Blogs from Malawi, Africa - page 66

Entering Malawi, I passed through immigration with such ease it was almost disorientating. Expecting the usual African customs ordeal, it was like being let off school detention. A few revolutions of the pedals down the road towards Lilongwe, I came to yet another Police Road block. You tend to find these every couple of hundred kilometres on the main roads of Africa. Usually I’m left alone to cycle straight past, but this time they stopped me and decided they wanted to take my bike apart. I'm not sure what they were expecting to find. To be honest I think they were just trying to waste my time until I became so impatient I offered them a bribe to be allowed to move on. When they then decided they wanted to inspect my inner tubes, I just ... read more

Hello everyone! A bit belatedly, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and happy new year's! I know its been a long time since we last posted, and since leaving our volunteer group in Zambia in the beginning of December, we've traveled to quite a few places. Since there is so much to catch up on, I thought I would try something a bit different, and just include some snippets of our adventures (in chronological order of course) over the past month and a half.... - Visiting and safariing with parents in Zambia and Botswana: walking into the Royal Zambezi and realizing we are not in backpacker land anymore; swimming in Victoria Falls and being sure one of us was going to go flying over; flying in a 5-person light aircraft into the Botswana national parks; ... read more

Two engine fires and a baby Getting to Nkhata Bay in Malawi to catch our ferry turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than we thought. The great bus company we booked with to get from Dar Es Salaam to the Tanzania/Malawi border decided to put on its crappiest bus for us and of course leave late. We then went through the expected bumping and jolting across Tanzania's central and western regions. It was sad to see a sea of blue and white plastic along the roadside as we drove through a beautiful national park. Africa still doesn't really have any kind of awareness about litter at all. Driving along people finish their drink or their fish and chips in polystyrene box and just throw it out of the window. It is awful. ... read more

The last two UK volunteers at the orphanage before me had bought paint and created a wonderful underwater scene along the longest wall in the hall. It is on the wall opposite the entrance so as you walk in it really lifts the environment, and stimulates the children. Painted on the wall are sharks, fish, an octopus and even a mermaid. On one notable occasion I observed one of the primary school boys, called Blessings, quietly sitting by the wall and copying some fish into his exercise book. During a previous meeting with the Reverend he had said it would be good if I could do another wall, as they want to remember each volunteer. So today and tomorrow, 27 and 28 December, are set aside for painting! The Reverend's brother, who is 24 and on ... read more

Well it had to happen at least once! ...Sadly it was when I had booked to stay up at Lake Malawi and had to cancel the trip. They say until you visit the lake you haven't been to Malawi; I guess that means I'll have to come back! I was fortunate to speak with a med student friend from London, who was able to diagnose me on the phone and advise me what to do. I'm pretty sure it was the orphanage food that made me ill, as I noticed my health getting progressively worse after the last two meals there. I have subsequently decided not to eat at the orphanage from now on (especially as it is getting closer to the long flight home), but I'm pleased that I had the experience and privilege of ... read more