Blogs from Southern, Malawi, Africa - page 3

This was my second time on safari in South Luangwa but a completely new experience for Mum and Gabbie. At the camp we stayed at we saw crocodiles, hippos, mongoose, squirrels, monkeys, baboons and monitor lizards. In the actual park, we saw giraffes, elephants, hippos, baboons, monkeys, buffalo, genets, servals, lions, porcupine, zebras, many types of antelope and many types of birds. We had a wonderful and very funny guide called Billy, who was actually from Malawi. He asked us on our first drive if there was anything in particular we wanted to see. I said that last time I was here I saw everything except a zebra, so I'd like to see a zebra. And then, we saw hundreds of zebra. Around almost every corner was a zebra! After a while we just started to ... read more

Geo: -15.3891, 35.32C'est moins affriolants que de plus grands primates (quoi que ça dépend lesquels…), mais ça correspond assez à une visite des montagnes de Zomba ! Cinq minutes de marche dans le brouillard, puis une heure sous la pluie (et en Afrique, quand il pleut, il pleut) avant de retrouver un temps plus clément.Toujours est-il que les superbes points de vue du petit et du grand pic se sont limités à une vaste grisaille humide à 360°. L'Afrique restant ce quelle est, ce fut aussi l'occasion de s'immerger dans sa flore et sa faune si riche. Les cris d'oiseaux se mêlant à ceux des singes, les deux se laissant accessoirement apercevoir. A un niveau plus terre à terre, seules les scolopendres pullulaient. Pas trace de mambas de divers coloris qui, semble-t-il, restent dans un... read more

Following the "flash mob" craze of 2009/2010, I always secretly dreamed of being part of a flash mob myself. There was one flash mob in particular that inspired me the most, which was organized by a volunteer in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake: http://youtu.be/1Bm2UBQQdX0. This past week, I was finally able to accomplish this life-goal, thanks to the help of a few other PIH volunteers/staff members and a whole hoard of Malawian children. With World AIDS Day only a few weeks away, a group of fellow PIH-ers and I decided to create a flash mob here in Neno as a 'challenge' to other global health groups working around the world. The song, we decided, would be Taio Cruz's "Dynamite." After a few days of choreographing and practicing, we finally decided to institute our flash mob during ... read more

I knew that life in rural Malawi would be difficult, but I don't think I fully understood the extent of the challenges and difficulties involved until I actually arrived and experienced it first-hand. Living in rural Malawi is definitely not for the faint of heart. Electricity is sporadic, running water is rare, and the insects are about 3-5 times larger than they are back in the states. In light of these lifestyle changes, three co-workers and I decided to take a weekend away from Neno to "live it up" in Malawi's most popular tourist destination, Cape Maclear. Cape Maclear is a rare oasis in Malawi, providing tourists with an impressive array of beach 'resorts,' bars, and tourist activities. The town is located on the southern tip of Lake Malawi (the third largest lake in Africa), a ... read more

Cape Maclear was the original location for the mission of Livingstonia. But, it turned out to be malarial, and andthus Livingstonia was relocated further north on Lake Nyassa (Lake Malawi). It's now a backpacker heaven with the usual banana pancakes for breakfast, myriad water activities, souvenir shopping and hammocks at most guest houses with a vibe to match. Oh yes .. Bob Marley and Reggae everywhere too. Tomorrow, we plan to head to Mozambique and head towards the Indian Ocean at Mozambique Island. It's going to be at least 2 days of travel.... read more