a hill. For the first 5 hours of the trip the bus was going about 120 kmph (kilometers per hour). That was the highest speed the bus could go, or I am sure we would have been going faster. I sat in the back row of the bus because that row has extra leg room, and I desperately needed the extra space. I sat in the middle seat which just happened not to be connected to any of the other seats which made my ride like a carnival rollercoaster ride. Since it was nighttime and we were going way to fast we hit every crack and pothole in the road throwing me all over the place. If that wasn’t bad enough the road we were on has so many twists and turns, 80 % of the time someone was in my lap or I was in theirs. Even the Malawians around me were scared, and when they get nervous you should be freaking out. To make the trip worse the driver wanted to listen to Akon the entire trip. So I guess the buses speakers were in the back of the bus so they were turned up loud enough that the driver could hear them in the front. I thought I was going to go deaf for about 2 hours. I even asked him to turn it down at one of the 100 stops the bus made and he did, well at least till his favorite song came on then it was back to making me go deaf. After the first 5 hour leg we got to Salima. The guy next to me got off in Salima so I was able to move over a seat that was actually connected to another seat. There was a Malawian in the other seat that used me as a sleeping brace the rest of the trip. About 3 hours into this leg of the trip a woman sat in my old seat. About an hour later I noticed what she was trying to reach into my backpack that was on the floor in between us. She was unsuccessful the first 3 or 4 times always pulling her hand back when she thought I was “waking up”. The last time I was just waiting for her to touch my bag so I could confront her, she reached down and started unzipping my bag right in front of me. I sat up and she didn’t even attempt to stop, I reached down and grabbed my bag and asked her, “Can I help you?” She responded very flustered, “Oh I am just looking for my purse,” to which I replied, “Your purse is in your lap!” She didn’t say anything and quickly got off at the next stop, there were about 4 other people that tried to blatantly rob me on the rest of the trip. When we were about an hour from Blantyre a kid sat down in my old seat. He looked at me and immediately curled up into a ball on the seat pushing me off my seat. I asked him to stop and he said, “Boss I just want to sleep boss.” All the Malawians call white people boss or sister when they are trying to get money from you. Then he started pushing harder against me and actually touching me and all over my bag. Finally I had to get up and find a new seat. I was visibly and verbally pissed off at this point. I had been on this death trap with terribly rude people for a good 11 hours by that point and the woman and kid set me off. I found a half of a seat next to a rather large Malawian woman. I looked back at the kid saying not to pleasant things under my breath and he and the other guy were sitting there sprawled out on the 3 seats laughing at me. They kept pointing, laughing, and saying mzungu. If I would have felt a little safer on this bus I would have told both of them off, but the woman next to me apologized for their behavior saying that was the problem with Malawi. If all that wasn’t bad enough, when we finally got into Limbe, one of the passengers felt the need to argue with the conductor and driver about how much they had charged him for the ride. He was Malawian and they didn’t over charge him for anything, but he had to make a huge seen and eventually be removed from the bus which took an extra 45 minutes. I hate how Malawians feel the need to argue about everything all the time; I will not miss that at all. Finally when we got to a drop off that I knew I got out as quickly as possible. The driver stopped me before I got out and asked if I had someone to pick me up, because this area wasn’t safe for a white man at 4:40 am. I said yes, but really wanted to say well thanks to your crack head driving and the worst bus ride of my life, I would love to see someone mess with me right now, but of course I just got off the bus and went and sat on the curb. It was a terrible night. One of the worst of my life. I know I said this is my last post in Malawi, but I will add another post after I get back. I want to take some time to really think about my last week in Malawi before I write about it. It was a bittersweet last week and I do need to reflect on it. So I guess this actually is my last post in Malawi, but not my last post about Malawi. It is 8:52 am Monday morning and my first plane leaves at 1:15pm. I am heading to the airport in 40 minutes, see all of you soon. Goodbye Malawi.