These past few days have been very trying for me. I have decided to spare everyone the gory details, but I have never in my life felt more lost or scared. I have also never felt more blessed and protected. Due to some miscommunication I will not be staying at the Farmers Club in Lilongwe instead I will head back to Blantyre today. There are positives and negatives in this change. In Lilongwe I was going to be much closer to the lake, which I was looking forward to. In Blantyre I will not be to far from the lake, but a good 2 hour bus ride away. i will also be closer to Lawrence when he comes to visit and that is a huge plus!
So some things I have learned recently......if you are the only white person on a bus and the bus pulls over for a security check DO NOT GET OFF THE BUS! I have never had so many people surround me wanting things. It was overwhelming. The children, old ladies, etc. all wanting me to buy things or give them money. I have been trying very hard not to hand out money. It has been especially difficult. Instead I am trying to say a small prayer for each person I encounter. So the next security check point I stayed on the bus while everyone else got off. Being an unaccompanied white woman in this country makes me a walking target ALL THE TIME. The people are wonderful and friendly, but they are much more aggressive then I am used to. And I have become used to aggressive men in the past year living where I do in Kansas City. It is different here, people want even just to talk to me or touch me sometimes. This is not something I expected and I'm not even sure what it is I expected, but I am constantly amazed and constantly grateful to be from a country where even those with nothing still have more.
Today I am learning what a fuel crisis really is. I rode with my friend Chique to the gas station and there was no gas, we ended up going to over 5 gas stations and still no fuel. Apparently there is a place 30KL from here with some gas, but it is very expensive. So they sent someone on a motor bike to fill up containers with fuel. Malawi sometimes has shortages because of Mozambique. The government will not let the fuel ships from the middle east come to port. This is where Malawi gets fuel because they are just next the Mozambique which is next to the Indian Ocean. The gas stations never know when this will happen and neither does the Malawian government. I have been picking up a paper everyday to see what kind of things they put in there news...they have Dennis the mennis cartoons!
I want to thank everyone that has been so supportive, I will say that the prayers have helped and were especially needed in the past few days. Some extra prayers are needed for the enormous mosquito bites I have acquired. Half of my arm is swollen from the 3 bites I just pray it is not Malaria or one of the other horrible diseases the mosquito's carry here. I have been very careful, but up north there are more mosquito's since it is greener here. I hope this finds everyone well. I am off to find out where my adventure will continue!
1 comment:
That's Malawi, Welcome to the warm heart of Africa.
On the road security check points do not be surprised. Most whites coming to Malawi are big customers of local goods. People will always approach you to try and sell some thing. The same thing happens when you are driving. If you are driving, it does not matter whether you are white of black. Your vehicle is surrounded to the extent that you can hardly open the door to come out. You have to be very careful though as thieves take advantage of the situation.
Make sure you take anti-malaria drugs to protect yourself from the the deadly malaria. I am sure you have no other diseases carried by mosquitos to be worried about in Malawi.
Enjoy the Warm Heart of Africa and our tasty fish "Chambo" the Tilapia.
Arnold - Wolverhampton, West Midlands UK
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