A few days ago, my friend Mike and I decided to walk into town to pick up a few odds and ends. We we found about half of what we needed which is an okay percentage (for instance the bakery still had fresh bread but the clinics have no cough syrup this week).
While walking back I decided to order some food at the restaurant at the top of the hill. (For dinner you have to order three hours in advance so they can buy ingredients). The owner/cook is named Calvin: a Rastafarian who was one of the original vendors to tourists in the area, but now happily lives outside of the hawker stalls (as a Godfather figure to the rest, Mike says). He also good conversation: "Rastas believe that the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden is weed not apples. I smoke everyday for meditation and health, and I haven't gotten malaria or a headache in 15 years."
Anyway, as we approached his thatched summer hut we saw a large cloud of smoke drifting out onto our path.
"I guess it's a camp fire? Calvin prolly knows what he is doing", Mike suggested.
Still, we walked over to check and discovered several bush fires that had crept up the hill towards his hut. Calvin and his friend said hello calmly as the beat flames with tree branches and doused them with a couple bottles of water. Joining in the effort, we twisted off a couple branches, and I selected a flame and went to work. It took a couple minutes to kill it and within ten minutes, the fire had been subdued.
"When you get a chance can I order some dinner?" I asked.
Calvin nodded and strolled back and sat down with a little notebook and wrote down my order. Then, with smoke still pouring through his hut, he lit a large joint, sat back and looked out at the lake.
Mike and I departed back to the lodge where I picked up a my pair of black high topped converse that I wanted to sell as I was tired of carrying the extra weight.
On the way to the craft market I stopped by Calvin's to see if the fire was still under control. It was, and he was sitting exactly where I had left him. He turned and eyeing my shoes asked if he could try them on.
"Sure."
He laced them up and to my surprise they fit him perfectly and looked pretty smart as well.
We agreed to trade my shoes and a razor I didn't need for 4 small paintings of his.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Nkata Bay
Since Tuesday I feel like I've been on vacation.
I'm in Nkata Bay on Lake Malawi which is so big it feels like an ocean. I'm staying at a lodge outside of town (down a foot path a located along a sloping hill that leads down into the bay). Lizards with bright blue tails crawl around giant brick steps that lead between chalets and the bar. When you talk to other guests about their plans the general response is "I've been teaching English for about four months, I'll prolly leave when I run out of money in a couple months."
Every couple days someone will take a three hour mini bus to the nearest large town and bring back a newspaper which everyone trades around throughout the day.
On Wednesday my major activity was swimming to the bar.
Today I snorkeled and then sat around eating fresh bread one of the cooks was selling.
I'm in Nkata Bay on Lake Malawi which is so big it feels like an ocean. I'm staying at a lodge outside of town (down a foot path a located along a sloping hill that leads down into the bay). Lizards with bright blue tails crawl around giant brick steps that lead between chalets and the bar. When you talk to other guests about their plans the general response is "I've been teaching English for about four months, I'll prolly leave when I run out of money in a couple months."
Every couple days someone will take a three hour mini bus to the nearest large town and bring back a newspaper which everyone trades around throughout the day.
On Wednesday my major activity was swimming to the bar.
Today I snorkeled and then sat around eating fresh bread one of the cooks was selling.
Protests on the way
Late July in Malawi, food protests evolved into a political protest which became riots fueled by a multiple long simmering grievances held by the Malawi people (economy, lack of jobs, petrol shortages, corruption, Chinese business, etc.) 22 people were shot by the government. I've talked to a few people who were here at the time and have gotten stories of tear gas and mobs.
It's common knowledge across the country that the next protest will occur on the 17th of august. Travelers either:
It's common knowledge across the country that the next protest will occur on the 17th of august. Travelers either:
A. Plan on getting out of the country.
B. Holding up in their hotel/lodge.
I will personally be out of the country, and at this point with a couple days to spare.
No one has any idea how it will turn out. The government devalued the currency today and the main political party has been bleeding members. I've heard that the police won't fire on protesters, but the army (bolstered by troops from Zimbabwe) would.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Lilongwe, Malawi
Lilongwe was my favorite African capital so far. Nothing to special, but more compact and easier to get around.
A few hours after getting in, I took a minibus to the local football stadium and watched a match. The game was between a government sponsored team and a team funded by "a very rich man from the city". In the end, the metaphor for Socialism won 3-2.
A few hours after getting in, I took a minibus to the local football stadium and watched a match. The game was between a government sponsored team and a team funded by "a very rich man from the city". In the end, the metaphor for Socialism won 3-2.
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