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Published: September 25th 2012
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Thursday
September 6
All day we chased the sun. Leaving at 06:30 we chased it high into the sky and then all afternoon until it set around 18:00. It's funny how much quicker it seems to rise at dawn and fall as it sets and if you're not ready with the camera, it's a whole 24 hours until your next chance...
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Monday
September 10
We spent three nights at Kande Beach on the shores of Lake Malawi, followed by two more nights further north at Chitimba. While four worked their butts off in an effort to complete the PADI certification (they stayed at Kande one extra day so as not to spend their stay in Zanzibar doing it there), the rest of us perfected the art of relaxing. Okay so four went out to the small island and snorkelled and sunbathed but the rest of us sat around the bar area or lay in hammocks and watched the world go by. There were four other trucks apart from ours and the high ceiling, open sided bar was packed each night. On Saturday, some sat and watched the two rugby games (Oz won, yay!) and mingled during a game
of beach volleyball and it was that afternoon that I met Banjo Patterson (the Aussies will know what that name means) and his lesser known brother Patrick. Bizarrely, all the locals have names like Donald Duck, Chicken Pizza (yes, that's not a typo), Mel Gibson and Mr. Fantastic. The Patterson brothers carve the wooden chairs we'd been seeing since Benin and I had one commissioned as a gift. I'll probably regret not picking one up for myself but I know where to find him if I change my mind!
The following morning I collected the chair and we drove along scenic roads, arriving at our campsite in Chitimba in time for sunset. Cecilia and I upgraded to a room that we shared with several geckos who barked and crunched bugs throughout the night and we slept (or tried to) under the mosquito net.
Alexis and I tried our hands at wood carving and like the poling, now have a new found appreciation for their work. It was hard going. Having free rein to decide what we wanted to carve, we both chose elephants with the intention of giving them as gifts. Starting with a chunk of teak with an elephant
outline pencilled on it, my teacher Frank (all use English names rather than their original names) held the wood in place with his feet and used a traditional chisel and mallet to carve along the lines. Flipping it over, it was my turn. Within minutes my feet had small cuts from where I'd run the chisel into them. I kinda got the hang of it and followed the lines, impressing myself if not Frank.
After almost three hours, we were in danger of keeping them from dinner and probably breakfast so they 'helped' that little bit more. Basically they took over, saving the leg Alexis nearly took off her poor elephant and giving both some ears, truck and definition before handing them back for sanding. Turns out, that even harder than carving! Three different sandpapers meant it was another thirty minutes or so before we were given the nod of approval to paint it. Armed with a toothbrush and shoe polish, we painted them brown before giving them a final polish with a soft cloth and admiring our handiwork. Naming mine Frank (Alexis chose Humphrey), we thanked everyone and walked back to the campsite thrilled with our efforts. And both
of us decided we're keeping them. Sorry Dad and Val!!
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