http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Malawi en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:28:16 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:28:16 BST Well it's been a while since the last post. We've been busy and the internet cafes have become hard to come by. After Vic Falls we crossed into Zambia and paid a hefty 135 visa fee for Americans. Zimbabwe was nice but the situation there is pretty awful. It is illegal for foreigners to use the local money so we got ripped off for everything 10 for a small dinner. Our first stop in Zambia http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Kandi-Beach/blog-304792.html In some ways its hard to believe Alyssa and I have been in Africa for 3 weeks already. Our days seem long but the weeks fly by. When we first arrived at our lovely home here at Mwaya Beach the volunteers told us the first few weeks would be the hardest and they were right It's hard to explain life in Malawi its so different yet so wonderful. The concept of time does not seem to exist here fo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-304726.html Alright. So we sworein yesterday so I am officially a Volunteer. A few of my friends left today to move in to their sites and I will leave tomorrow with the other 2 nurses. However I probably will not actually get to my site until Saturday because I am the farthest volunteer to the south. Anyway the swearing in was a little rushed but awsome because it was at the ambassador's house and l http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-303978.html After settling in at UNHCR and at home I finally started getting to the real focus of my work here refugee status determination which meant spending a lot more time at the camp and at the RSD Unit around the corner from my house. For the first few days I sat in with my colleague Nelson during his interviews so I could get a sense of how it goes. I was free to ask questions of my own but in gen http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Dzaleka/blog-303152.html I'm in malawi.I've gotten used to camping and getting up at 530am.The internet is REALLY slow and I dont' have much to update on anyway. We've mostly been driving through Zambia.But things are well I'll try and have more to say when I get to Tanzania. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-303090.html I know it looks like all my entries are from Lilongwe I promise I don't spend all my time here...Hey everyone So for the last two weeks I have been traveling like crazy. I first traveled to Blantyre and then to my site in Nsanje. I didnrsquot take any pictures of my housesite because I didnrsquot get to stay in it but I did at least get to get a quick look around. Maybe in the next fe http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-302597.html Still moving South we passed a latex plantation on the way which was very cool. We also went to a craft market which had really nice stuff. Their is a lot of woodwork it's hard for me to buy though because I am always unsure about what I will be able to get back into Australia. Also negotiating a price is difficult because I'm not willing to part with my socks They'll take everything and anythin http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Kandi-Beach/blog-302262.html Another day on the road to cross the border into Malawi. We stopped in town to spend our last Tanzanian Shillings. I went into the local produce market with Juliana which was so amazing Animals hanging upside down with the blood still dripping small fruit sellers second hand clothes oil baskets of grain it was so manic and colourful and dirty but so cool. While Juliana was weaving her way in http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Chitimba-Beach/blog-302255.html So Alyssa and I are officially settled in Africa. Sorry for the delay in posting but it has been quite the culture shock and finding a working internet has not been easy. Getting here was not simple and and not the best experience but an experience none the less and something we will always remember.Flying into Lilongwe was interesting. Prince George airport definitely seemed large in compariso http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-300574.html You may be asking yourself what exactly is Martina doing in Malawi This is my attempt to explain my job. It may be a little technical but I hope itrsquos at least understandable for those of you who are interested.I am in Malawi working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR. That is the UNrsquos refugee agency whose responsibility is to ensure protection to the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-300051.html Thanks for all the birthday messagesthey really made my day or well I guess I just read them a week late so they made todayI have so much to write about and have just had no time.I found out that one of my Malawian friends who is an inspired musician is thinking about shooting a music video.. He has a video camera that someone on the project donated to him so that is rare. He is really an http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Northern/blog-299090.html Okay so I have a lot of pictures that I really want to put on the internet so we will see how many actually download. Otherwise I am going to try to send a few of them via email if it is fasterhellipAnyway for the last 5 or 6 weeks I have been living at a college in Dedza andor in a village called Zuze not far from the college also in the Dedza district. At the college I lived in a hostel http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-298744.html After a grueling 36 hours or so enroute across the continent I finally made it to Lilongwe. Thanks to a lot of effort on Mommyrsquos part I had an apartment to move into the very afternoon I landed and didn't have to hole up in some grimy backpackers I found the place through an acquaintance Irsquod made last summer who it turns out is now my nextdoor neighbor. My apartment is HUGEmd http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-297993.html So tomorrow is my birthday yayI wish people wanted to hang out last night but everyone was going on a trip somewhere today the white people went to Nyka Park and the Malawians mostly went to Tanzania to shop and had to leave really early in the morning.. so I made myself my own gin and tonic to celebrate last night Today I climbed a big mountain with Phil it was awesome but really hot. At f http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Northern/blog-296112.html Day 82206Today we did an incredible trip to Livingstone Island with is a small island that is not only located in the Zembezi river in Victoria falls but actually has a border that lies on the falls edge. It was an expensive trip booked through a very fancy hotel called the Royal Livingston but worth it in the end. We took a motor boat out the island which is crazy enough. We walked onto the i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-294753.html Hi We have added pictures from London and Zanzibar to our blog. Click on the blog that says Greetings from Zanzibar to see all of them. Love LT http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-293999.html Ok I got on the internet long enough to give everyone my NEW PHONE NUMBERYes that's right I am borrowing the phone that Jessi was using for the project since she is leaving the country on Friday.The number is 05261751 So I think that if you call me directly it would be EXTREMELY expensive but in case of emergency you would dial 011 265 05261751 And you might have to drop the zero befor http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Northern/blog-293898.html Hi We've made it to Lilongwe Malawi And what a journey it has been... In order to save a lot of money we decided to take a bus rather then a flight to Malawi. When we bought the tickets we were told that the trip would be around 36 hours AAHHHH But we thought...Hey what a great way to see the country side of Tanzania and travel with the local African people So...we left Dar Es Salaa http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-293588.html So I made it to Rumphi successfully. So the usual place we stay at here in Rumphi is totally full so we are spread out across the boma center of town area like a trading center. SoI am staying in an orphanage lodge place that is really beautiful and would be nice... if it were actually warm at night there is no hot water and the windows only have screens. During the day it gets extremely ho http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Northern/blog-292745.html Today I am pleased to announce a new addition to our project team our driver Harold Chaponda. Harold is from Chileka just down the road from the hospital has quite a few years of experience working as a driver and maintenance guy for a car hire company has great English bonus and lists chatting with friends and taking nonalcoholic drinks amongst his hobbies. Sitting in on the intervie http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/blog-291897.html Hey Picture time We arrived in Lilongwe this morning but 22 people trying to cram onto 5 computers...well chaos. I have not seen any crocs yetLilongwe is not quite what I expected...I have been without StarbucksCoffee that is not instant since..I miss cheese and chocolate. Okay other than that I am staying in a village not far from Dedza in a village without electricty and running wat http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-291882.html Malawi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/blog-291749.html Hello AllI'm writing now from Lilongwe Malawi and I have been traveling for just about 2.5 weeks. To same time and money I wrote out my post on paper and photographed it I just tried to write clearly and photograph equally so. Enjoy more to come maybe later today or tomorrow actuallyMark http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-290359.html Hey everyoneSo this is the first time I have been near a computer since I got to Malawi and of course I don't have much time I don't want to be out after dark here. Anyway I love it here Right now I am living in a village south of Lilongwe. Training is hard and I am not the best at foreign languages but I really am excited. This Saturday we will find out where we will be stationed for http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/blog-290297.html Here is a video of our highlights from Malawi that we made for the Kumuka group. Enjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/Kandi-Beach/blog-289701.html After a farewell meal with Rev Levi Nyondo and his family we left Mzuzu on Tuesday morning to go on another long bus journey back to Lilongwe. Here we are staying in the Sunbird Hotel although our stay in Mzuzu was wonderful it is lovely to get a proper bed and we are getting our clothes washed which is such a luxury. After the dusty road at Vwaza Marsh the day before it wasn't just our clothe http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-288986.html So I wrote an entry from South Africa yesterday but then I ran out of air time before I published it. I am currently in Mchinji the central and main site of the MCIDP study. I will be managing the VCT testing and surveying team soon right now I am helping out Jessie an Anthropology PhD. from University of Florida who has been running it thus far. We are moving up to the Northern site on Sunda http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/blog-288891.html Today Monday we went to Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve. It was fantastic we have never seen so many elephants together in their herds it was an amazing sight. We also saw hippos and monkeys. It was very dry and dusty and we were covered in dust from the road we were travelling on. It has been very sunny and hot today. This evening we have been invited to Rev. Levi Neyondo's home to have a meal w http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Northern/Mzuzu/blog-288146.html From South Luangwa NP we drove 150km to the ZambianMalawi border at Chipata. Our visas for Malawi were free Excellent I like this country already We drove another 2 hours to the capital Llongwe. It seemed a very nice lowkey city especially for a capital as we drove through it to our campsite. The following day we got to explore it a bit more and I still felt the same the people were friend http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-287986.html The first picture this week That would be me on top of Mt Msololo the highest mountain in the Dzalanyama range. I mentioned these mountains in my last entry. Back then I was on outreach seeing them in the distance. What can I say I had to go there I spent last weekend in Dzalanyama forest reserve with my two new housemates Irish medical students. The scenery was absolutely stunning http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/blog-287679.html