Blogs from Northern, Malawi, Africa - page 2

Just a mere 14 hours on the bus from Lilongwe to Nkhata Bay but it was certainly worth it. I won't delve too much into the bus journey as I'm sure you can imagine the scenario. As if the journey wasn't long enough, President Joyce Banda decided to close the roads to allow her 35 vehicle convoy through. Now I don't wish to start a political debate, but for a President who has sold the government jet and cut her own wage, it seems strange she required such an escort at huge costs! Having arrived late in the evening, I quickly met some of the volunteers here at Butterfly Space where I will be staying for some time and was given a very warm welcome. I was too tired to enjoy a beer though and headed ... read more

Resumo: morando em um lugar que é a minha cara; Estudando; Criando novos projetos; Estou bem! hummm .. atrasada nos meus posts como sempre. Mas aqui estou para dizer que moro hoje em um lugar que é a minha cara! tranquilo, de frente para o Lago Malawi, comida caseira, jardim orgânico, banheiro ecologicamente correto, pessoas simples, alguns voluntários por perto ... mas preciso dizer que quando cheguei neste local vi esta mensagem "Hidden in our hearts is a longing–to live deeply, fully, and with purpose and joy; to know and be known, to be connected with another, and to make a difference in the world. In the dance of giving and receiving, we create ourselves, our community, and our world.". Assim é hoje e prentendo que assim o seja .. Giving & Receiving, creating myself, my ... read more

Getting to Nkhata Bay from Chitimba was realtively easy. We got a minibus on the main road to Mzuzu. This journey took us away from the lake and up into the mountains. We also had some baboons chase the minibus for a few hundred metres as the conductor threw out some nuts to them. It took 2 hours to get to Mzuzu, where we switched to another minibus and were in Nkhata Bay 45 minutes later. I stayed at Mayoka Village, which is probably the best place I stayed at so far in Africa. I camped metres away from the lake. Unlike Chitimba, most of the bay here is rocky, which makes it even more ideal for swimming in. Most days I was there the lake was completely still and the water was always a perfect ... read more

Well anyone who knows me will know I am nothing if not determined so, finally, through sheer persistance I am able to post my first blog of our trip to Malawi! We arrived in Lilongwe around 1pm on Tuesday and, as forecast, wrinkles were prominent alongside rather large bags under our eyes as I think, collectively, we had about 10 hours sleep between us on Monday night! So we arrived at the Kiboko Hotel and the first thing we did is head to the bar to discuss our plans for the rest of the day! Luggage was abandoned in the rooms (but at least all the luggage got there!) but we were all sick of the sight of it by then. At this point I should mention we had already met Mike our driver and I ... read more

Day 3 We had a chilled morning, quick swim in the lake and then collected our clothes from town. As we were walking down the road we ran into Matt and Tim again. They were heading to Mayoka. The party started early with a free lunch of Nsima (pap), beef stew, beans and veg. We played a round or two of killer pool while chatting and having a few drinks. The party continued well into dinner and after. It was good to see Tim and Matt again - with the hilarious, classic Tim quotes. They also got along really well with Jen, Naomi, Grant, Edward and Matt - so our group is expanding. We all went for a sunset cruise on the lake. It was so beautiful. Naomi and I pushed Tim in and then ... read more