Malawi - part 3
Monday, June 24, 2024
We settled into the luxury of Makokola with great ease.
After four weeks of action-packed travel, we were finally taking a break. Breakfast in the dining area at a table overlooking Lake Malawi was a treat. The wait staff are very attentive and willing to engage in conversation. The food was exceptional, especially their homemade muesli. It had whole macadamia nuts in it along with other delicious morsels. Following breakfast we walked around the resort buildings. The gardens are gorgeous, the pool very inviting and the several lounge areas very comfortable. The lounge areas are all covered but open air with wonderful views of the beach and the lake. It was a great start to the day.
We returned to our room which also has a wonderful view of the lake and I eagerly attacked the blog which has recently been ignored. It felt great to upload two new posts along with send it by email to an assortment of friends. Partway through this project we meandered back to the dining area where we enjoyed a lovely lunch. I had a delicious and large Greek salad and Jim ordered soup (butternut squash) which he devoured. He also ordered a barbequed pork sandwich. The soup was so large that he was already full. So the sandwich came to our room with us, nicely wrapped and placed in the fridge. Now, over 24 hours later it is still there.
The afternoon was filled with some time sitting outside and more work on the diary and blog. By dinner time, I was tired of computer work and looked forward to a break. We relaxed with a glass of wine and leisurely selected our dinners. Jim ordered soup again (chickpea and lemon) and guava panna cotta for dessert. It was served in the shape of a guava. I enjoyed the chickpea and lemon soup alongside a salad. I skipped dessert. I did not even have a taste of Jim’s. We were seated beside a family and interacted with them from table to table. They are from Washington DC (Stan and Jane). Jane was born in Malawi and met Stan in Washington while she was the Malawi Ambassador in the US. They married 9 years ago in DC but had always dreamed of a Malawi wedding. So they, with her two daughters cam over this year to have their Malawi wedding just a few days ago. Apparently it was quite a party. Conversation continued and it was clear we have a lot in common. After such a relaxing and pleasant day, it was nice to simply sit and enjoy the atmosphere and service at the Makokola.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Breakfast this morning was delicious once again. The same muesli for me and Jim ordered it too. He also had an omelette, pork sausage and bacon and ate every little bit of it. Once again we encountered our new DC friends and had a short but lovely conversation. They were heading out to explore Mangochi, the closest town. They have a car and are driving themselves. I am so glad that we decided to have a driver. The roads are in poor repair, filled with bicycles, pedestrians and goats. Chaos!!! We spent the morning reading, relaxing, checking email. We did visit the gift shop here which has some very beautiful and reasonably priced items. The challenge was limiting our purchases since we really do not need anything. But we did have a small bag filled when we left. And soon it was time to eat again.
For lunch I had a caprese salad and Jim had mee goreng. His portion was very large and mine was actually quite small. But we both enjoyed our choices. Once again, who did we see but our DC friends. We have arranged to have dinner with them tonight. Conversation will flow better if we are all at the same table.
We had arranged for a driver and guide to take us to Mangochi in the afternoon. It was a great outing. The guide was very informative and was willing to answer any of our questions. Mangochi is a fairly large city and, as expected, totally chaotic. Our driver was willing to stop so we could take photos but it was clear that, in general, the local people did not like that unless we gave them money. So we had to be very careful about where we aimed the cameras. We did see some significant sites – the cemetery
where the Allied troops who died in World War 1 are buried. Very well maintained and respected. We did not know that the world wars actually impacted Africa in such a real way. We also saw the Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, a memorial to Queen Victoria.
Malawi was colonized by Britain in 1891 and was renamed Nyasaland in 1907. The country became independent in 1964 when it was renamed Malawi. Now it is a democratic multi-party republic as of 1993. Malawi participates in the Commonwealth of Nations.
Near the clock tower there is a bridge that crosses the Shire River. On one side of the bridge is Lake Malawi and on the other side, the beginning of the Shire. We also drove through the main shopping area of Mangochi. It was a sand covered road with vendor stalls on both sides.
There were also shops on side streets and a parallel set of shops on streets behind the main street on both sides. I do not think there is a single thing anyone would want to buy that could not be found on that street. It was fascinating. I asked about prices and learned that, for tourists, it was a fixed-price system. My hunch is that locals may be able to barter somewhat. One of the most interesting things was a tomato market.
Clearly, it is tomato season and at least twenty women were lined up on a wide piece of land at a busy intersection. They were all selling tomatoes and only tomatoes. I do not know how you would be able to choose where to purchase your tomatoes. They all looked delicious.
Along the road back to the resort, we saw brick-making, agriculture, small villages of homes in various states of disrepair. Many buildings were only partially constructed because the owners ran out of money and now had to wait until they had more money to continue the build. There was a lumber shop where the furniture maker bought his lumber to build beautiful doors for new homes, bedroom sets, chairs and many other items. There were shops where you could buy pre-harvested tall grass to make a thatched roof for your home or your shop. This is an area where there are many Muslims and Christians. Churches and mosques sit side by side along the roads.
Fishing is the primary source of income in this area. Lake Malawi has a bountiful fish population and people fish around the clock. Small wooden boats laden with heavy fishnets ply the waters with great success. The fishermen bring the fish to the shore and others help with cleaning them. Fish are purchased by local men for the purpose of reselling.
Some of the fish are sold locally but some are also taken to villages and towns quite a distance from here. The vendors travel on foot or by bicycle because they have no money for transportation. Fishing season is from September until April with penalties if you do any commercial fishing outside those months. Our guide said that during the off season, many families did not have enough food to maintain a healthy family.
After we returned to Makokola, we visited the gift shop to purchase some items to bring home. I bought myself a pair of black and white earrings, reminiscent of a zebra. I wore them for dinner tonight. They looked great. We enjoyed the birds and gentle wildlife around the resort.
Speaking of dinner, we shared a table with Stan and Jane for dinner. Their daughters chose to sit at a separate table, probably feeling that they would be bored with the adult conversation. We certainly did not lack for topics to cover, ranging from health, travel, movies, books, global warming and politics. It was lively and fun. Dinner was also delicious. Jane wanted a photo of all of us at our table. She has promised to send it to us.
And now we are back in our room, preparing to leave tomorrow morning. This resort has been lovely, providing beauty surround us as we regained our energy to continue with this amazing adventure.
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Happy Birthday to my sister, Debbie, who is one year older today.
We enjoyed our final breakfast at Makokola this morning. I have to say that the muesli they served was the best I have ever tasted. I was tempted to ask them to fill a bag so I could take it with us. Alas, all good things come to an end.
Jordan, our driver, arrived promptly and we were packed and ready to go. We had a long drive ahead of us so we did not want to waste any time getting on the road. Although long, it was a terrific journey. We passed through many landscapes and villages and saw things we have not encountered in Malawi. We were on many different roads, ranging from formal highways to dirt roads filled with horrible ruts and bumps. All in the effort to reach Ntchisi Forest Lodge, our accommodation for tonight.
We passed through many villages, each of which was engaged in commerce along the roadsides. Outside of the villages, thatched huts housed most of the items for sale. Fresh produce, especially tomatoes and potatoes,
was available along with sugarcane, long grass for thatching, charcoal for cooking, long poles, cut lumber, furniture, huge bags of rice and corn flour. Inside the villages the marketplace looked a bit more formal with wooden booths connected together. Each vendor displayed merchandise both inside and outside the booth. A range of vegetables was on offer in most places as well as shoes, clothing, hot food and liquor. It was not a specific market day in any village we visited. Nonetheless, there was a wide range of people, animals and vehicles moving about the town. Bicycle repair shops were abundant as well as used tires. We passed what appeared to be a wrecking yard for old or broken cars. Our driver told us that car owners frequented this location to look for spare parts. Nothing goes to waste.
Goats, chickens, cows and pigs roamed the villages and the roadsides. More than once Jordan had to stop quickly because an animal have moved into the road just in front of the car. Young goats were the worst. I asked if many of them were killed and Jordan replied, “Of course!”
We passed by several schools, some public and some private.
Children begin their school day at different times according to their grade and age. The youngest children begin school in the early afternoon so they are able to have lunch at home before coming. So it seemed that there were children coming and going all the time. Private schools require uniforms. Public schools encourage uniforms but if a family cannot afford them, the children are still able to attend school. There are no school busses so children walk, often many miles, to attend school. All ages walk to and from independently along busy roadways with no adult supervision. Yikes!
We passed by one school that was clearly in session. Schools often have a learning tree, a large shady tree that children and teachers can use as a teaching place.
This particular school had two learning trees with children under both of them. As we had heard, the classes were huge. Behaviour seemed appropriate but I do wonder how a single teacher can meet the needs of up to 80 children. Jordan also told us there were few resources in schools and not enough books. What a tough place to teach.
We also saw a large gathering of people in front of a church. When we asked Jordan what was going on he told us it was a funeral. In both direction along the road, a long line of people were making their way to the church. I thought it must have been some prominent person who died but Jordan said that all funerals are large with many people paying respects to the person who had died.
It was laundry day in many villages. Brightly coloured clothing was hung out to dry on a clothesline or laid on bushes around the village. The sun was shining and it brought the colours to light.
Long lines at the community pumps provide water for laundry and other household needs. Laundry is done by hand. No machines or even electricity in these villages. Candles serve to light the homes after the sun has set… usually 6 pm on the dot.
Very few people in Malawi have cars. Most travel on foot, at times, very long distances. Today was not exception as hundreds of people, bicycles and motorbikes made their way along the roadsides. It can make driving a harrowing experience.
We did encounter a bicycle whose rider was holding two live goats as he travelled. Right behind him was another bicycle with a live medium sized pig tied to the bike behind the rider. Some bicycles had up to four large bags of merchandise on the back – charcoal and firewood were among the most frequent. They rode their bikes as much as they could but walked and pushed the bikes up the hills. Motorbikes carry up to four passengers and perhaps a bag or two as well. We saw large trucks heavy laden with loads of huge white bags of rice, flour or potatoes. On top of the load up to twenty people perched precariously as the truck rumbled down the road.
One of many taxi services available.
Often farmers use oxen or donkeys to pull carts.
We encountered two locations where there was significant road construction. The alternative route provided in both cases was rutted with potholes and an uneven surface. I give Jordan great credit for the care he took to protect the car as well as us, his passengers. As is often the case at home, we saw groups of workers gathered together and chatting. We are not sure what they were supposed to be doing but I do not think that chatting was it.
We travelled for several hours on many different roads. We used the facilities at two service centres – bathrooms and beverages. There were several service centres open
and several more were under construction. We wondered if the owners were anticipating an increase in tourist traffic that would require more services. We were surprised we finally turned onto the road that would take us to our destination, Ntchisi Forest Lodge.
The road was up high on a mountain and we travelled down into the valley. The landscape beautiful and the views across the valley were breathtaking. The only problem was the road itself. It is a narrow dirt road that clearly has not been graded since the wet season ended months ago. Jordan carefully navigated the vehicle through ruts and holes that could have swallowed it. It was slow going and frankly, not all that comfortable. But we were mesmerized by the range of agriculture that we saw and the fact that the soil was tilled, the seeds were planted and the produce harvested all by hand. What an accomplishment!!
Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and tobacco were among the crops we saw. Tobacco is the largest valued export from Malawi. It brings more money into the country than any other export. Coffee is a new crop and has potential to be very successful. We also saw a newly planted pine forest as well as blue gum trees. They will be useful in roasting the coffee beans after harvest. Coffee has the potential to provide sufficient income to farmers that they will no longer need to cut down trees in the rainforest to produce charcoal for cooking. Thus, coffee helps the farmers and the rainforest.
We survived the rugged road and finally reached Ntchisi Forest Lodge. It is a modest resort that is undergoing some maintenance. We were the only guests there on this particular night. Happily, our driver was also able to stay at the lodge as well. The alternative would have been to drive back down that challenging road only to drive back up to pick us up in the morning. We had a very pleasant dinner together and got to know him much better.
It is quite chilly up this high (1400 metres) so it will be early to bed for us. It is cozy under the covers.
Thursday, June 27, 2024
It was another long day on the road. We had a bountiful breakfast at Ntchisi
and then immediately set out for Chintheche. We knew it would be a long drive so we were in the car and on our way before 8:30 am. Prior to that, Jordan and one of the staff at Ntchisi had repaired a damaged tire from our rugged trip yesterday.
Fortunately we only needed to be on that road for a short time today. We turned off on another dirt road but it was much easier to navigate although not perfect.
It took us about two hours to reach the main highway. Along the way we passed by fields of potatoes, tomatoes, corn, bananas, coffee, rice and casava. Rice was being harvested and dried on huge cloths on the ground.
Sugar cane was being harvested by hand
and loaded on large trucks to be taken to a processing plant. There is enough sugar cane in Malawi to be able to export it to other nearby countries. The rice all remains in Malawi as it is a staple in the local diet. A local game for the boys especially was to chase the sugarcane truck and try to get a piece of sugarcane out of one of the bundles. Several boys were very successful and enjoyed their reward!
New to us were peanuts which have been pulled from the ground and had the shells removed. Leaving the skins on, they were also laid out on large sheets on the ground to dry under the sun. At times, it was difficult to keep the wandering goats from helping themselves to rice and peanuts.
The other crop that is proving to be very successful in this area is coffee. Ntchisi Lodge is working to protect the last remaining rainforest in Malawi. Farmers have been going into the rainforest and removing wood for firewood. By growing coffee, the rainforest is better protected. The Lodge has guaranteed that if the farmers grow the coffee, the lodge will purchase it which provides a greater income for the farmers. Pine forests and blue gum trees have been planted on some of the agricultural land to provide firewood for the local residents. Both species grow quickly and burn well. This plan seems to be working and the rainforests will sustain less damage due to new sources of firewood. As with rice, the coffee beans are spread out on large sheets on the ground or on racks to dry in the sun.
We finally reached the M5 highway, a major roadway in Malawi. The condition of the road for the first several hours was abysmal. Jordan worked hard to avoid the continuous potholes, great gaps in the pavement and deep ruts as well. We travelled at great lengths on the shoulder of the road at times. Jordan’s comment was, “The government does not care about the roads in Malawi.”
We stopped at a service centre for a break and Jordan put fuel into the car. Meanwhile, Jim had spotted the market directly across the road and made a b-line to explore it. Jordan came back only to find that Jim was about to purchase some cooked food. He quickly joined Jim in the queue to ensure that the food was safe and that Jim was not overcharged for the purchase. Freshly fried sweet potato came back with Jim and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
When purchased, the sweet potato was placed in a very small blue plastic bag. Other vendors also used those bags. What we saw was a plethora of blue plastic along the highway as people finished their food and threw the bag aside. I told Jordan that Canada has discontinued the use of most plastic in the grocery industry and that Malawi may have to do the same thing. His response was. “They already have and it did not work.” Ouch!!
We encountered many other interesting things as we travelled along. We saw several schools and enjoyed seeing the children skipping along the highway as they were dismissed at various times. They are taught to walk facing the traffic which helps them remain safe. Jordan sounded the horn to remind them to remain on the side of the road in traffic. They were very attentive to the horn. We saw a broad range of uniforms from school to school, usually quite bright colours.
We passed through a village where the women were attending some sort of meeting. Over a hundred women were seated on the ground listening to a speaker. Many of the men were patiently waiting on the other side of the street. Like the children who walk long distances to school, some of these women had walked several miles on mountain roads to attend the meeting. We cannot get used to the number of people who are on the move every day on foot.
Every village has a market and people shop for their fresh food each day. There is no electricity or appliances in their homes so they have no way of preserving food from one day to the next. Women carry great loads on their heads as they head home from the market - food, charcoal for cooking, firewood and more. They fill large buckets with water daily from the community pump and carry it back to their homes, also on their heads. Sometimes they also have a baby on their back and other toddlers at their sides. It is not an easy life.
An interesting observation … some villages have pumps; others have water tanks placed on a high tower. I asked Jordan why some had tanks rather than pumps. He told me it might have something to do with the influence the member of parliament has or a decision the chief of the region has made. Tanks require far less work to access than the pumps.
As we travelled north, we became aware of other means of transportation as well. The most common was a truck, loaded with large bags of rice or corn piled high on the back of the truck. Then men and women clambered on as well to hitch a ride to their destinations. They were confident that they would not fall off and settled in and chatted. I thought they might all fall off if the truck hit one of those potholes.
We also passed by a huge funeral with hundreds of people gathered on the ground to pay respects to the deceased. Perhaps that is why we saw so many people on the road today.
Along with the standard goats, chickens, pigs, cows and people, today we also added sheep to the list of roadside companions. The sheep are not raised for their fleece but for their meat. Nonetheless, this breed of sheep did not seem to have thick fleeces.
At one point we saw a man and several young boys chopping at the bank at the edge of the road. Jordan told us they were looking for mice. And not much later we passed a stall that was offering mice on a stick, the same as we saw yesterday. We did not stop!!
We have tried to be sensitive on our photo taking. Most people would like ‘money’ if you take their photo. We have refrained from that for the most part. But today, I wanted a photo of a mom with her baby on her back. Jordan helped by asking a mom in one of the many villages we passed through. She was quite happy to have her picture taken. When we offered her money, she backed away. Some young men joined the group and learned that she was new in the village and was afraid to take the money in case of tension among other moms. We asked the young man to please persuade her to take the money. He had it in his hand and finally she took it from him. Her reluctance was a huge surprise to us.
We drove over many bridges today. Most streams and rivers were dry as it is the dry season but sometimes there was water flowing in small quantities, especially as we drew nearer to Lake Malawi again. Far below one of the bridges, there were at least twenty women washing their clothes in the water. We stopped to take a photo and many of them waved at us.
We did not stop for lunch but Jordan bought a bunch of fresh picked bananas as a market. They sufficed as our lunch and they were delicious.
The highway finally improved and the final leg of our journey was much more comfortable. Jordan and I (I sit in the front seat) chatted about several topics. Marriage, children, emergency services, fashion, health and more. If we had been doing a self-drive trip, we would not have had the opportunity to learn so much about the culture. In a nutshell, marriages cannot legally occur until the girl is 18. But couples live together before that. In the villages, families often have 4 or 5 children. In cities, the number is substantially lower. There are no emergency services (fire, ambulance or police) outside the major cities. If something happens, you are on your own to deal with it. Fashion is changing, especially in the cities. One of the influences is the availability of American style clothes since used clothes from North America are shipped in bales to Malawi and sold at the local markets. For health, while there are local clinics in some locations, most offer only the most basic of services. If a prescription is appropriate the health practitioner will give it to the patient but it is up to the patient to find a pharmacy that has it in stock. And the patient has to pay for it. Malawi in definitely not a developed country yet.
Somewhere along the way, we began to follow the shore of Lake Malawi. We have travelled quite far north. At the south end of the lake it is possible to see the other side but where we are now, it looks just like a Canadian great lake. A vast span of water with no apparent end. Lake Malawi is about the size of Lake Superior although not as deep. It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world.
Just before we reached our destination, we passed by a fishing village where the fishermen had just returned with their catch. The beach was lined with people who would help clean the fish and with people who simply wanted to buy some fish. It was quite a colourful crowd. I asked Jordan what happened to the head and the guts of the fish. He said that often the dogs and goats ate the guts but no one would ever discard a fishhead. It is considered a delicacy and highly valued. Hmmm.
We finally arrived at Sunbird Chintheche Inn. We were grateful to have arrived at our destination. And it is beautiful, a bit older than lodges we have stayed in but surrounded by beautiful gardens and lawns right on the shore of Lake Malawi. We are in room number one which happens to be the room that is closest to the lake. The sound of the waves will lull us to sleep tonight.
For now, it is time for dinner. Please excuse me while we find something to eat. Remember, we had a banana for lunch!
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